My dear reader,

I’m writing this from bed. Totally rotten.
Brain fog is wild. Mood swings have had their say.
Overreactions, acting up — sometimes I think I’m going crazy.
You feel so out of control.
First I was sad.
Then confused, blank, out of it.
Then lashing out.
Now I’m just… wiped out.

Honest Burgers is on its way because I couldn’t even think about cooking. And this is where I’m at.

Lately I’ve been having a lot of conversations about periods — and not just with women.
Because honestly, this is something we all need to understand better.

Periods are no joke.
They hit like a truck.
And somehow, even though they come every month, they still manage to take us by surprise.

You’d think we’d be used to it by now.
But the physical pain, the emotional turbulence, the identity crisis that sneaks in — it still surprises me.
Like I forget how bad it can get… until I’m crying on the floor over something small, or saying things I don’t mean cause I can’t make sense of anything, or staring blankly into space with a foggy brain and an aching body.

It’s confusing.
It’s real.
And shame is present.

Especially for those of us who carry traumas related to our bodies.
Those of us who’ve been told we’re too much, too emotional, too needy, too messy.
Those of us who’ve learned to hide the mess and power through anyway.

So I just want to say: this stuff is hard to navigate.
Even more so when you’ve learned not to trust your body, or feel safe inside it.
Or when you’ve been repeatedly dismissed or violated by someone or not being taken seriously for your period symptoms.

To the men reading this — please be gentle with us.
Even if it doesn’t make sense. Even if it seems dramatic.
Please know that many of us are fighting invisible battles just to function sometimes.
Through our internal seasons of our inner nature, everything fluctuates, and it’s a ride.

And I know men, you have your own stuff too.
You’ve been told to suppress, toughen up, “get on with it.”
That’s not easy either.

You have the right to be a mess, too.

The more I sit with all this, the more I realise:
we need to show grace for each other.
And for ourselves.

There’s so much pressure to have it all together.
To show up perfect, calm, productive, composed.
But being a human is messy.

So wherever you’re at today — whether you’re thriving or falling apart — I hope you give yourself permission to just be.

Be messy.
Be soft.
Be real.
Be human.

We need more compassion.
We need more kindness.

My invitation?

Can we normalise that we’re all a mess sometimes — and that it’s completely okay?

Can we normalise that during our periods, we might act a little wild because our hormones are genuinely going bonkers, and our brains — biologically speaking — are not functioning at their best?

Can we give ourselves permission to rest? To take the sick day if we need it?

And most of all — to be met with more gentleness. More softness. More loving kindness.
From ourselves. And from the people around us.

I’m honestly surprised I managed to write this. 🥴 The brain fog is that real. It’s literally blurring my vision as I’m writing this.

And maybe the more we speak about it, the shame, the chaos, the beauty, the biology, the less power it has to isolate us…
and the more power it gives us to connect, unite, and rise together.

Our periods carry both pain and power.
They are raw and real — and they’re also part of the wild, beautiful experience of being a woman.

Let’s stop hiding it.
Let’s honour it.

With softness,
with strength,
and with compassion — for ourselves and each other.

Sending love from my little nest of blankets, chocolate and fries.
Essi x

PS: How does this resonate? Have you felt any of this too or seen this with your loved one? Hit reply if you feel like sharing. Let’s talk about it — without shame.