Planning, Projects and Periods: Why Scheduling Tasks According to Your Menstrual Cycle Matters.
A Mindful, Tactical and Graceful Approach to Planning
I’m a planner.
At the beginning of every month, I take down the giant calendar that hangs on the wall in my kitchen and plan everything. Chores, to-dos, outings, meals and goals. Writing goals. Physical goals. Marriage goals. So. many goals.
It’s exciting. It’s ambitious. And it’s actually, somehow attainable.
Well… for the first two weeks of the month, at least.
Then, at some point mid-month, the faucet of momentum suddenly stops flowing. All my goals that I was carrying out so consistently fall flat on their face. My brain starts getting foggy. By body is exhausted. I can’t keep up with any of the chores and errands and meals that I had planned in my giant kitchen calendar.
And as the only thing that seems to be progressing is my failure, I wonder where it all went wrong? How could habits and practices that felt so attainable a few weeks ago feel so impossible this week? Is life just throwing me curveballs? Were my goals too ambitious?
So many questions… until dear ol’ Aunt Flow comes for her monthly visit.
Then everything makes sense.
The Four Phases of the Menstrual Cycle
As most of us know (but probably forget or ignore), the female menstrual cycle consists of four phases that spread out over 28 days (ish):
Week one (ish) is the menstrual phase.
Week two (ish) is the follicular phase.
Week three (ish) is the ovulation phase.
And week four (ish) is the luteal phase.
AI google assist outlines that “each phase plays a crucial role in preparing the body for a potential pregnancy”.
I also think that each phase plays a crucial role in performance and creativity.
A False Start to the Month
You see, my menstrual phase starts at the end of the month. Which means, I start each new month in the follicular phase. The follicular phase is when your body is essentially re-generating for a potential pregnancy. That means hormone levels are on the rise. You’re feeling bright, happy, motivated, creative and energetic. And so, planning monthly goals in the follicular phase can end up acting as a double edged sword.
At least for me.
Because I’m on this “high”, my goals (especially the creative ones) tend to be clear but also extremely ambitious. And for the first two weeks of the month (a.k.a the follicular and ovulation phases of my menstrual cycle) they are actually attainable. I feel like a super hero.
But as time goes on, everything goes downhill. Planning my goals and successfully carrying them out in the first two weeks of the month skews my pacing immensely. And when the second half of the month rolls around, I’m in the phase of my cycle when the hormone levels start to drop. And suddenly I can’t keep up with all the goals I had set. It’s like starting off a marathon with a sprint because you’re so pumped up with adrenaline, only to eventually realize that your pace is not sustainable at all, and then suffering for the rest of the race.
This may seem obvious, but somehow I think most women (including myself), really don’t take our menstrual cycle into consideration when it comes to planning our projects.
Beyond Natural Family Planning: Why You Should Keep Track of Your Menstrual Cycle
Whatever you think about “The Patriarchy” and the effect it has on women, I do think it’s valuable to note that most of our societal structures to not benefit women on the hormonal front.
Women need to show up and do what they have to do at school, at work and at home, regardless of where they are at in their menstrual cycle. Women don’t get an exemption from their duties because of low-hormone levels, cramps and moodiness.
And I’m not saying that they should, either.
Keeping track of your menstrual cycle is a personal responsibility. Not only for knowing when you’re fertile and when you should buy pads. But for your overall wellbeing.
Because when you keep track of your menstrual cycle, you can plan your projects, tasks and goals at the most optimal times for the best results.
A Mindful, Tactical and Graceful Approach to Planning
I remember being at a baby shower and talking to one of the guests. She was sharing about how she was responsible for writing employee performance reviews at the firm she managed at. She told me that she specifically did not write reviews when she was menstruating because, well, she was in a more negative mindset, and her assessment would not be fair.
I really liked that approach, and that’s the approach I think all women should take, in all areas of life, if they want to thrive.
It’s the approach that I know I need to take.
Scheduling my plans, projects and tasks according to my menstrual cycle is something that I’ve had at the back of my mind for a while. Some months I’m more intentional about it than others. But it seems that I always get too caught up in that beginning of the month, ambitious phase, and I kind of forget how important it is to pace myself.
So here I am, setting some reminders for myself, and sharing them with you.
1. Be Mindful of When You’re Planning Goals
One thing I’ve come to terms with is that where I’m at in my menstrual cycle drastically affects the way I plan goals. If I’m in my follicular phase, I reach for the stars. I’m soaring like a majestic eagle. I’m unstoppable. The problem is, by week 3, I’ve used up all my fuel. I fly into a tree. I crash and burn and feel like a failure.
