How to Strategically Use Your Menstrual Cycle to Boost Your Productivity
Photo: Christina Jones Photography
In the first few weeks of our “new normal,” everyone was talking about creating a routine. There were endless live workouts on Instagram and daily mindfulness practices being shared digitally like never before. This created anxiety for me. Feeling like there was endless opportunity to participate, I found myself over-consuming, exhausted, and lacking productivity.
Six months into a life-changing pandemic, optimizing our lives sounds a little like falling back into that overachieving state of mind—but hear me out.
The menstrual cycle is the ultimate stress test on how our bodies’ systems are functioning—digestion, gut health, and our bodies’ natural ability to detox all play a role in maintaining hormonal balance. Symptoms the week before your bleed? That’s a sign that there is a system malfunction and your body needs a little more support. Symptomless? Congrats, you just scored 100% on a health assessment.
Experiencing premenstrual symptoms, commonly referred to as PMS, isn’t normal, but it is common (more than 80% of women experience them every month), and even more common among a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social upheaval. Added stress creates a hormone response, resulting in imbalance and I think it’s safe to say we’re all feeling a little added stress these days. But, fortunately, we are not victims of our periods. With a little awareness, we can actually reduce the effects and aid in productivity by optimizing our energy to our cycle phases.
Throughout the four menstrual phases, our bodies experience energy shifts, mood changes, and even different levels of creativity and cognition. Understanding these changes allows you to be empowered and in charge, rather than a victim. So where do we start?
Tracking your cycle is the first step. There are many methods for doing this: utilizing an app like MyFlo or Clue, or my preferred method, a simple paper chat. Also, it’s key to note that, even if you don’t regularly bleed, you still cycle and can track your cycle by utilizing things like cervical fluid, energy levels, and basal body temperature.
Once you have an understanding of when your last cycle was or where you are currently at in your cycle, you can optimize and plan based on each cycle phase.
Phase 1: Menstruation (Day 1-7)
Energy is typically lower and you’re currently feeling a bit reflective. Now is a great time to tune into your gut reactions and evaluate. You are able to access your analytical and intuitive reasoning so utilize this power to dive into some reporting and reflection. Some questions to ask yourself: Is your business performing in line with your expectations? Are you feeling fulfilled with your current position? What has gone well in the last 1-3 months? What could be improved?
Phase 2: Follicular Phase (Day 8-13)
I like to refer to this as your fire phase. During this phase, your creative energy is burning up. Are there problems that need fixing? You’re a problem-solving machine. Have a new project you’ve been wanting to tackle? Get after it right now! An event you’ve been wanting to attend? You’re loving meeting new people and building relationships right now. Monday is my favorite day of the week during this phase—I’m super motivated to dive in and tackle every item on the to-do list.
Phase 3: Ovulatory Phase (Day 14-21)
As your follicular phase winds down you’re feeling very confident. Have an idea that needs brainstorming? Collaborating is fun and energizing for you right now so call together a group and get feedback. Have you been wanting to ask for a raise? Plan to do so during these few days. Have negotiation to do? Now is the time.
Phase 4: Luteal Phase (Day 22-28)
Energy is beginning to decline as we trend toward menstruation, now is a great time to work on executing all the plans and relationships you built during your follicular and ovulatory phase. Wrap up loose ends and work on administrative tasks like accounting or scheduling. I like to spend time during this week organizing.
Think of utilizing your cycle as a strategic planning tool. Can next year's planning wait a few weeks? Can you utilize your menstrual phase to reflect on what worked this year, before planning for next year?
Utilizing this knowledge, I’ve been able to reduce frustration and increase productivity. Of course, it’s not always perfect, but having the awareness has allowed me to feel in charge, rather than along for the ride—which, in 2020, is a welcome state of mind.
About the Author: Monica Grohne is the founder and CEO of Marea, a direct-to-consumer womxn’s health company focused on menstruating womxn. As an enneagram 3, Monica constantly challenges how much she can get done in a day—a founder, DTC marketing consultant, and full-time employee she’s tried just about every productivity hack. Living in Jackson, Wyoming, you can find Monica trail running, skiing, or catching up on podcasts while she mows her lawn or shovels the driveway.