Your cycle can be your superpower at work.
The way your hormones ebb and flow across the four phases of your cycle affect your mental processes, motivation and attitude. That’s why you sometimes just can’t STAND Susan in accounting, and other day’s she’s just meh.
These cyclical changes are a good thing— if you lean into what your hormones are telling you, you can use all your strengths as you tackle work projects!
Hey, entrepreneurs, people in creative industries and employees with multiple projects going on at once: Learn to sync your cycle, and you’ll find that you’re more productive, inspired and high-performing in what you do!
In this post we’ll cover the basics of syncing your work tasks to where you are in your cycle. If you’re like “YESSS” and want to dig deeper— or if you’re like “Ummmm how do I know when I’m ovulating?” check out my private program!
My framework for syncing at work:
DREAM, DEVELOP, DARE, DECIDE
The Menstrual Phase: Your Time to Dream
The Lowdown:
Sounds romantic, huh? During your period, you are most in tune with your inner desires and needs, AKA your intuition. You know when you have a gut feeling that something isn’t quite right with a project? That’ll surely bubble up to the surface during your menstrual phase. You don’t have those pesky, high-energy hormones messing with your brain yet. ;)
You’re naturally more introverted and reflective at this time, so it’s ideal to have quiet, solo work tasks scheduled. Use this as a time to revisit your goals and dreams for your current work and your career future!
Lean Into:
Setting and reviewing goals (both short and long-term)
Taking a mental summary of all current projects to see what’s aligning and what’s not
Evaluating whether your career is heading where you want it to
Determining whether you need to ask for changes to your work situation (hours, location, duties, etc.)
Simple, routine tasks (sending mail, reading newsletters in your inbox)
Avoid:
Projects that require high energy or many people
Meetings or presentations where you need to be ON for a large group
Skipping lunch. (Take a real break to recharge!)
Self Care at Work:
If you have painful or uncomfortable periods, see if it’s possible to work from home 1-2 days per cycle.
Bring your favorite tea to your workspace when you need a pick-me-up.
End your workday at it’s scheduled time. The rest can wait until your follicular phase. :)
The Follicular Phase: Your Time to Develop
Get out the planner and sticky notes! As your period ends, you start to feel revived and ready to get strategic. You know when you suddenly get a ton of creative ideas and new inspiration for projects? That’s the rising estrogen talking!
You’ll become more extroverted and willing to try new things, so explore what’s asking for your attention. You’ll enjoy Happy Hour at this time and will be happy to collaborate with other teams. It’s the perfect time to plan out the next few weeks, since your brain wants to plan and strategize for the future.
Lean Into:
Planning out the rest of the cycle. Update your calendar, schedule meetings and projects and get a networking event on the schedule for the next week.
Any projects that are really exciting you
Exploring new angles to approach a project or solve a problem
Sharing what you’re working on with others
Avoid:
Letting impostor syndrome get to you. (Big idea? You can and already are doing it!)
Overwhelming yourself with too many ideas. Keep a running list for when you have more time.
Committing to too many plans for the rest of the cycle. Remember in a couple weeks you won’t want to attend ALL the things!
Self Care at Work:
Find a social opportunity. Organize a happy hour, find an event in your industry or take a course for professional development.
Keep nutritious snacks nearby. You might get so caught up in what you’re doing that you’ll forget to eat, or rely on snacks in the break room!
Saying “no” if a task isn’t a good fit. People will notice your increased energy and ask for a favor, but you won’t have as much energy later this cycle— so plan accordingly.
The Ovulatory Phase: Your Time to Dare
I know you have a bit of daredevil inside you! It’ll show around ovulation. Your estrogen and testosterone peak and make you feel awesome: energy, creativity, ambition and extroversion are at their highest point of the cycle!
So, now’s the time to really perform at work. Go the extra mile on projects you’re loving, give your biggest presentations and reach to exceed your goals. You’ll be naturally more attractive to people (pheromones and personality-wise!), so go after what you want. Ask for the raise, meet with a VIP, suggest a bold pivot.
Lean Into:
Tackling the “meat” of projects. You did the planning in the follicular phase, so now it’s time to execute it!
Events and meetings involving lots of people
Tasks that make you shine and call attention to your success
Working on the hardest part of a project. (Your extra brainpower will give you a boost).
Avoid:
Burning out by not resting at all. You still need time to relax and recharge!
Work that is slow-paced or not time-sensitive. You’ll want ACTION.
Getting TOO bold. Remember what your goals and dreams are (you thought of them during your menstrual phase) and focus on what will actually get you there.
Self Care at Work:
Taking short breaks to let out extra energy (like a quick walk or stretch)
Having lunch with a colleague or someone in your industry
Keep your desk relatively organized. With so much going on, it’s easy to let it get too messy!
The Luteal Phase: Your Time to Decide
Ah, when your true feelings come out during a meeting. I’ve been there. Actually, I go there every month. This is when you really think critically about projects, and start calling out issues as you see them. You’ll head back towards more introversion and a no-nonsense mood during projects that frustrate you. But luteal phase thoughts are so valuable; you’re able to point out flaws that somebody in the ovulatory phase wouldn’t see.
It’s an excellent time for GETTING. THINGS. DONE. Your brain wants you to wrap up as much as you can. So, revisit those unfinished projects and decide which are worth wrapping up, and which need a new direction (you can revisit them next cycle). You’ll decide which creative endeavors you thought of this cycle can go on the docket, and which can go in the trash can. Speaking of... you’ll likely feel an urge to tidy up and clean your workspace!
Lean Into:
Making crucial decisions
Meeting deadlines
Analytical tasks
Re-organizing your notes, files and desk
Clearing out your inbox
Avoid:
Starting brand-new projects. (You’ll be more open to them in a couple weeks.)
Tasks that involve a lot of creativity or teamwork.
Letting your emotions get the best of you (by snapping at others or feeling upset with your performance)
Comparing yourself to your past work or to other people
Self Care at Work:
Set visible boundaries when you don’t want to be interrupted. When my traffic light is “red,” people know to come back later.
Keep items or decor in your workspace that make you happy or inspire you.
Take mini solo breaks between meetings to mentally refresh by yourself.
Grab one of your favorite treats if you hit a rough day. Sometimes, a cappuccino and a scone can save the day.
See what I mean about balancing your strengths? Each phase balances out the others. Dream, develop, dare, decide…
You have a built-in system for productivity at work; you just have to know the signs and how to react to them. Every cycle, you get a chance to look at the big picture, plan out the details, reach the goals and analyze the results. It’s all in your four phases.
And hey— I know that there are countless jobs in this world, and plenty of them involve doing the same tasks every single day. Those jobs might not require much planning or creativity; they might expect a certain series of tasks and outcomes. If that’s your case, I suggest following the Self Care tips as much as you can, and cycle syncing in other areas of your life (like exercise, food and fun).
Whatever you do, do it by flowing with your hormones— not fighting them!
How do your phases manifest at work? Are you currently struggling during a certain phase?