Menstrual cycle syncing is about allowing your natural rhythm to support your personal and professional endeavors. The problem with not understanding your rhythm is you end up forcing yourself to follow a strict work schedule that goes against your body’s true nature.

As a result, your cycle becomes a stereotype of moodiness and uncontrollable emotions, instead of a place to gain insight and greater productivity.

The Stigma of Periods

Throughout society, it might be normal to dump negativity on women’s menstrual cycles. But around here, we don’t do that.

Let’s make it clear: Your menstrual cycle is not a curse.

It’s a necessary part of your physiology. It’s up to you to use your reproductive system to your advantage, as you work on becoming more productive in business.

“The next time someone asks if you’re hormonal, you can say yes – but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

BBC.COM

What Are the Four Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle?

Some consider your menstrual phase to be the first part of your cycle, while others say it’s the follicular phase. However you look at it, your menstrual cycle occurs in this sequence every 28-30 days:

1. Menstrual phase
2. Follicular phase
3. Ovulatory phase (ovulation)
4. Luteal phase

(Keep in mind that I’m skipping over exceptions like menopause, pregnancy, irregular cycles, hormonal defects, etc.)

Ready for a mini physiology lesson?

Menstrual Phase

If the egg that was released during ovulation did not become fertilized by a sperm, then the uterine lining sheds. This is why you bleed from your uterus each month.

Follicular Phase

Follicles grow on the surface of your ovaries, in preparation for another potential pregnancy (AKA fertilization by sperm).

Ovulatory Phase

Typically, only one egg is released from one follicle. The egg moves from the ovary through the fallopian tube and into the uterus. There the egg waits to be fertilized by a sperm.

Luteal Phase

Your uterine lining thickens in preparation for potential implantation, which results in pregnancy. If implantation does not occur, then the egg dies and will soon be released during the menstrual phase.

All of these changes are made possible through natural hormone fluctuations, which are affected by nutrition, stress levels, and daily lifestyle.

Now that we have a [super brief] overview of the menstrual cycle, let’s consider how you might try to sync up with it.

What Is the Goal of Menstrual Cycle Syncing?

Menstrual cycle syncing isn’t just another thing to keep track of in your busy life. The overall advantage of cycle syncing is it can make your life easier both personally and professionally, by leveraging your fluctuating strengths throughout the month.

There are multiple aspects to cycle syncing: eating, exercise, rest, and work.

In this post, we’re focusing only on the work aspect. I want you to walk away knowing how to creatively adjust your schedule to make the most of your energy throughout the four phases. I think you’ll have an easier time managing and completing your projects and tasks, even when life hits you with surprises.

Before we get into specific to-do lists, let’s look at the connection between brain function and the four menstrual phases.

How Do the Four Phases Impact Your Mental Energy?

Overall, there is still more scientific research to be done to determine a direct relationship between mental performance and the four menstrual cycle phases. But there is some evidence that points us in a general direction.

Okay. Ready for more physiology?

It is highly possible that your hippocampus (inside the brain) accounts for higher social energy during the follicular and ovulatory phases.

A second way your menstrual cycle affects the mind is through your brain’s left and right hemispheres.

Have you heard the idea that some people are left-brain thinkers, while others are right-brain thinkers? Well, it’s also likely that your ability to tap into both sides of your brain is strengthened during your follicular and luteal phases.

In this sense, your abilities to think both logically and creatively are less limited during your follicular and luteal phases than they are during your menstrual and ovulatory phases.

“A woman’s tendency to use both sides [of the brain] becomes more extreme when estrogen and progesterone levels increase each month.”

BBC.COM

Let’s Not Be Superstitious About Menstrual Cycle Syncing

With that said, the correlation between particular moments within the menstrual cycle and improved brain function is not 100% clear.

Basically, this quote is asking:

Is it your elevated mood (and a lack of annoying periods) that helps you work faster and feel more social? Or is there a behind-the-scenes change that directly affects your brainpower? 

These are interesting questions to explore.

I take this gray area into consideration when offering a new way for you to organize your tasks and projects. The intention behind sharing menstrual cycle syncing with you is not to restrict you and say you’ve gotta do things one way for the rest of your life.

Let’s face it: Menstrual cycle syncing requires more space in the world of scientific research.

But even without the guarantee of research, I think it’s important to honor your menstrual cycle and allow your body’s changes to play a role in your calendar.

Again – this isn’t superstition. Just because you choose not to sync with your menstrual cycle doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be less productive than those who practice cycle syncing.

Alrighty! We got the disclaimers out of the way.

Now, let’s look at this 4-part system that will help you create content, network, and build your brand, in alignment with your cycle.

How Do I Use Menstrual Cycle Syncing for My Business?

