How Cycle Syncing Can Improve Your Productivity
World War II changed both the type of work women did and the volume at which they did it. Five million women entered the workforce between 1940-1945.
We filled a gap and met the need for workers as men went off to war. But we stepped into a framework designed for men’s biology- a 24 hour hormonal cycle vastly different from our own. Learning how to work with our female biology through the lens of cycle syncing actually improves our productivity without the burnout.
Unfortunately this has led to increased health problems in women as we struggle to deny our body’s needs and natural way of working.
So what do we do? We redesign our work environments and methods to work WITH our female biology and cyclical nature. We rediscover our power and create systems to support our unique operating system. No more fitting a round peg in a square hole.
Menstrual phase: Inner Winter
Tasks to do doing your bleed are the quieter, internally focused tasks that are not on a time constraint. You want to give yourself ample time to move in and out of activity so you can prioritize rest without the obligation to sit in a chair for 5 hours straight. Also remember your intuition is heightened right now so while journaling may not seem impactful, a process like free writing actually allows you to move past the analytical noise to gain insight into your subconscious wisdom for clarity on decisions in your business and life. You’ll be able to easily see the things holding you back because your energy is internal and seeking out things to let go so you can find freedom. Somatic work is also powerful during this stage to move blocks out of the way so you can move into your next month with clear intention and motivation.
These include;
Content brainstorming or drafting
Reviewing stats from previous months to see what helped move the needle in your business. This could be social media insights, financial reports, looking at your lead funnel.
Schedule a somatic coaching session to help bring resolution and clarity to stick or stored energy looking to be cleansed in this phase of release.
Follicular phase: Inner Spring
While your energy is building it’s important to give yourself the opportunity to connect with others and express yourself but keep it loose so you can still rest when needed. You aren’t quite at your pinnacle yet and don’t want to over do it. This is a transitional phase that takes you from your deepest internal self to your most expressive externally focused phase. Tasks include;
Brainstorming creative ideas with your team, friend, business partner, or coach.
Plan for a work day in a quiet coffee shop to meet the desire for connection while still honoring a slow building up of your physical energy.
Make a plan for executing any projects you have set your sights on.
Ovulatory phase: Inner Summer
As you reach you peak external energy (you have peak internal energy during your menstrual phase), you are more excited about outwardly facing activities and communication. It’s easier, you feel more magnetic, your generally more gracious with yourself and confident, and your expression is clear. This is when projects and ideas reach maturation and are ready to be gazed upon by the world. Tell people about your projects, get them excited for what’s to come.
You are highly magnetic so this is the time to do your sales activities. Pitching or recording content for your launch or projects is great at this stage.
Book the majority of your discovery calls in this phase since you are highly attuned to the needs of others PLUS good at communicating and showing how you can meet the need of your clients.
Things like recording podcasts or any other stream of consciousness activity that doesn't require your attention to detail but allows you to just be in flow is excellent here!
Luteal phase: Inner Fall
This is your second transitional phase taking you from peak external energy to peak internal energy. At the beginning you may still feel relatively outgoing but as the phase progresses you’ll notice the draw to seek quieter places, get lost in your own mind, and feel more focus than you do in your other phases. This is your phase of productivity that’s most similar to the familiar “hustle” but is blended with the intention of preparation of peace rather than just climbing the corporate ladder.
Task include;
Prepping for your menstrual phase both personally (meal prep, etc) but also in work- look at your calendar and remove all non essentials for the first 2-3 days of your period. Even better to have this blocked off in advance so you don’t have to reschedule clients. I like to block of my next menstrual phase as soon I start bleeding so I’m a month ahead.
Anything that requires your attention to detail like proof reading, bookkeeping, strategic planning.
Creating a haven of peace- your senses are heightened and you are vividly aware of all the goings on of your internal world. This means external stimuli can feel overwhelming! This coupled with your eye for detail may make you want to deep clean your home or office, feel more nitpicky about certain details, and want to get purge. Use this to your advantage to create a place you feel peace in and set everything in order so you can rest in your menstrual phase.
If you keep creating the structures of your life in a masculine way, it WILL feel impossible to live in accordance with your feminine biology.
You have to change the container.
If you left your corporate job and started a small business off the 24-hour cycle then that article is right, it’ll be unrealistic to allow for flow on a structure made of iron.
If you’re a mama trying to create a strict routine for yourself without acknowledging your energy fluctuations, you’re going to wonder why it feels like sometimes you have all the grace in the world with your kiddos while other times you can’t seem to appreciate any moment of the day.
Cycle syncing is an art, not a science. When you learn the steps (of each phase, your energy, your rhythms), you can choreograph a dance that fits your life.
Ready for more? Learn how to cycle sync with my new course, Cycle Sync For Life
*Cycle syncing, also known as menstrual cycle syncing, was first coined by Alisa Vitti, an expert in women's hormones and integrative nutrition, in her book “Woman Code” in 2014.
