Back when I was touring heavily and the topic of my abstinence journey would come up, it never failed that, during the Q&A portion, someone would ask me how they could effectively attempt, at least a few months of being "eggplant free". Something that I would share, consistently so, is "watch who you're around when you're ovulating" — you know, when it's that time of the month when an egg is released from one of your ovaries and it has about 48 hours to be fertilized by somebody's son's sperm (this typically happens around the 14th day if you're on a 28-day menstrual cycle or 4-5 days before or after the midpoint of your period). Why was that my advice?
Simple. I'm thinking that it's pretty common knowledge that, overall, we're the horniest when we're ovulating. So, if you're trying to avoid "giving it up", that would be the time to binge-watch some television, hang out with your platonic homies or take up a new hobby. Here's what's interesting, though. Aside from the fact that your ovulation time can make you more, umm, amorous than usual, there are some other things that can transpire during that semi-intense time of the month too; things that you may not have heard of or considered before.
Are you ready to learn what eight of them are? The answers just might surprise you — and help you to connect a few dots.
1. You’re More Productive
Actually, what inspired me to pen this piece is an article that I checked out on the Independent's website, not too long ago. The title was "Women do their best work when they're ovulating, according to a new study." The rationale is, one thing that happens when we ovulate, is our estrogen levels spike. This, in turn, can cause us to actually get into a better mood and, you already know — the better you feel, the more inclined you are to get more stuff done.
So, if you've got a big project coming up or there's something that you've been putting off for a while that you know needs to get done as soon as possible, waiting until you're ovulating (a period app can help you to figure that out, by the way) is definitely a scientifically-proven way to go.
2. Your Voice “Goes Up”
While I haven't exactly tested this one out (meaning, I haven't really noticed), I think I will next month (meaning, I will ask some of my male friends) because if ovulating really makes my voice higher, I'm super intrigued. The logic is this — since ovulation is when we can best conceive and we need a man to make that happen (the old-fashioned way, anyway), it seems that we will go up in our speaking voice as a way to appear more feminine which, in turn, makes us more appealing to men. Very interesting.
3. Your Sense of Smell Intensifies
Here's something that's kind of a trip. Did you know that when you're ovulating, your sense of smell intensifies too? A study that consisted of women who are both on and off of the pill and smelling things like lemon, peppermint, rose, musk and the male pheromones revealed that "naturally cycling women" were extremely sensitive to the smell of lemons and male pheromones. The belief is that our olfactory sensitivity is connected to our reproductive system. This makes sense when you think about the fact that a lot of pregnant women experience a heightened sense of smell too. By the way, word on the street is men can smell when we're ovulating as well; especially if they have a higher level of testosterone. Which, to me, also makes sense.
4. You Like the Colors Red and Pink More
Do you tend to not think about wearing red lipstick or that cute ass pink sweater until the middle of your period's cycle? While it might seem random, it actually isn't. There is also data to support the fact that a lot of women are prone to want to rock red and pink shades during their ovulation time. One, because both are hues that are sexy and feminine. Two, because we tend to want to draw more attention to ourselves, these are two colors that typically do it. I mean, with red symbolizing things like love, passion, and desire and pink being about love, femininity, and romance, this doesn't seem too off base either.
5. You Up Your Chances of Having Less Health-Related Issues
Something else that happens when we ovulate is we get an extra dose of the hormone estradiol and progesterone. Why is this such a good thing? Well, estradiol assists with the long-term health of our bones, brain, and heart while also promoting muscle gain as progesterone helps to reduce bodily inflammation, balance our immune system, and support our thyroid. In short, this means that something else that's cool during our ovulation time is our health tends to be in peak form as well.
6. You’re Meaner. Kind Of.
One study I read that tickled me comes out of the University of Texas. Apparently, something else that may transpire when we ovulate is we become meaner. "Meaner" in the sense that we're more competitive with women (including professionally) while also being nicer to men. I'm pretty sure you get why this would be the case. If you want to copulate, you want all prospective obstacles moved out of your way. Chile. CHILE.
7. You’re Willing to Take More Sexual Risks
Do you have more sex-related dreams around the middle of your cycle? Does your taste in clothing seem extra provocative/seductive around then too? Does almost every image that you see resemble something sexual in your mind? Do beards and deep voices make you wanna climb the walls more than ever? All of these things are also directly tied to ovulation.
And because we are more…sexually intense during this time of the month, it can be a lot easier to convince ourselves to take sexual risks or perhaps even do things that we never would consider doing otherwise. Y'all be careful out here. #wink
8. Your Processing of Men Is…Varied
And finally, another sign of ovulation is how we see men. For one thing, we're better at determining a man's sexual orientation. The pure physical attractiveness of a guy matters so much more. And something that's a real trip? It would appear that the mere thought of catching up with our dads — whether in person or even just hearing their voice — is one of the last things on our to-do list. Because, well, who wants to think about their father when they're also thinking about getting some?
The body is an amazing and very detailed machine. Nothing about it is happenstance — clearly. So, the next time your ovulation cycle rolls around, take note of if these eight things transpired and then think about how cool it is to be a woman. Even our period's seasons are pretty dope and entertaining. Hey, this article just proved it.
To learn more about all things vaginal health and wellness, check out the xoNecole Women's Health section here.
Featured image by Getty Images