How to use your cycle for more productivity at work
Image: Green Chameleon via Unsplash
How we feel about, approach and get our work done comes down to more than just our salary and working conditions. It’s also affected by our cycles.
If you’ve ever ever noticed that there are some days when you power through your to-do list, close deals and come up with a tonne of ideas, only to feel mentally foggy or blocked a few days later, you’re not imagining things.
The general corporate structure of working Monday to Friday, 9-5 relies on people having a consistent level of energy, motivation, mental capabilities and enthusiasm on a daily basis to show up and do the work they’re paid to do. The idea is that you do your job in pretty much the same way, each day under the umbrella of your job description.
Your hormones affect everything you do, how you perceive the world, solve problems and interact with others. Men, and those in male bodies, have a circadian hormonal rhythm - meaning that they go through a full hormonal cycle every 24 hours, give or take. Every day is effectively a reset.
But for women, it’s different. In addition to the circadian rhythm (which is also responsible for our sleep/wake cycle), we also have an infradian rhythm. This means we go through a full hormonal cycle every 28 days, give or take - hence the reason the menstrual cycle is 28 days on average. This breaks down to:
Menstrual phase/Inner Winter: days 1-6 of your cycle
Pre-ovulatory phase/Inner Spring: days 7-12 of your cycle
Ovulatory phase/Inner Summer: days 13-18 of your cycle
Premenstrual phase/Inner Autumn: days 19+
Note: these are approximations only. The best way to know YOUR pattern, is to track your cycle. This is especially important if you have a longer/shorter than average cycle.
Why is this important? Because when you understand that your hormones run on a 28 day clock instead of a 24 hour one, you can start to understand the reasons why you might be the top seller in your department one week, and have a dismal performance the next. And far from this being a disadvantage, it’s actually a superpower.
Because your hormones affect the things you do in different ways, you’ll find that there are certain times in the month where you’ll excel at certain tasks. Miranda Gray, author of The Optimised Woman, calls these optimum times.
Instead of trying to do all the things, all of the time, allocating duties and tasks to the hormonal phase that best supports them means you do things with a lot less effort and a lot more ease.
To get started, the most important thing is to track your cycle so that you know where you are, and can plan accordingly. I have a free tutorial and tracker for you, otherwise simply count forward from the first day of full bleeding on your period to today’s date to learn your cycle day (if your period started ten days ago, you would be on day 10 of your cycle). If you’re not cycling for any reason (hormonal contraceptives, pregnancy etc) use the new moon as your day 1.
Now that you know where you’re at, you can start to plan what to, when.
Menstrual Phase / Inner Winter (read more about this phase here)
Approximate days 1-6 of the cycle
During your period, your hormones are at their lowest and, usually, we tend to have less energy. During your period, it might feel like your mind wanders easily, daydreams and can’t focus on the task at hand. Technical, analysis and logistical skills can be difficult to grasp. There might be a lack in enthusiasm and motivation and as our bodies bleed, we can feel a need to withdraw and while this might be inconvenient for work, it also brings about introspection and reflection - skills that are useful in the workplace. Some optimal tasks for this time of the cycle include:
Reviewing current goals and targets - are they still relevant. Is a change in course needed? (If it is, just note it - no action yet!)
Insight is huge at this time in the cycle. Use the mental space to come up with new concepts, ideas and projects
Noting the dates of your next period in your calendar so that you can try to avoid over-committing
The biggest task here though, is to rest as much as possible. Can you schedule your diary to have no meetings? Can you make sure you take that full hour’s lunch break? Try not to worry about being slower or having less energy or motivation right now. You’re about to make up for it. Big time.
Pre-ovulatory Phase / Inner Spring (read more about this phase here)
Approximate days 7-12 of the cycle
As your period ends and your hormones rise, you’ll start to feel more energy. It can feel like waking up from a deep sleep and that brings with it a dynamism and creativity. This is a great place to pick up the tasks you’ve put down while on your period, or start to adapt for any changes in direction you identified while bleeding. Some tasks for this phase include:
Starting, planning and plotting out projects
Creative tasks
Multitasking is usually easier here so feel free to swap one task for another
Doing the things that tend to constantly slip down your to-do list
Reporting and creating structures and systems
Tasks that require logical thinking
Going to seminars, taking courses or learning something new
Pitching new ideas, collaborate with others
Ovulatory Phase / Inner Summer (read more about this phase here)
Approximate days 13-18 of the cycle
This is the peak of your cycle. Hormones (except progesterone) are at their highest as well as physical energy. This time in the cycle can feel full of ease, creativity and flow. Oestrogen is a feel-good hormone and can leave you feeling sociable, magnetic and a master communicator. Ideal tasks for this phase include:
Big meetings, sales pitches, client dinners, conferences
Negotiation, dispute resolution and marketing
Team meetings and staff assessments
Leading trainings or mentoring
Nurturing people or projects that have fallen behind
Being visible with staff and customers
Social media live events, webinars etc
Premenstrual Phase / Inner Autumn (read more about this phase here)
Approximate days 19+ of the cycle
After the high of ovulation, oestrogen drops off quickly, which can feel like a harsh wake up call. As your body prepares for your period, you might feel a sense of slowing down and intolerance for others. For some, this is a very productive and clear time of the month. Ideal tasks for this phase include:
Creative problem solving
Creative tasks that aren’t necessarily people facing
Critical thinking
Reviewing, proofing and editing - any tasks that need attention to detail
Updating websites
Organising filing systems, administrative tasks
Bookkeeping and finances
Organising yourself to have space during your period
So now comes the big question: What to do if you can’t align your calendar and tasks in this way?
In an ideal world, the working environment would be set up to accommodate the infradian rhythm, not just the circadian one. Until then, doing your best is enough. Some months, you may be able to align more, some less. The beauty of this way of living, is that it doesn’t need to be a 0-100mph change. Just 1% alignment can have big effects on not just productivity but also efficiency, creativity and more besides.
Once you start to notice the changes in yourself, others will notice them too. Menstrual Cycle Awareness is contagious in that it has a big outward ripple. When the decision makers in business see that by taking a more cyclical approach, their employees are more productive, effective and most of all - happier - they’ll sit up and take notice.
Take this concept to your HR contact or, if you’re in HR yourself, drop me a line to find out how incorporating cyclical awareness can help your business.