Have you ever had a week where you felt on top of the world and seemed to breeze through tasks at work without distraction? When this happens, your brain and body feel aligned and you cross off items on your to-do list with a sense of self-confidence and gratitude.
...then the next week, you hit a wall.
You thought that because you excelled so much last week, you could plan to have the same schedule again and just repeat it. Instead, you’re once again finding yourself feeling unfocused, overwhelmed, and frustrated. You’re trying to push yourself to feel like you did the previous week, but you just feel stuck instead.
You’re not alone and this isn’t necessarily because you’re lazy or undisciplined! It might be because you’re in a different phase of your cycle and your brain chemistry has changed.
Cyclical Hormones
While men have a hormonal cycle that matches the circadian rhythm, women have a hormonal cycle that shifts along with our monthly cycle or infradian rhythm. Throughout the month, small shifts in our daily routine can help us be more productive at work!
Menstrual Phase
During the menstrual phase, both estrogen and progesterone are low. This is generally when you will feel the most introverted throughout your cycle, which makes you a great observer during your period. You’re able to reflect, evaluate, and analyze efficiently. Tasks that allow you to work alone and don’t cause a lot of stress are most ideal during this time.
Follicular Phase
As estrogen begins to rise in the follicular phase, you’ll begin to feel more collaborative. Teaming up with a colleague and working on projects with a group will feel motivating to you! You’ll also be more resilient to stress and able to pick up the pace of your workflow.
Ovulation
When you reach ovulation, estrogen and testosterone cause the communication centers of your brain to light up. You’ll be seen as a leader during your fertile window! The same qualities that biology gives you so that you’re an ideal mate can also make you fantastic in business - you’re eloquent, charming, confident, and energetic. You can work with a team, give a presentation, pitch an idea, or close a deal with the most ease during this part of your cycle.
Luteal Phase
During the luteal phase, progesterone takes the driver's seat, which brings your energy levels down. You’re no longer feeling quite as social, and you might even feel more critical. If you’re able to, delegate tasks to others so that you can reduce your stress levels and laser focus on your work. This phase is about quality over quantity and you can get into deep work by allowing yourself to spend more time on fewer activities.
TempDrop helps you to learn how long each phase of your cycle is and when it’s arriving. (Use my code AUDREYTEMP for a discount!) Once you get the hang of charting your cycle, you can proactively start synching your work with the phases of your cycle to enhance productivity.
Use your journal to write out your projects and goals, then schedule the tasks you need to do to reach your goals according to your cycle. Soon you’ll be achieving more with less stress!
Audrey is a High Performance Women's Wellness Coach based in Memphis, TN, working virtually with clients both across the United States and internationally. Leaving nothing unintentional or uninspired, she is a go-to source for women's health, personal development, and lifestyle strategy for ambitious, health-conscious women. She has a fresh perspective on what it means to live a balanced life and coaches women on how to achieve their goals, while making PMS and burnout a thing of the past.
You can find her on Instagram or her website. If you want to buy a Tempdrop, you can use her code AUDREYTEMP for a discount.