How to Sync Your Business with Your Monthly Cycle

Hey, friend.

How are you feeling in yourself today?

• Is your day flowing beautifully, everything in control, your energy zinging with creativity, your every word articulate and powerful?

• Or are you feeling a little tearful, introspective and like you want to nest under a pile of duvets with a hot chocolate?

Before you start berating yourself for “not being able to cope” or “falling behind“, you may want to get curious about where you are in your monthly menstrual cycle.

We live in a linear, masculine society, where having consistent ‘on’ energy is considered both desirable and attainable.

Yet, the female body simply does not function in this way!

Instead, the feminine is inherently fluid, flowing through different states of being and showing up to life (and business) differently, depending on where we are in our cycles.

In fact, continuing to push ourselves to operate in this way often leads to burnout, anxiety and depression.

Did you know that there’s a perfect time of the month to schedule presentations, networking and to make your IG reels? And there’s also a great time to do detailed admin work and tidy up loose ends? Read on…

Whether you’re actively bleeding, pregnant or post-menopause, as women, we all have a natural rhythm that ebbs and flows each month (roughly every 28 days, although yours could be shorter or longer).

Far from being something that’s irrelevant to business, we can instead begin to understand and indeed harness our superpowers as we move through each phase of our cycles. 

There’s oodles to discover and explore around this topic, but in basic terms, here’s an overview of the 4 phases of your cycle:

Phase 1 | Menstrual | The Dark Moon | Winter | Days ~1-7

Your monthly cycle technically begins on Day 1, which is the first day of your period.

We all have extremely different experiences of our bleed (even from one month to the next) but overall, you are likely to feel tired and a little (or a lot) emotional during this time.

To navigate this phase with more ease, you’ll likely need more sleep, comforting food and drink, and time and space to simply be. Think of it as ‘cave time’, with plenty of books, naps and tea.

The Menstrual phase is typically when we feel most grounded and connected to the earth and our spirit. In ancient times (read The Red Tent for more info if you’re curious) the women of the village would gather and sequester themselves in a dark, soft and nourishing space during this time.

It is a time of quiet power and deep knowing – when the noise of the outer world dims so we can hear the small, quiet voice within. Meditations are more powerful; the whispers of your heart are heightened.

And as your period progresses, you’ll likely feel your energy beginning to shift and gathering more strength and outwardness; after Day 3, you’ll begin to look ahead to the future again and feel more inclined to spend time with others and want to – quite literally – emerge from the nest.

Phase 2 | Follicular | The Waxing Moon | Spring | Days ~7-12

The second phase of your cycle is called the Follicular phase, when your body is beginning to get ready to ovulate and become fertile.

A great way to think about this is to consider it the Spring of your month – it’s when the seeds you planted earlier in the cycle begin to peek through the earth and your energy levels begin to build!

You’ll likely want to be out and about more, be able to cope with more socialising and be feeling higher levels of ‘va va voom’. It’s a great time to start new projects, plan out the rest of your month and get your ducks in a row.

You have the clear mental energy to understand complex projects fully and have bags of stamina and enthusiasm – so if you’re going to pull an all-nighter, this is the time to do it. Plus, your hormone levels and and physical energy is building – so it’s time to try that ‘strong’ yoga class you’ve been wanting to do, or ramp up your workouts!

Phase 3 | Ovulatory | The Full Moon | Summer | Days ~12 – 21

And it’s Summer! Throw open the windows, dance in your kitchen and rack up those big events!

Your ovulatory phase is when your ovaries are (surprise surprise!) releasing an egg to be fertilised (ovulation) and both estrogen and testosterone are whizzing around your system.

You’ll notice that you’ll naturally have bags of energy, a super positive outlook and be extremely articulate. Creativity will be high (think huge downloads, ideas out the wazoo and incredible copy for your website or socials pouring out of you all day long). In short, you’ll be feeling frisky! 😉

If you have big events, networking, sales calls or presentations coming up, scheduling them if possible for your Ovulatory phase will ensure you’re at your most magnetic, powerful and vivacious.

You’ll also find that you’ll feel particularly articulate and able to handle conflict easier during this phase – so if you have a tricky conversation to have with friends, family, clients or coworkers, now is the time to tackle it.

Make use of the urge to be everywhere all at once and get out there in the world and relish the seeds you planted during Spring coming to fruition!

Phase 4 | Luteal | The Waning Moon | Autumn | Days ~21-28

The final phase of your cycle is the Luteal, when your power hormones of estrogen and testosterone begin to drop, and progesterone (the ‘nurture’ hormone) takes centre stage.

You’ll naturally feel yourself turning inward during these days, wanting to nest, cosy up and go within. You’ll likely crave more alone time, and hanker after soft blankets, comforting food and all things nurturing. It’s time to take great care of yourself, reduce your workload wherever you can and listen to your intuition.

Luteal is a great time for exercising discernment in all things – you’ll be able to sniff out bullshit at 50 paces and will find that you can more easily tune in to your subtle yeses and no’s. What is it that you really want? What’s working and what’s not? What are you ready to let go of now? All these deeper questions are easier to answer when you take the time to get quiet and go within.

It’s also a great time to figure out goals and tactics… but it’s not the time to take action on them. That comes later – so just make a note of them for now.

And like the leaves on the trees that fall in Autumn, the luteal phase is also a great time to declutter – so you’ll find inordinate amounts of satisfaction from cleaning your office, decluttering your paperwork or clearing out your Google Drive.

One thing to watch out for in this phase is your negativity filter – it’ll likely be on high alert, so be prepared! If you find yourself getting more irritated than normal or overcome with doubt, take time out in Nature, indulge in more carbohydrate-rich foods to nourish your hormones, and make the most of your nitpicky energy to finish off those detailed tasks like bookkeeping or research.

As you can see, there is so much richness that can be gathered and harnessed when it comes to syncing your business activities with your cycle!

Whilst it’s not always possible to insist that the large conference you’re attending be rescheduled so it can fit in with your cycle (lol), even simply being aware of why you’re feeling the way you are and why certain tasks feel harder or easier can be life changing.

Each and every month, our cycle takes us on a journey through the full range of our emotions – into and through both the light and the dark – and we get a chance to refresh and renew ourselves over and over!

If you’re stuck with where to start, begin by tracking your cycle and paying attention to your energy levels and mood on a day to day basis. Over time, you’ll notice there are patterns and phases that begin to take shape and make sense.

And if you don’t have a cycle right now, you can use the moon and it’s phases noted above (fascinatingly, menstruating women who live together closely and who are not on hormonal birth control will, over a few months, begin to synchronise their cycles to each other and the moon!).

Since adjusting my own business to sync with my cycle, I’ve felt so much more cared for. I’m no longer fighting against my femininity, but instead working with it:

• I schedule my marketing content creation days for Summer 

• I complete client work that requires a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail (think financial spreadsheets) during my Luteal phase

• I block out the first two days of my period on my calendar, so I have the freedom to work a shorter day or take the day to rest if I need to

• I get out into the world and attend networking events, meet with collaborators and flyer local businesses during Spring

Intrigued?

If you’d like support in exploring how you can attune your business to your monthly cycle, it’d be an honour to help. Drop me a line and let’s chat!

To Going With Your Flow,