With all of the above monthly changes in mind, let’s look at how to align your work with your natural rhythm:

Menstrual Phase

Now’s the time to go inward and reflect. Give yourself extra grace and flexibility as you bleed. Honor the fact that you may require extra rest for several days.

During your menstrual phase, you can:

• Conduct a monthly review
• Practice vision mapping
• Make intuitive decisions
• Repost old content
• Read a book about your industry
• Conduct a SWOT analysis for the upcoming month
• Take a social media break
• Research upcoming networking events 

Follicular Phase

Your body is gearing up for higher-energy days and creative work sessions. Now’s the time to lean into batched processes and repeatable tasks, rather than jumping between various types of work.

During your follicular phase, you can:

• Batch your copywriting
• Batch your video filming
• Batch your client calls
• Batch your podcast recording
• Schedule upcoming content
• Hold coffee shop meetings
• Design social media graphics
• Plan a social media live stream

Ovulatory Phase

At this point, you may feel more motivated to put yourself out there, whether it’s in person or on the internet. As opposed to your menstrual phase, take this time to leave it all on the court…stop hiding…do the darn thing!

During your ovulatory phase, you can:

• Facilitate team meetings
• Conduct sales calls
• Conduct team hiring
• Enjoy a photoshoot
• Complete a social media live stream
• Post bold and daring social media captions
• Attend a networking event
• Hold a business strategy session

Luteal Phase

Ready to start going inward again? This is when your body requires energy to either prepare for pregnancy or release an egg that dies during menstruation. Get your logical tasks in order, and don’t be surprised if you come off as more critical than ever.

During your luteal phase, you can:

• Create monthly reports
• Edit your photos and videos
• Record your website analytics
• Complete accounting tasks
• Organize your workspace
• Organize your digital files
• Conduct keyword research
• Get your email inbox to zero

Wrap-Up: Increasing Productivity With Menstrual Cycle Syncing

It’s time to honor our menstrual cycles as more than just a pain in the rear that comes around every 30 days. If you give it a chance, perhaps you’ll witness yourself becoming more productive and energetically in tune as you start experimenting with menstrual cycle syncing.

But wait! Beyond just talking about it…how do you tangibly begin cycle syncing? It all starts with tracking your cycle. This means writing down how long each of your phases lasts in your calendar. (Not how long they “should” last, but literally how long they last in your body.)

Next, use a planner or journal to fill in your business projects and tasks in alignment with your phases. This way, you’re not wondering what kind of work to assign yourself within a given week or month.

Before we end this, I’d love to share my menstrual cycle syncing planner with you! This downloadable PDF helps you navigate each of the four phases of your menstrual cycle as a busy entrepreneur.

No more randomly scheduling your meetings, projects, and tasks. Instead, align your business with your varying levels of productivity, social energy, and rest within a given month.

Further Reading on KatQuintana.com: If you’d like to implement more self-care into your productivity plan, check out these sustainable, ethically made gifts (for yourself ) and read my post about using caffeine for creativity.

Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only, not to be taken as medical advice. KQ Writing Studio may receive affiliate compensation for purchases through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy. This website is not intended to provide financial advice. This is for entertainment only.

The post Increasing Productivity With Menstrual Cycle Syncing appeared first on Kat Quintana.

In the past, I’ve enjoyed seasons of making money by:

• building wooden longhouses (county park system)
• supervising children while running barefoot outside (being “Aunty Kaffy”)
• walking or standing for 7-12 hours straight (front-of-house restaurant management)

But this right here is completely different. I started booking KQ Writing Studio clients in October, and a lot has happened since then.

As a result, I’ve been experiencing back pain, tired eyes, tight wrists, and the mental wear that comes with jumping between projects at random times. I had an inkling that I wasn’t working in the most efficient way possible. I thought, “Maybe I can push myself to get more done in less time, so I can create more balance between KQ Writing Studio time and personal time.”

I thought correctly.

Last week, after two days of tuning into the Business Simplicity Summit, hosted by copywriter Molly Winters, I had several lists of action items that could simplify different aspects of my life and business:

• Health & wellness
• Legal
• Networking
• Branding
• Copywriting
• Finances

I knew now was the perfect time to test the action items related to my time, energy, and productive (or not so productive) workflow. Here’s what I did differently this week:

Goodbye, TikTok

I removed good ol’ TikTok from my phone. Yes, scrolling sessions had helped me learn important subjects, but they were also bombarding my brain with random sounds, faces, and ideas that distracted me when it was time to work.

I had been receiving positive feedback from my TikTok videos, but I was okay with putting that on pause for now. I knew if I was inspired to look up my notifications or a specific account, I could do that from my laptop.

