How to use cycle tracking to manage your ADHD symptoms
Women with ADHD can lean into their hormonal cycle to help manage their condition. An expert coach explains how it works
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Increasing numbers of women are being diagnosed with ADHD – the neurodevelopmental condition that can impact your ability to pay attention, control your impulses and manage energy levels – with film director Greta Gerwig and Lily Allen among them. Meanwhile, the NHS reports that the number of women in their late 20s/ early 30s receiving ADHD medication has risen tenfold in the last decade. And now a new book details how we can lean into our monthly cycles and harness our hormones to help manage symptoms.
Its author Kate Moryoussef, a 45-year-old Manchester-based ADHD wellbeing coach and mum-of-three neurodivergent girls, says, “until recently, ADHD was mostly overlooked in girls. ADHD in females can look very different. Hyperactive traits are often internalized, frequently diagnosed as anxiety or depression, because of traditional gender conditioning,” she explains. “This might include perfectionism, insomnia, forgetfulness, disorganisation, overthinking, overwhelm, emotional dysregulation, mood swings, and a quiet lack of concentration.”
These can manifest in our bodies in stress-related conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroid issues, migraines and eczema, she says. “My ADHD diagnosis came late, at 40, alongside that of my then nine-year-old daughter,” Kate recalls. “As I was helping her with homeschooling during the pandemic, I noticed traits that I understood so well in myself.”
Suddenly, years of sensitivity to stress, anxiety and temper tantrums made sense. This sparked her mission to help other late-diagnosed neurodivergent women as a coach and EFT (emotionally focused therapy) practitioner, as well as through her hit podcast, ADHD Women’s Wellbeing. Her new book, The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Toolkit helps people thrive through understanding, self-compassion and practical tools.
Our hormones, she explains “have a role to play in how and when ADHD expresses itself”. When oestrogen is high, our levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine are also higher, improving mood, motivation and focus, so ADHD coping strategies work better. But when this drops — including in menopause — ADHD traits can feel overwhelming.
“I’ve seen firsthand the effects hormonal fluctuations, including painful periods, PMDD and menopause, have on women living undiagnosed with ADHD,” explains Kate. She believes it’s no coincidence that we see increasing numbers of women being diagnosed at key phases of hormonal change — most notably puberty, postnatally, perimenopause, and menopause (like Lucy Macnamara, founder of fashion brand Aspiga, who shared her toolkit for managing her symptoms of ADHD after a midlife diagnosis).
But, says Kate, herein lies the solution. “The more that women take note of the ebb and flow of their cycle, leaning in instead of hating or dreading it, the more life can feel like an opportunity to rest, recharge, recalibrate and rejuvenate.”
Here she shares how to manage ADHD in line with your menstrual cycle, understanding how your needs vary across the month.
Your guide to using cycle tracking to manage your ADHD symptoms 
Understand how ADHD impacts a typical 28-day cycle
1. Menstrual phase — day 1-7
“This is the bleed, when oestrogen and progesterone are at their lowest and neurotransmitter activity is reduced. This is when our ADHD traits and emotional dysregulation can be exacerbated, and the effectiveness of ADHD medication is often felt to decrease.
“The co-occurring traits of our ADHD, such as anxiety, lack of sleep, RSD, impulsivity, brain fog, and mood regulation may also be significantly affected, causing us to feel at our worst with our ADHD symptoms and energy.”
2. Follicular phase — day 7-12
“We’re now moving out of the ‘danger zone’ and potentially feeling more level-headed. Our energy and focus may be improving because our oestrogen levels are rising and our progesterone remains low.
“This is typically when our ADHD traits don’t feel as heavy and we can move through life with more ease and flow. The now increased neurotransmitter activity helps to improve mood and overall wellbeing. This is a good time to see friends, book meetings, exercise, and get those trickier jobs in the diary.”
3. Ovulatory phase — day 12-17
“Even though we are at the peak phase of our oestrogen and may feel highly energised, this is also the top of the rollercoaster where we have all the dopamine and adrenaline but know there’s going to be an extreme drop.
“Many neurodivergent women begin to struggle just after ovulation. This sharp fall in oestrogen coupled with rising progesterone post-ovulation can begin to exacerbate our ADHD symptoms, with some women feeling more anxious, irritable, low in energy, and experiencing low mood and lack of focus.”
4. Luteal phase — day 17-28
“The most challenging phase for those with ADHD, because there is a steep decline in oestrogen (reducing our mood-lifting dopamine input) and a rise in progesterone.
“For some women, progesterone’s mood-altering effects can interact negatively with stimulants and oestrogen, which means if we take daily medication, the dose may need tweaking to help move through this phase. This is especially important if PMDD has historically been a debilitating challenge.”
Track your cycle
“By tracking your cycle, you can begin to recognise how your hormones impact your energy, mood, appetite, sleep, and focus. You can then understand how this impacts your ADHD and create strategies that support you.
“Download an app, keep a cycle journal, or simply use your phone’s notes to jot down the monthly occurrences you notice. This awareness will be a code to unlocking which triggers make your cycle harder to bear. Then you can begin curating a plan that supports and enables you to thrive and not merely survive.”
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Plan your social life to fit your cycle
“When you notice your mood and energy crashing, and that this is a monthly occurrence around the middle of your cycle, you can make decisions that keep this time easier and calmer.
“Pull back from big social plans (unless they energise you), hold off from a busy working schedule and begin prioritising self-care habits and gentle movement.
“Ensure you have diary buffers during your more vulnerable days to give yourself space to replenish energy. Add some reminders to prepare you so they don’t surprise you each month.”
Supercharge your wellbeing via diet, sleep and nutrition
- “In the first week to 10 days of your cycle, when you’re more energised and uplifted, consider batch-cooking any hearty meals you typically crave.”
- “Prioritize sleep in the vulnerable luteal week, as this is when we feel hotter, more restless and irritable (but need sleep the most). Focus on sleep hygiene, as well as hydration, nutritious food, and gentle movement. Being mindful about screentime and alcohol intake can improve sleep quality.”
- “Supplements have long been a lifeline for me for mental health, energy, mood, and sleep. Magnesium is excellent for calming and can be taken throughout the month to help prevent extreme mood fluctuations. B vitamins are good for energy, mood, cognition and nervous system regulation. I also prioritize iron and zinc to help with brain fog and energy levels.”
Show yourself compassion
- “As we’ve seen, hormonal fluctuations can have a huge impact on how we experience ADHD. If you’re hearing this information for the first time, years into adulthood, you may experience grief for all the times you’ve struggled in the past. This is normal. Be kind to yourself and, when you’re ready, consider how you can use this to help identify how it interplays with your ADHD – remember that knowledge is power.”
- “Show yourself kindness and compassion, and make positive decisions to protect your energy, time, and health.”
- “Recognise that your needs may change across your lifespan and seek help and support.”
- “Guard your boundaries even more closely, upholding where you want to exert your precious energy and letting go of people or activities that deplete you.”
This is an edited extract from The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Toolkit: Embrace Your Authentic Self and Harness Your Full Potential (DK Red, £12.25) by Kate Moryoussef
