6th-grade Alethea was a player. 

 

And by player I mean, a faithful, monogamous virgin who had a boyfriend named Mason. 

 

Mason was a nice boy. 

 

He'd compliment my t-shirts, hold my hand until it got a little sweaty, and give me tiny pecks on the lips that were as erotic as a kiss on your cheek from a grandparent. 

 

(I was 12. A goody two shoes. And had grown up going to church long enough to be scared of doing anything more than dry pecking and hand holding.)

 

And even though Mason was very nice to me, about once a month, I'd be possessed by a wild anger that made me want to utterly destroy the relationship. 

 

Everything he did would become annoying. 

 

The way he laughed, the way he'd hold my hand with his clammy palms, the stupid text lingo he'd use. There was nothing the man, well, boy, could do that wouldn't piss me off. 

 

Just the sound of his voice would make me grit my teeth in irritation. 

 

 

 

(Poor Mason, he'd be so confused. He hadn't changed his behavior whatsoever, but for no good reason I had become an irrational b-i-t-c-h.)

 

And it would have been the wrong move to end things because…

 

…it was all caused by a hormonal rage that is particularly violent in girls who have just started getting their periods. 

 

(I would cry over the dumbest stuff. Spilled cereal. Anything involving any sort of furry animal, especially dogs. Someone giving me what I thought was a weird look in the hallway…which counted as every look ever in middle school hallways.)

 

(Also, if you currently have violent PMS, I'm so sorry. It really can be such a powerful influence over your sanity and feelings.)

 

Any-freaking-who. As soon as my PMS/period was over and my hormones were less ragey, the sun would peek out from behind the clouds and all would be good again. 

 

The sweaty hands were endearing. The dry pecking was thrilling. The dumb things he talked about with his guy friends in front of me were funny rather than an attack against women. 

 

And I would be thankful that I hadn't given into my urge to burn the whole relationship to the ground during those days of being irrationally irritated. 

 

 

Right now…

 

 

And what I mean by that is, between burnout and being ready to move into the next chapter of Copy with Spice (one that involves wackier clients, funkier copy, and maybe bringing in some copywriting help…got any recs?!), I've been feeling a lot like I did with Mason during those days of the month where everything just felt…off.

 

And I know it's not just me because I've received approximately 15,823.467 newsletters this week all about burnout. 

 

Maybe it's because a new season is springing and everyone is letting go of what isn't working to bring in more of what is. Maybe it has something to do with the stars and whatever control they have over us. Maybe it's because by 5 months into the work year, we're realizing that the energy we started with and the hopes and dreams we had, have shifted, yet we're still doing the same things we were.

 

Maybe it's because the weather is f*cking nice and it makes us what to sip fruity cocktails while laying by the ocean instead of doing work.

 

Whatever the reason, if you're feeling this way too I think the very best thing you can do is ask yourself:

 

 

 

A ridiculous question when phrased like that, but the core of it is true as hell. 

 

I mean, when I eventually ended things with Mason, I knew it was time to do so because he was getting on my nerves all the time, even when I wasn't on my period. 

 

And when I thought about calling it quits, I felt relieved. 

 

 

When things are feeling funky, when everything you loved is no longer what you're loving, when you're feeling irritated about the things that used to light you up…

 

→ Is it because you're in a weird mood that will pass?

→ Or, is it because it's time to let go of something that's no longer serving you?

 

You don't want to make an impulse decision in a funky state, but you also don't want to treat a deeper problem with a this-will-pass attitude. 

 

My best advice?

 

(Not that you asked. Hell, not that you asked to know about my 12-year-old boyfriend and my angry PMSing either. Sorry, First name / friend. 😂) 

 

 

(Oh, and, 2nd piece of advice… never, ever break up with your boyfriend when you're on your period. Just wait a few days. And then, if you want, you can still dump him.)