How Hormones Impact Your Mood

Have you ever found yourself suddenly overwhelmed by sadness, snapping at someone over a tiny inconvenience, or craving solitude when just days ago you felt totally energized and social?

You’re not alone, and you’re not “being dramatic” or “too sensitive.”

The truth is: your hormones have a powerful influence on your mood, and understanding how this works can help you feel more in control of your emotions, rather than at their mercy.

Let’s walk through the science behind the hormone mood connection, how it plays out across your menstrual cycle, what PMS really is, and how you can support your emotional well-being through it all.

Hormones and Mood, What’s the Connection?

Hormones are chemical messengers produced by glands in your endocrine system. They regulate a wide range of bodily functions, from appetite and metabolism to sleep, libido, and, yes, mood.

The key female reproductive hormones involved in emotional shifts are:

Estrogen
Progesterone
Testosterone (in smaller amounts in women)

These hormones fluctuate throughout your cycle and influence the levels and activity of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as:

Serotonin – linked to happiness and emotional stability
Dopamine – affects motivation, pleasure, and focus
GABA – has calming, anti-anxiety effects
Cortisol – the stress hormone, which can also be affected by hormonal changes

So when hormone levels shift (as they naturally do across the month), your brain chemistry shifts with them, leading to emotional highs and lows.

Understanding Your Cycle and Mood Changes

Rather than seeing your cycle as one recurring problem, think of it as a monthly rhythm with different hormonal environments in each phase. Here’s how those fluctuations can impact your emotional landscape:

Week 1: Menstrual Phase (Day 1–5)

What’s happening:
Your cycle begins with menstruation, your period. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels.

How it feels emotionally:

You might feel low energy or introspective
Increased sensitivity is common
Emotional vulnerability may surface (and that’s okay!)

Tips:
This is a good time to slow down, reflect, and rest. Nourish yourself with iron-rich foods, warm meals, and lots of hydration. Don’t force yourself to “power through”—honor your body.

Week 2: Follicular Phase (Day 6–14)

What’s happening:
Estrogen starts rising, promoting the thickening of the uterine lining and stimulating the brain. Testosterone also begins to increase slowly.

How it feels emotionally:

Your mood lifts, hello, motivation and confidence!
You may feel more social, inspired, and mentally sharp
Optimism and creativity are high

Tips:
This is a great time to schedule social events, tackle new projects, or engage in high-energy workouts. You’ll likely feel emotionally and mentally strong during this phase.

Week 3: Ovulation (Around Day 14)

What’s happening:
Estrogen peaks, triggering the release of an egg. Testosterone also spikes briefly.

How it feels emotionally:

You may feel flirty, fun, outgoing, and attractive
Libido tends to rise
Energy and emotional resilience are usually high

Tips:
Take advantage of this emotional high to have important conversations, interviews, or presentations. Your communication skills and self-confidence are at their peak.

Week 4: Luteal Phase (Day 15–28)

What’s happening:
Progesterone rises to support potential pregnancy. If no fertilization occurs, both progesterone and estrogen begin to drop.

How it feels emotionally (especially in the last 5–7 days):

Mood swings, irritability, and anxiety are common
You might feel more sensitive, overwhelmed, or withdrawn
Cravings, bloating, fatigue, and sadness can all kick in

These are classic signs of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome). For some, these symptoms are mild. For others, they’re deeply distressing.

If you experience severe mood changes, panic attacks, depression, or feel emotionally out of control, you may be dealing with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), a more intense form of PMS that affects about 5–8% of women.

PMS: It’s Real, and It’s Not in Your Head

Premenstrual Syndrome is not just “moodiness.” It’s a biological and emotional response to the drop in estrogen and progesterone that happens in the second half of your cycle.

Research shows that this hormonal drop affects serotonin levels, which is why PMS symptoms often mimic those of anxiety or depression. Your brain’s chemistry is literally changing.

Common emotional symptoms of PMS include:

Mood swings
Irritability or anger
Anxiety
Crying spells
Low motivation or focus
Sleep disturbances

If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I feel crazy but I don’t know why,” chances are, your hormones are creating internal chaos.

You are not broken. You are not weak. You are cycling.

How to Support Your Mood Naturally

You don’t need to suffer silently or dread certain weeks of the month. While you can’t (and shouldn’t) control your natural cycle, there are ways to work with it, not against it.

Here’s how to support your emotional health across the month:

1. Track Your Cycle and Emotions

Awareness is powerful. Use a journal or app to track how you feel throughout your cycle. You’ll start to see patterns, this helps you anticipate emotional shifts and plan accordingly.

2. Eat for Hormone Balance

Support stable moods by eating:

Complex carbs (like oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes) to boost serotonin
Magnesium-rich foods (like dark chocolate, spinach, almonds) to ease anxiety
Omega-3 fats (like salmon, chia seeds, walnuts) for brain and hormone support
Avoid excessive sugar and caffeine, especially in the luteal phase, they spike mood crashes.

3. Move Gently and Regularly

Exercise improves mood by increasing endorphins and reducing cortisol. In the luteal phase, switch to gentler movement like yoga, walking, or Pilates.

4. Sleep and Stress Management

Sleep affects everything. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep and manage stress with deep breathing, journaling, or a calming bedtime routine.

5. Don’t Shame Yourself

Your body is doing something extraordinary every month. Don’t guilt-trip yourself for needing rest, time alone, or being more emotional during certain phases. This is biologically normal.

You Deserve Support

If PMS or mood changes are interfering with your daily life or relationships, talk to a healthcare provider. You don’t have to “just deal with it.” There are medical treatments, nutritional therapies, and natural solutions that can help.

At Floremme Health, we believe in empowering you with education and tools to support your cycle, not silence it. Our Free Consultation is designed to help you understand your body, track your mood patterns, and create a care plan that supports you emotionally and physically, every phase of your cycle.

You’re Not Moody, You’re Hormonal, and That’s Beautiful

Hormones don’t make you “too emotional” or “unstable.” They make you cyclical, intuitive, and dynamic. Your shifting emotions are valid and deeply connected to what your body is experiencing.

The more you learn to listen to your body and honor its rhythms, the more empowered and peaceful you’ll feel.

You’re not too much. You’re just in tune.