Cycle tracker
No cycle start logged yet
Average mood by phase
Menstrual
More rest, low energy
—
Follicular
Rising energy, creativity
—
Ovulation
Peak energy and confidence
—
Luteal
Possible PMS, extra self-care
—
The more you log, the clearer your hormonal mood pattern becomes.
History
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Why track cycle with mood
Predictable, not random
When low mood lines up with the late luteal phase, it stops feeling like a personality failure.
Two cycles is proof
Prospective daily ratings across two cycles are exactly what clinicians need to diagnose PMDD.
Plan around the dip
Knowing the hard week is coming lets you move deadlines, add sleep and lower expectations in advance.
Spot what isn't hormonal
Tracking also reveals when a bad week has nothing to do with the cycle at all.
The science, briefly
Up to 80% of people who menstruate notice some premenstrual symptoms; around 20–30% meet criteria for PMS and roughly 3–8% for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which the DSM-5 lists as a depressive disorder. The defining feature is timing: symptoms appear in the week before bleeding and remit within a few days of it starting. Retrospective recall is unreliable for this — which is why diagnosis requires prospective daily ratings across at least two cycles, exactly the record this page builds.
How to track
- 1
Log the first day of bleeding — that is day 1 of the cycle.
- 2
Record flow and any symptoms each day of your period.
- 3
Keep rating mood daily throughout the cycle, not just during your period.
- 4
Note big context — illness, travel, a new medication — so it doesn't get mistaken for a hormonal pattern.
- 5
After two full cycles, compare the mood chart against the phase markers and look for a repeating dip.
Living with the luteal week
- ✦Front-load demanding work into the follicular phase when you can choose.
- ✦Protect sleep hardest in the week before bleeding — sleep loss amplifies premenstrual mood symptoms.
- ✦Steady meals matter more than usual; long gaps sharpen irritability.
- ✦Gentle movement beats intense training if the week already feels heavy.
- ✦Tell one person that this week is the hard one. Predicted irritability lands very differently.
What usually happens in each phase
| Phase | Typical days | Common experience |
|---|---|---|
| Menstrual | 1–5 | Fatigue, cramps, often relief from tension |
| Follicular | 6–13 | Rising energy, better tolerance for stress |
| Ovulation | ~14 | Peak energy and sociability for many |
| Early luteal | 15–22 | Steady, sometimes calmer |
| Late luteal | 23–28 | Irritability, low mood, poor sleep, cravings |
Cycle lengths vary widely and phases shift with them. Use your own logged dates, not the textbook 28 days.
Common questions
How is PMDD different from PMS?+
Severity and impact. PMDD involves marked mood symptoms — irritability, hopelessness, anxiety — that interfere with work or relationships and remit shortly after bleeding starts. It is a diagnosis a clinician makes, using at least two cycles of daily ratings.
My cycle is irregular. Is tracking still useful?+
Yes, and arguably more so. Irregular cycles make recall even less reliable, and a logged record is what a doctor needs to investigate causes such as PCOS or thyroid issues.
Does this work with hormonal contraception?+
You can still log symptoms and mood, though phase markers will be less meaningful on continuous methods. The mood trend remains useful on its own.
Is my cycle data private?+
Yes. It is stored under your account with row-level security, is never sold or shared, and you can delete it at any time.
When should I see a doctor?+
If premenstrual symptoms regularly disrupt your work or relationships, if bleeding is very heavy or extremely painful, or if you have thoughts of self-harm at any point in the cycle.