So, be mindful. Remember that where you’re at in your cycle will affect the way that you think and feel in that moment. Also remember that your thinking and feeling will fluctuate throughout the month. Planning goals in your follicular phase versus your luteal phase will produce different outcomes. It makes the difference between feeling extremely ambitious and feeling like you can’t even come up with one coherent thought.
If you’re feeling really ambitious, take note of that, and pace yourself. Reflect on your previous month and how that was for you. If you’re feeling drained, maybe save planning for another time.
When you plan in your cycle matters.
2. Be Tactical About Scheduling Tasks
This one is a struggle. Again, once I’ve set those really ambitious goals, I usually have the energy to carry them out for the next few weeks. I’ve entered this performative flow-state. I also get a really false sense of momentum that comes to a very abrupt halt mid-month.
So, be tactical. When you’re planning the month, separate the weeks according to the phases of your cycle. Brain dump all your plans and tasks. Separate them into high-energy and low-energy tasks. Plug in your high-energy, ambitious and creative tasks in the follicular/ovulation phase, and your low-energy tasks in your luteal and menstrual phases as best as you can. I get it, life is unpredictable. Things come up that you can’t plan for. But take agency over as much as you can.
I also think it’s important to take your high-energy self and use her to help out your low-energy self.
For instance, I know I’m capable of writing two articles in a week when I’m in my high-energy phase. However, instead of posting two articles in the same week, I would be better off scheduling one of them later on in the month. Because I know my low-energy self sometimes struggles to write even one sentence.
The same goes for cooking meals. I know I can cook in bulk during a high-energy week so that I can simply freeze and then de-frost in a low-energy week.
When you schedule tasks in your cycle matters.
3. Adjust Your Expectations on a Phase-to-Phase Basis
My last problem is that I start off my month setting the same expectation of myself for every week. And that… as mentioned many times already, leaves me feeling burnt out by the end. However, I’m glad to say that by the time by period rolls around, I’m able to give myself grace. I don’t try to deep clean my house or do any kind of seasonal housekeeping during that time. The bare minimum is what I strive for and I’m totally okay with it.
Adjusting my expectations means dialing it down during the luteal and menstrual phases. It also means setting boundaries around ambitious goals when I’m in my follicular and ovulation phases so I don’t overdo it.
Giving yourself grace in the low-energy phases of your cycle matters, because it will absolve you of guilt and exhaustion.
The Cycle of Productivity and Rest.
I think it’s important as women and mothers to be aware of our cycles, not just for family planning purposes, but for our overall well-being, and the well-being of those around us. When we know the phases we are in, we can perform when appropriate and rest when needed. We can plan ahead and take care of our future selves. We can adjust the expectations we have of ourselves and set healthy boundaries around certain demands. We set ourselves up to thrive and to operate guilt-free.
Having agency over our menstrual cycles allows us to break free from the “tough-it-out” mentality that we grew up internalizing. Instead, we can learn to pace ourselves, optimize our productive states, and be able to rest when it’s time to.
Ana Harrison from Daily Wonder has written a few articles in which she encourages mothers to choose rhythms over routines. Routines can be helpful, but they often leave us feeling like failures when we can’t stick to them. They are too rigid and can feel stifling. Rhythms, however, offer flexibility. They offer anchor points throughout the day to keep us grounded when the tides of life and parenthood get wild and unpredictable.
I think that planning around your menstrual cycle is also an important rhythm that, if established, can give us the space we need to balance between productivity and rest. Attainable routines can quickly become extremely draining because of our fluctuating hormones. The schedule that served us physically, mentally and emotionally last week might not serve us this week.
One last thing I want to add is that we cannot compare ourselves to men when it comes to organizing our lives. Men are creatures of routine. Women are creatures of rhythm. We simply operate differently, so lets plan accordingly.
For those who are currently outside of the reoccurring pattern of the menstrual cycle, whether due to pregnancy or menopause or post-menopause or etc. I hope that you can adapt the guidelines of mindful planning, tactical scheduling and adjustment of self-expectations to find a rhythm that will allow you to thrive in both productivity and rest.
Until next time,
- Jas.
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This is brilliant. And so incredibly relatable! Thank you for writing this!!! 🩷
I might be in the wrong place here, but I found it interesting, and couldn't stop reading. Boo you for making me do that 😂.
On a more serious note, while I was reading, I thought of something. Ever tried planning during the ... (Wait what was the phase's name), Luteal? The one where hormones go down, and life slows.
My square male mind's logic argues that if done then, you would have a less ambitious plan, which in case you over deliver, you get pumped and we know how that helps with getting in a flow and trying more things.
It also helps to put positives with negatives. When you start something you are by default optimistic and ambitious. If you juxtapose it with the low hormones, it might balance out.
Well, just a little thought to test things out. Great article btw