How to turn your period into your power

The arrival of my period used to fill me with dread. It slowed me down. An anchor dragging on the seabed.

Then, this year, I started reading about people using their menstrual calendar to their advantage. I learnt that my cycle isn’t just five days of bleeding, but a whole month of hormonal fluctuations that affect my behaviour and choices. The more I read, the more excited I got. Here was an untapped superpower I could use to not only survive my monthly cycle but to profit from it.

Many female-forward companies (including Beyoncé’s favourite meal delivery service, Sakara Life) are already using cycle tracking to plan their team calendars. Nicole Centeno, CEO of Splendid Spoon, says of cycle-syncing, “It’s not complicated, and it works.”

I’d love to know if you agree.

Important note: I recognise that experimenting with cycle tracking is a privilege. Periods can cause pain, shame and dysmorphia. A period’s absence can cause the same. This article is limited by the boundaries of my own experience from where I could not do justice to this diversity and complexity.

How to track your monthly cycle

Menstrual cycles have four phases categorised by highs and lows in our reproductive hormones. By tracking your cycle, you can know which version of you to expect each week and plan accordingly.

How you track is up to you. If you journal, you could incorporate cycle-tracking into that practice. Or it might make more sense to you to include it in your work calendar.

What you track is also up to you. You could keep it simple with a rough idea of when each phase falls. You might like to go a little deeper and note down your experience each day as a reference for future months.

I use the Clue app (run by women, no stupid fertility flower symbols) to keep track of my cycle. You can set it to notify you when a new phase begins, for example:

“It’s PMS. Not the Tories. (Well, maybe both.)”

Let’s look at what to expect from the four phases of our cycles.

The ‘Spring Lamb’ Phase 

Follicular: Oestrogen dominant

We’ve just finished our periods. Our bodies are preparing to ovulate. We’re full of energy and feeling optimistic. We’re frolicking lambs.

Do

This phase is for big ideas. Write your longest blog post ever or do your first video. Bring a notebook everywhere you go to jot down the never-ending stream of ideas flowing from your genius brain. Starting a client project during this phase will mean you kick off strong.

With all that enthusiasm sloshing around, we can lose focus. Making lists or structuring your day will help you channel that energy in the right direction.

Plan

Make your five-year plan. Sow the seeds of bigger business ventures. Fill next month’s content calendar with all those great ideas. If you’re launching a website or an online course, now is a good time to take the leap.

Care

You’re feeling sociable. Plan your Zoom meetings and networking events for the next couple of weeks.

💡Nourish your body so it can keep up with your whirring brain. Don’t forget to eat in between birthing brilliant business ideas.

The ‘Beyoncé’ Phase

Ovulatory: Oestrogen peaks

For many of us, this is the part of our cycle where we feel the most ease and flow. We ovulate. It makes us feel energetic, confident and beautiful.

Do

Now is a time for ambition and risk. Pitch to that big client, send your story idea to a major publication or try out something unexpected. You’ll work best at creative tasks that need bold thinking, high energy and plenty of bright ideas.

Use your surge in confidence to close deals, have uncomfortable conversations and play big. If you give speeches or talks, now is a great time to schedule them. Your oral communication will be at its best.

With all this energy, your attention to detail may wane. If you need to proofread or focus on minute details, take extra care.

Plan

Make the most of your enthusiasm. Fill your schedule. Work hard. Prepare for the less energetic months to come by getting ahead, scheduling blog posts and social media in advance.

Care

Keep a note of all your successes. It will help stave off the guilt for going a little slower in the less energetic part of your cycle.

💡 Harness this confidence to push your business forward. Whether that’s securing a lunch date with your professional hero, reaching out to a dream client or publishing your first blog post.

The ‘Get Shit Done’ Phase 

Luteal: Progesterone dominant

Our bodies are preparing to menstruate. Energy levels drop slightly. We become more focused.

Do

You will excel at tasks that require attention to detail. You’ll have tonnes of focus and an eye for spotting mistakes. It’s a great time to wrap up projects, do your business admin, check your Google Analytics. Try proofreading content or optimising old blog posts now for best results.

Plan

Respect your lower energy levels. Plan your important tasks for the time of day when you have the most bounce. Avoid stuffing your schedule. Give yourself the space you need to take projects at a slower pace.

Care

For those of us who suffer imposter syndrome, now is likely the time it’ll strike. It can be of some comfort to know it’s just your hormones talking. Keep a swipe file of positive feedback for those low moments.

💡 It can be tempting to see this half of your cycle as a challenging time. But try to embrace the brilliant skills it gives you.

The ‘Blanket as Businesswear’ Phase 

Menstruation: Low ebb of hormones

Many of us feel at our lowest energy this week of our cycle. Understandable, given what’s going on in our pants.

Do

Tasks that need plenty of time and space are best this week. Think editing, proofreading or researching. Your slower pace will give the project the attention it deserves.

You’re less likely to take risks in this phase. Use that to your advantage by submitting important work or making big business decisions.

Plan

Your reflective mood and inward focus make this a great time to take a step back. Reflect on what went well last month and what you could work on next month. Set some personal intentions. Your intuition is at its strongest, so listen to your gut.

Take the time to rest and conserve your energy after a busy cycle, ready for the next one.

Care

Load up on comforting but healthy foods; your body will feel better for it.

💡 You might not feel much like sharing on social media this week. Try scheduling your posts whilst in your more energetic phase so you don’t have to worry about putting yourself out there when you’re feeling less sociable.

However you track your cycle, knowing why you might feel a certain way on a certain day can help you make sense of your fluctuating choices and behaviour. Few of us, even freelancers, have the luxury of planning our schedules according to our cycle. But even if you can make one or two shifts a month to make life more comfortable, it can help you feel more in control and do your best work, whatever that means to you.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or chat to me on LinkedIn. Do you track your cycle? Are you planning to? I’d love to hear from you.

Further reading

Period Power – Maisie Hill

In the Flo – Alisa Vitti