How Your Period Affects Your Productivity — and How to Harness Its Power

Every woman knows.

That time of the month when they’re grumpy and craving Cheetos to accompany them as they Netflix and chill. This is when they loathe themselves for not being able to focus. For not getting anything done.

We’ve all been taught about the discomfort and inconvenience of our monthly cycle — and little about its role in our productivity and energy management.

I dreaded my period every month since I got it.

Until I read Claire Baker’s article, “Please know this: your menstrual cycle is a gift” on WePresent, where she articulated how our monthly flow is naturally connected to our creative flow.

Your period could have everything to do with your productivity. — Claire Baker

Because of her piece, I’ve found out about Alisa Vitti, who coined the term “cycle-syncing,” which at its core means matching your lifestyle to your menstrual cycle.

We can schedule our life around our period and make space for it instead of trying to pretend it doesn’t exist, or worse, hating it and being overwhelmed by the various emotions it brings.

Here’s a summary of what I’ve been finding out so far:

• The follicular phase is when creative juices flow. (6–14 days) I tend to have more ideas and energy to execute them around this time so I try to batch creative tasks during this phase.
• The ovulatory phase boosts communication skills. (1–4 days) I find that I’m more outgoing and confident talking to people during this phase so as much as possible, this is where I try to schedule presentations and important calls.
• The luteal phase phase is for getting things done. (11–14 days) During this phase I’m more critical so this is when I try to do my admin tasks that require hard and cold attention to detail. I also find this to be the optimal time to edit any unfinished creative work without holding back from killing my darlings.
• The menstruation phase is perfect for reflection. (1–5 days) This is the time to rest and recharge, and to revisit our plans and goals with more clarity and insight.

Our bodies give us a master plan for producing life — as well as organizing our life. — Dr. Kecia Gaither

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