# Free Menstrual Cycle Tracking Templates & Guide Women’s bodies are cyclical by nature. We are not consistent (at least not in the daily sense) no matter how much we try. Not in our moods. Not in our thoughts. Not in our behaviours. Growing up I could never understand why on earth I struggled to be the same person, believe the same things, act the same way, from one day to the next. This was something that was frustrating and painful to me. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I would often write in my journal. “Why can’t I commit to anything?”. It wasn’t until many years later that I learned the reason why. As women we have 4 distinct phases in our cycle as a result of the fluctuating hormones. Which also means that we have 4 different personas each cycle too! What the hell? Why did I not know this growing up? Why?? Now I realise that understanding our internal rhythms really is the key to being more connected to our bodies, our moods, our thoughts and our behaviours. Knowing this has allowed me to be much more in sync with my cycle. Now I know how to train, what to eat and what I need to look after my health and my body based on the phase I am in. This has literally changed my life! As Lisa Lister said in her book Code Red… > “When you know why you do the things you do and why are you act a certain way at certain times of the month, you begin to breathe a little easier, you're less hard on yourself and, despite what you may have previously been told, you realize that you're not crazy. You realize that you're not consistent either, you're in fact cyclic and that? Well, that is a GOOD thing.” [[Code Red by Lisa Lister#^tn-rc]] This understanding doesn't come overnight. But after a few months of tracking, I promise, you will question why you didn't do it sooner. --- If you haven't already, I highly recommend you read through [[The Beginners Guide to Menstrual Cycle Tracking|the beginner's guide to tracking your menstrual cycle]]. Then in the sections that follow, I will walk you through the different templates I have created that you can download for free. >[!Example] Contents > - [[#Basic Cycle Tracker|Basic Cycle Tracker]] > - [[#Menstrual Cycle Dial Template|Menstrual Cycle Dial Template]] > - [[#Day To A Page|Day To A Page]] > - [[#39 Day Cycle Tracker|39 Day Cycle Tracker]] > - [[#BBT & CM Tracker Template|BBT & CM Tracker Template]] > - [[#Filling in Your Tracking Templates|Filling in Your Tracking Templates]] These templates are ones that I have worked with in one way or another and adapted to suit my tracking as it evolved. Play around, be creative and do what works best for you. There are also a few video guides to help you understand the tracking process a little more. Again I also recommend you read [[The Beginners Guide to Menstrual Cycle Tracking|the beginners guide to menstrual cycle tracking]] and my post on [[Why Ovulation Is the Key to Optimal Health|advanced menstrual cycle tracking]]. These both go into detail exactly why, what and how to track. ## Basic Cycle Tracker The basic tracker shows all your cycle days on a single page. It works well when you are just starting out and is perfect for adding just 3 words to describe what is going on. This is the tracker that I always use as I like to see an overview of what is going on. It's also really easy to compare multiple cycles. That said, this particular template only tracks cycles up to 35 days long so if yours are longer you may need to use 2 copies of them. ![[cycle tracker basic.png]] ### Basic Cycle Tracker Example This is a mockup of how I use this tracker (actually it's pretty close to one of my actual cycles!) ![[cycle tracker example.png]] ### Basic Cycle Tracker PDF Download You can download the free basic cycle tracking template [[Basic Cycle Tracker .pdf|here]] ### Video Guide I found that it was easier for me to talk about how I use this template rather than write about it. You can watch my guide below: <iframe width="390" height="230" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jBu6Kgtu8QY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ## Menstrual Cycle Dial Template A bit like the basic tracker, a Menstrual Cycle Dial is an easy way of looking at the whole of your cycle at once. And it looks pretty awesome too. You can get really creative with them (have a google for menstrual cycle dials) or you could use it to add just a few words a day. Personally, this is not one that I use as my cycle is usually 34-37 days. And when a cycle is more than 30 days this tends to create a dial with tiny spaces so there’s no room to write anything. But, if your cycle is less that 30 days, this may be a good option for you. ![[_Archive/Archive/mc dial_png_preview.png]] ### Menstrual Cycle Dial PDF Download Download the free template [[Menstrual Cycle Dial.pdf|here]]. ### Video Guide <iframe width="390" height="230" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fODun-E4HyI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ## Day To A Page When you want to go deeper in each of the different areas that the cycle affects, using a 'day to a page' works brilliantly (this works well when you want to understand how your menstrual cycle affects your four bodies as discussed in [[The Beginners Guide to Menstrual Cycle Tracking|the beginner's guide to menstrual cycle tracking]]). I tend to use this style over 3 cycles maybe once a year to really get an idea of what's going on at a deeper level (or if I want to investigate whether something I am experiencing is cyclical). The rest of the time I find that the basic cycle tracker is enough. ![[Screenshot 2023-05-17 at 