A couple of months back, I was starting to feel burnt out.
I have this mentality that I have to get everything done on my to-do list today. And if I don’t, the sky will fall.
I think this mentality comes from how we’ve been conditioned in our culture. We’ve been conditioned to be productive and be productive all the time. We have to work longer and harder and if we do, the more successful and productive we are.
But I’ve realized that sucks and I don’t want to be burnt out!
There are times I’m able to focus and get a lot done. But then a few days later, I may have the hardest time focusing and barely make any progress on things. Why is it some days things flow easily and I can get a lot done and other times it feels as though I’m swimming against a current and getting nothing done?
What gives?
Well, a few months ago I remembered hearing about this thing about how you can use your monthly cycle to better plan and organize your life that feels … I don’t know, maybe less chaotic?
I was like, “What?? TELL ME!”
So I picked up a book called In the Flo by Alisa Vitti.
The book was about cycle syncing.
Now while I didn’t LOVE this book, I found it incredibly helpful in understanding my body and what I can do to better support myself on a daily basis so I don’t feel so burnt out.
So what’s cycle syncing?
It’s a way to leverage the different phases of your monthly cycle to align your diet, work, exercise, and other areas of your life so it’s more in sync with your natural body’s rhythms.
Now while I’m far from being an expert in this, I’ve been able to better understand when the best times are during my cycle to do certain things which is super awesome.
One of the areas I was super excited to apply this was my business because I felt like there was a lot of room for improvement in creating more structure and organization where I’m able to get more things done.
If you’re curious about how this could apply for your business, here are some suggestions on the optimal times to do certain activities based on a typical 28-day menstrual cycle:
Follicular phase (7-10 days) – Prepare
- Try out new techniques, classes, new courses, etc.
- Brainstorm new products you want to make.
- Shop and stock up on supplies for your business.
- Explore new opportunities for creativity and your business.
- Plan on what you want to accomplish in the coming weeks (month, quarter, year).
- Research things you want to follow up on later.
Ovulatory phase (3-4 days) – Social
- Be social and get out there!
- Hold meetings, interviews, or shoot videos for your business.
- Negotiate contracts or projects.
- Work on your branding and marketing.
- Connect with other makers and creatives for support or to share ideas.
- Engage more with your customers and audience.
Luteal phase (10-14 days) – Work
- Finish up outstanding projects.
- Work on your website or social media posts.
- Photograph products you need to list.
- Work on your product descriptions and SEO tags.
- Do detail-oriented work (bookkeeping, spreadsheets, etc.).
- Organize!
Menstrual phase (3-5 days) – Reflection
- Assess how the month went.
- What went well?
- Are things going into the direction you want?
- What are the areas you want to work on?
- How is your business going as a whole?
While I’ve only been doing this for a few months (including diet, exercise, etc.), I’ve been able to see a difference in when I do certain activities during different phases. Before, if I was trying to do a video during my menstrual phase, I’d feel so unmotivated and unfocused to do it. But if I did it during my ovulation or even my luteal phase, it would feel less like a chore because I’d be in a better headspace to communicate and get things done.
While it’s easy to write about what I’m going to do, it’s another thing actually executing it! This is a practice for sure and is all about experimenting to see what feels best.
If you’re looking to sync things up more in your life and your business, I highly encourage you to check out more resources for cycle syncing so you can learn more about the biology and science around it. It was really eye-opening for me!
Have you heard of cycle syncing before? Let me know in the comments below!