Rescripted

Women's Health, Your Way

Ask & Search With Clara

Welcome to a new standard for women's health answers.

GIRLHOOD / Blame It on the Full Moon

Blame It on the Full Moon

Blame It on the Full Moon

Apparently last week was a full moon, and suddenly everything makes sense. My ADHD was already running wild (see: previous entry), my period arrived out of nowhere, my mother-in-law had surgery, the kids were still adjusting to their new school, and we had to pack up our family of five to visit relatives a few states away. It was… a lot.

It’s funny how we can be completely unraveling one minute and then our period starts, and we’re like, oh, okay. Suddenly all the chaos has an explanation. Except this time, it was that moment multiplied by a thousand. The full moon energy made everything feel louder, heavier, more emotional. (Costar was not kidding when it warned me my lunar phase would be intense.)

As a Pisces, I feel everything a little too deeply on a normal day, but last week it felt like the moon had me on a string. My moods, my energy, and my sleep were all over the place. It was like the universe had turned the volume up on everything, and I was stuck listening.

I’m still not fully recovered, honestly. But I’m trying to give myself grace — to remember that sometimes everything just collides at once, and all we can do is the best we can with what we’ve got. It’s messy, unhinged, exhausting, and yet somehow… still manageable with the right amount of humor and patience.

Here’s to softer weeks ahead. And a little wisdom from the late Diane Keaton to carry with me: "Choosing the freedom to be uninteresting never quite worked for me."

Ask Clara: How can I manage hormonal mood swings (without losing my mind)?

More from GIRLHOOD

Pilates, But Make It Foreplay

Twice a week, I walk out of Pilates feeling like a different woman. My legs are still shaking, and I’m weirdly into myself in a way that never happens on... Read more
When I was a teenager, my period would disappear for months at a time, and the fix was a prescription for the pill “to regulate my cycle.” Nobody asked what... Read more

Your Feelings Aren’t Valid

I saw a reel this week that said something I’ve been waiting for someone to say out loud: your feelings are valid because you’re having them, but that doesn’t always... Read more
This summer, I read Pride & Prejudice for the first time (I know), and declared Mr. Darcy the ultimate example of “if he wanted to, he would.” Now, I’m reading... Read more
Last week, I wrote about what I wish I’d asked my doctor during my first pregnancy. By my second pregnancy (with my third baby), I finally asked them.With the twins,... Read more
If you were a teenager in the early 2000s, you probably remember the smell of Maui Babe. I slathered it on at Rockaway Beach every summer with the confidence of... Read more
Speaking of chronic illness, can we talk about misdiagnosis for a minute?In women’s health, everyone’s (rightly) up in arms about how long it takes to get a diagnosis. Across 770... Read more
I spent last weekend in Charleston with my mom and sister, wandering cobblestone streets and weaving in and out of shops hunting down pieces for my 70s Halloween costume. I... Read more
I’m in NYC at a conference today, and when I told the woman sitting next to me at lunch about Rescripted, she immediately launched into her own health story. I... Read more
I was driving to get coffee with my husband the other day when he turned to me, completely out of nowhere, and said, “Why am I always tired?”I almost laughed,... Read more