I will always toot the horn about how productive cycles syncing is to women and productivity. It really doesn’t matter whether you are syncing with your cycle or syncing with the moon, working with natural cycles bring some much needed order to the chaos and smooths out blockages to progress.
Pre Ovulation is when women fit in most easily with society work and productivity expectations. We are alert, productive, positive and dynamic. We are to move forward full steam ahead. It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking THIS is your “true self.” Don’t do this to yourself. You are all of your phases and to think that just this is who your are is disrespectful to your femininity and ultimately your creative process.
There are a number of mistakes women make that prevents them from taking advantage of this time. This energy is SO USEFUL for so many things, it would be a shame to waste it on reviewing old work (pre menstruation and menses) or waiting for a client or boss to give you the go ahead.
Going to bed without being tired
During this time is is a good idea to stretch yourself a little bit for the long term benefits. I know most research say that we should be getting the same amount of sleep every day but in nature, there is always a time for rest and always for pushing your limits a little more.
If you are a repressed night owl (um..hi!), this is your time to shine. Staying up late sometimes actually helps us regulate our bodies for better sleep and can even boost serotonin temporary. Check out the book Wild Nights for more information about how taming sleep is not a great way to get a lot of sleep.While I am a HUGE advocate of some regularity to sleep and wake times, I also do not believe sleep should be put in a box to be healthy
During the time of pre ovulation, we are set up to clear to do list and bang out projects. I advocate more on getting just a bit more done by going to bed at 11 or midnight instead of your standard 9 to 10 PM. You will go to sleep exhausted and satisfied instead of creating lists in you head.
If you are in bed and thinking about it, just get up and do it. Don't make a habit of staying up more than a couple of nights as you will be moving backward in the productivity realm. But if you do pull a late-nighter, you will be happier and more rested in the end.
Not purposely breaking the Post Menstrual Funk
If you are doing this cycle syncing thing right, you will have been throttling back on your efforts for 2-5 days. It’s kind of easy to slip int slug mode and stay there - especially after a particularly painful or tiring period.
It is so important that you have some kind of coming out of it ritual at this time. Go on an extra long hike or take a fitness class. I tend to gravitate toward fitness spell breakers because I’m, made that way. But you should be seeking an activity that gets you excited, smiling and way out of your comfort zone. I love to dance so I make sure to have a dance party in between set or as part of my cardio. Sprints are also really good for me to dust off the cobwebs.
Baths and saunas followed by cold dip are my favorite way to renew my body for another cycle. Find you ritual and stick to it. Ideally it should be a bit of a shock to the system!
Skipping that scheduling hour
This is such a wonderful time to plan ahead and pick priorities because you mind is working in the most logical way. You also know what is coming next. You are at the beginning of a new cycle. Pick your three most important priorities/projects and break down the next steps - then look at your calendar and schedule them.
This is a great time to look and plan ahead. You have potentially two meal prep times come up in ovulation and premenstrual - what dishes are you going to make to feel creative and so you don't have to cook during your period? You have a launch of XYZ and need to start marketing it - what is the strategy knowing you have a social time and another hard changing time? You have an idea that needs to be developed as the next project - what is the end game, who is it for, and can you make an outline of the project itself?
I love to do skeleton outlines for up coming projects so I am not caught off guard when things are moving slow or finishing up after I’m done with something big. I have two books, two training programs outlined plus a list of things to film (lol def long term projects). Making lists on projects keeps me on track.
If you would like to be more efficient in this area, consider using a software like Toodledo or Monday. And pick up some books about business organization. Planning need tools and it is much easier to do on a computer than with a paper and pen. Since getting my organization software, now the fist thing I do everyday is review my task list for each project. Being able to brain dump my huge to-do list every so often has been a life and sanity saver.
Never skip this time to off-load some brain space into a calendar or organizing software. You brain should NOT be the container for all your ideas because they will get lost - only to be found right before you fall asleep. Save yourself some stress and spend a 30 min to an hour in the pre ovulation stage to straighten things out.
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