10.55.31.png]] ### Day To A Page PDF Download Download the free template [[Day To A Page.pdf|here]]. ### Video Guide <iframe width="390" height="230" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hmgh1A1TWS8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ## 39 Day Cycle Tracker Want to go deeper with your tracking but still be able to see the full cycle? This is quick and easy to fill in. Use your own symbols (or choose some of the ones below), colour code and get creative. I have also included an undated one for if your cycle runs more than 39 days. Plus a blank template for you to decide what information you actually want to track. The notes page is to be used with the 39 day cycle tracker. There will be days when you want to add some extra info so you can use this to make a note of things you want to remember. ![[39 day cycle tracker.png]] ### 39 Day Cycle Tracker PDF Downloads - [[39 Day With Categories.pdf|39 Day Cycle Tracker With Categories]] - [[39 Day Cycle Tracker Without Categories.pdf|39 Day Cycle Tracker Without Categories]] - [[Blank Cycle Tracker Undated.pdf|Blank Cycle Tracker Undated]] - [[Undated With Categories.pdf|Undated Cycle Tracker With Categories]] - [[Notes Page 1.pdf|Notes Page]] ### Video Guide <iframe width="390" height="230" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YCYsgtwZzUY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ## BBT & CM Tracker Template I have explained the reasons behind [[Tracking Your Basal Body Temperature|tracking your basal body temperature]] and [[Observing Your Cervical Mucus|observing your cervical mucus]]. Thus I have included a free template to get you started. I recommend you also watch the video guide below. ![[BBT template.png]] ### BBT & CM Tracker Template PDF Download You can download the BBT & CM tracking template [[BBT Template.pdf|here]]. ### Video Guide <iframe width="390" height="230" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sD-olbPK-Sk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ## Filling in Your Tracking Templates There are so many different ways that you can use the tracking templates but here are some ideas in case you needed them. ![[Screenshot 2023-05-17 at 10.54.21.png]] ### Phase Use colour codes or letters. For example: - menstruation (Inner Winter) colour in blue or write M or W. - follicular phase (Inner Spring) colour in pink or write F or Sp - ovulation(Inner Summer) colour in yellow or write O or Sm - luteal phase colour in orange or write L or A #### Lunar Cycle I tend to use a filled in circle for a Full Moon and an empty circle to denote a New Moon. From that I can then work out if in-between, the moon is waxing or waning. When the moon moves from Full to New it is Waning. And when it is moving from New to Full it it is waxing. Alternatively you may want to use W for waning and X for waxing. Again it's up to you. ### Flow This refers to bleed for which I tend to shade if using the 39 day tracker. | | | | -------------- | ------------------------- | | Heavy bleed | A fully shaded square | | Moderate bleed | A half shaded square | | Light bleed | Just a line at the bottom | | Spotting | A single dot | You could also use the letters: | | | | -- | ---------- | | VH | Very heavy | | H | Heavy | | M | Moderate | | L | Light | | VL | Very light | If I am using the basic tracker I tend to denote using dots as discussed above. ### CM This refers to [[Observing Your Cervical Mucus|Cervical Mucus]]. Make sure to note the most 'fertile' observation that you have seen at the end of the day. | | | | - | ------------------- | | D | Dry | | E | Egg-white | | C | Creamy | | G | Gummy or S = Sticky | | W | Wet | ### Miscellaneous I tend to shade a lot of the time as I use a biro to complete my tracker and use the following key: | | | | ------- | ------------------------- | | Awesome | fully shaded square or circle | | Average | a half shaded square or circle | | Awful | just a line at the bottom | Should the category call for it, you could also alter the key to: | | | | -------- | ------------------------- | | Severe | a fully shaded square or circle | | Moderate | a half shaded square or circle | | Mild | just a line at the bottom | ### Extra information you may want to add | | | | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Length | Note the total length of MC once your cycle has completed | | Luteal phase | Note the total length of luteal phase once your cycle has completed (based on BBT & CM) | | Ovulation | Note the approximate day (based on BBT & CM) | | Cervical position | Filled in circle = Indicates low firm & closed. Blank circle = indicate SHOWing | ## Final Thoughts These free menstrual cycle tracking templates and guide provide an effective way for you to track your menstrual cycles. Feel free to pick the practices that work for you at this stage right now. You can always come back later and select others to focus on when you are ready. Whether you use them for personal health tracking or for helping to sync your training and lifestyle, these templates can help you gain insight into you health and provide accurate data that can be used to inform decisions. Remember that understanding your body, your health, your hormones takes time. They need time for you to uncover the depth of what is unfolding. But after 3 cycles you will begin to spot patterns. You’ll know what is normal for you and you’ll start to discover the power that this information holds. You will come to realise how everything about you ebbs and flows. And when this happens, I can guarantee that you’ll become even more curious and want to use this knowledge to your advantage.