December has a way of turning the volume up. On everything. Your calendar, your emotions, your to‑do list - and yes, your period too. If you’ve found yourself more tearful, more exhausted, or more sensitive than usual this time of year, this blog is here to say it clearly: you’re not dramatic. December is just… a lot.

To help us understand why the festive season can feel especially intense when you’re bleeding - and how to support yourself through it - we’re joined by Lara Raybone. Lara specialises in cyclical and seasonal body literacy, helping people understand how hormones, environment, and emotional processing all work together. What follows is her insight, woven through the realities we’re all living.

How Winter Affects Your Hormones and Period Symptoms

December isn’t just a busy month - it’s a biological and seasonal shift. 

Lara explains that:

“December is a moment where biology, environment, and culture converge. Reduced daylight affects the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which regulate our circadian rhythm and hormone production. Lower light can alter melatonin and serotonin levels, influencing oestrogen and progesterone balance. Hormonal fluctuations feel sharper, moods more tender, and energy levels more variable.”

That alone can make your cycle feel heavier. But there’s more going on beneath the surface.

Lara points to a deeper seasonal rhythm that our bodies still recognise, even if modern life doesn’t always allow us to honour it:

“There is also a deeper, energetic rhythm at play. Winter has always been a season of rest, inwardness, and restoration. In ancestral cultures, it was a time to slow down, conserve energy, and listen deeply to the body’s whispers. Our wombs, attuned to both cycles and seasons, respond to this call.

She connects the menstrual cycle directly to the seasons themselves:

“In the language of the menstrual cycle, autumn mirrors the luteal phase, a time of revealing what is ready to be released, this could be old patterns, emotions, and beliefs coming to the surface for conscious attention. Winter reflects our bleed, our menstruation, the time of actual shedding, release, and grieving the old versions of self. 

Spring mirrors the follicular phase, a season of emergence, renewal, and planting seeds for forward momentum. Summer reflects ovulation, the outward, expressive, creative energy of sharing our vitality and passions.”

So when December demands productivity, socialising, and cheer - while your body is wired for release and rest - something has to give.

“When modern life keeps moving at full speed with deadlines, social obligations, and festive excess, our bodies are asking for something different. Heavier bleeds, stronger PMS, or emotional overwhelm can be the womb’s way of processing and releasing what we are holding.”

Winter symptoms aren’t random. As Lara says:

“Winter symptoms are an invitation to slow down, restore, and listen more deeply to your body and what it is asking rather than getting swept up in the season of what is being asked of you.”

How Light, Sleep, and Mood Affect Your Hormones in Winter

Shorter days don’t just affect the weather - they affect your hormones and your nervous system.

“Light is a powerful regulator of our hormones. Shorter days can lower serotonin, our ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter, and increase melatonin, which can lead to low mood, irritability, or emotional sensitivity.”

Add disrupted sleep - common during busy winter months - and things can snowball:

“Sleep disruption which can be common during busy winter months, compounds this. Poor sleep elevates cortisol, which can suppress progesterone and make PMS symptoms like anxiety, low mood, breast tenderness, and fatigue feel heavier.”

Emotionally, this lines up with what your cycle is already asking of you:

“Emotionally, our cycle already invites us to turn inward during the premenstrual and bleeding phases. When sleep is fragmented and daylight scarce, this inward pull can feel more intense.”

Rather than forcing yourself through, Lara encourages a different approach:

“Instead of pushing through, it can be helpful to see it as the body asking for spaciousness, gentleness, and rest. Aligning with these rhythms allows us to flow with the season instead of against it.”

Supporting Hormones During a Busy, Stressful Season

When everything feels full-on, the answer isn’t doing more - it’s doing less, with intention.

“Supporting hormones in winter is more about doing less but more intentionally with a focus on rest and nourishment on every level.”

Lara shares several deeply nourishing practices:

“Honouring rest as non negotiable: earlier nights, slower mornings, and giving yourself permission to say no.”

“Yin and restorative practices: yin yoga, long baths, gentle stretching, breathwork, and womb focused rituals to calm the nervous system and support hormonal regulation.”

“Nourishment over restriction: warm, mineral-rich foods, healthy fats, iron supportive meals during bleeding, and a focus on eating protein to support in steading blood sugar through regular eating.”

“Reducing stimulation: less caffeine, alcohol, and late night screens, especially in the luteal and menstrual phases.”

And perhaps most importantly, conscious reflection:

“Seasonal reflection: during your bleed, ask yourself what you are releasing, what you are grieving, and what needs tending. This conscious listening can prevent the body from needing to express itself through physical symptoms.”

As Lara sums it up:

“Working with winter instead of against it can soften symptoms and allow for restoration to happen naturally.”

Teens, Hormones, and Winter: What Parents Need to Know

If teens seem especially sensitive in December, there’s a reason.

“Adolescents are particularly sensitive. Their hormonal systems are still calibrating, and their nervous systems are more reactive to stress, disrupted sleep, social pressure, and reduced daylight.”

This can show up as:

“Winter can amplify mood swings, anxiety, and cycle irregularities, especially around menstruation.”

Lara offers clear guidance for parents:

“Parents can support teens by:* Normalising emotional fluctuation as part of cyclical health rather than pathologising it.

*Encouraging consistent sleep routines and reducing evening screen time.
*Supporting nourishing meals and regular eating.
*Creating space for rest, quiet, and emotional expression without judgement.
*Teaching teens to track their cycle and notice patterns, empowering them with body literacy instead of fear.”

And reassurance matters more than fixing:

“Reassuring teens that their bodies are intelligent and learning to attune to their own body and its needs can be profoundly stabilising and empowering. A reminder that it is a natural way that we process emotions, can give permission for deeper listening.”

When to Seek Medical Support

Some emotional sensitivity around your period - especially in winter - is completely normal.

“Some emotional sensitivity, introspection, and fatigue during the premenstrual and bleeding phases are entirely normal, especially in winter.”

But Lara is clear about when to reach out for support:

“It’s worth seeking medical guidance if mood changes:

*Feel overwhelming or unmanageable
*Persist beyond the menstrual phase
*Interfere significantly with daily life or relationships
*Include feelings of hopelessness, numbness, or thoughts of self-harm
*Are accompanied by severe pain, extremely heavy bleeding, or sudden cycle changes”

As she reminds us:

“Listening to your body does not mean enduring unnecessary suffering. Holistic and medical support can coexist.”

Struggling With Your Period in December? You’re Not Alone

Lara leaves us with a powerful reminder of the bigger picture:

“The menstrual cycle mirrors the seasons. Autumn asks us to reveal what is ready to be released. Winter invites shedding, grieving, and inward nourishment. Spring encourages emergence, renewal, and planting seeds for forward momentum. Summer calls us to express outwardly, share our creativity, and step into our vitality.”

Winter, especially, asks something specific of us:

“Winter in particular is deep yin: rest, receptivity, reflection, and release. When we honour this, our wombs respond with ease and grace.”

And when we don’t?

“When we do not, they speak louder and louder until we listen to draw our awareness and protect ourselves.”

The takeaway is simple, and deeply compassionate:

“Aligning with the wisdom of our cycles and the seasons allows us to feel supported, regulated, and at home in our bodies, even in the darkest months of the year.”

Related Posts

Why Your Teen Might be More Anxious Around Their Period

Why do Periods Make me Feel Emotional?

Essential Things You Should Know About Your Period