Hello, Sunrises

I woke up at 5:55 AM. Originally, I thought I’d set my alarm at 6 AM because it’s close to sunrise. That became 5:55 AM, because it’s cuter. (I know, I know. Say what you want.). Previously, I was waking up around 8 or 9 AM. Basically, whenever it happened, it happened.

This attitude worked, because I am my own boss, I don’t have kids, etc.

Now, I had to remove the emotion of waking up “too early” and instead commit to 5:55 AM as a necessary part of my experiment. I knew starting my day earlier would afford me more quiet time and fewer distractions.

Biochemical Love

Immediately after waking up I moved my body, practiced yoga, journaled, walked outside, viewed sunlight, and drank hot lemon water with pink Himalayan salt. This all happened before checking texts, social media notifications, and emails.

I wanted to properly charge myself up before expecting my brain to perform well. And I wanted to make my brain happy without the projection of social media onto my reality.

Time Boundaries

I organized my Google Calendar with time blocks that left generous amounts of time for meals and breaks. Within each given day, I placed my business tasks before my client work, so I had time to work on my business and in my business.

My calendar included a clear end time that equally allowed me to step away from professional responsibilities or keep creating if it felt right.

Oh, and I turned on my email auto-responder for the entire (long) weekend, so no one will expect me to respond to their emails before Tuesday.

Aural Inspiration

During my work sessions I listened to jazz and other playlists that were specifically curated for deep focus and creative work. If I wanted some entertainment in between work, I tuned into podcasts or interviews that featured inspiring leaders, artists, scientists, teachers, and entrepreneurs.

I may not be in the same room as them, but I can tap into their energy, mindset, and mentorship from afar.

Social Support

I joined a virtual support group for sober and sober-curious women. The conversations shared in that space helped me recenter my “why.”

Why does it matter that I optimize my workflow? Why do I care about nurturing my body and mind? Why do I make certain choices when I know they will affect my mental performance?

No, the facilitator of the group wasn’t asking these exact questions. But by plugging into this source of support I was reminded to prioritize my being instead of my doing (being a human before being a business owner, for example).

Wrap-Up: 5:55 AM Wake-Up Calls

Some of the practices I mentioned above had already been present in my life, but this week I placed even more intention behind them. As a result, I felt tension in my body loosening up. I found myself writing with more ease and less self-judgment.

I felt more relaxed when stepping away from emails. I felt like I was completing highly focused creative sessions, rather than dilly-dallying on my phone in between typing.

The voice that reminded me to fear the outcome became increasingly quieter. And the voice that ironically told me to fear my success was shut down, every morning at 5:55 AM.

Further Reading on KatQuintana.com: Want more personal reflections? Check out my posts on creating authentic social media content and the tension of getting what you want.

The post 5:55 AM Wake-Up Calls (Full Moon Reflection) appeared first on Kat Quintana.

Learn this one rule, and you’ll be set for a long, enjoyable business journey:

Personal wellness and business success run parallel.

In both spheres, make a habit of nourishing yourself (and your team) first, expanding your capacity to serve others and leverage unexpected challenges.

Use the inevitable twists and turns in life to better understand your personal and professional non-negotiables. You’ll find that building relationships, setting boundaries, and sticking to timelines become easier this way.

Tap into the abundance of wellness and business tools available to you, while trusting that financial legacy and personal legacy are both worthy investments.

Some of the most powerful tools you can start accessing today are: sunlight, sleep, breath, emotional release, and clean water.

Beyond these natural resources, keep your eyes, ears, and mind open to the support around you. Practice saying “yes” to the gifts and opportunities your friends or business peers offer you, especially if they help you lighten your mental load and re-center your energy.

Maintain forward momentum by balancing your sense of self…

Want another quick tidbit? Be careful not to sabotage your productivity and profitability by falling into these similar, yet, opposite traps:

Undervaluing and overvaluing your work.

Undervaluing your ideas and projects will challenge your willingness to begin something you’re still preparing for or fine-tuning. Ironically, simply starting is the only way to progress past the novice zone.

Overvaluing also reinforces unrealistic, perfectionist standards. Your mind may predict exaggerated feedback from your peers or the public. A decently important matter dramatically shifts into a high-stakes situation — in your head. While certain trolls will have harsh things to say, people typically pay less critical attention to your work than you might imagine.

Both tendencies will limit your presence and participation in the activities your heart and soul are nudging you to do. Keep them in check, and you’ll grow in the areas of timely decision-making and healthy self-criticism.

Remain authentic, honor your imperfect creative processes, and surround yourself with those who are excited about your success.

You… we are worthy of taking up space.

The post Personal Wellness and Entrepreneurship (Remember This in 2024) appeared first on Kat Quintana.