Make Mom Days Productive by Using your Cycle

Did you know that understanding your period can actually help your days be more productive and rewarding? By learning the rhythm of your monthly cycle you can harness the power to create more productive and purposeful days. When you understand how it works, you can understand how to work WITH it!

I am not a medical professional so talk to your Doctor or medical professional to gain the best advise and perspective about this topic. This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase from these links I receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Life is already a whirlwind as a mother of four little ones, so when I found out I could actually use my cycle to make days more productive I jumped right on board. This post is just the beginning. There is so much to learn and I’m still learning, but eager to share what I know.

The Cycles in Life

We go through many cycles in life. Cycles tend to go through the same motions: 1. Life 2. rest/ down time and then 3. life comes back again. It’s as if there’s a blessing upon seasons just so that God can whisper once again, “I brought back life when there was none.”

We can see it when day goes to night. Then when the week ends and finally in the cycle women go through each month.

Menstruation it seems follows a similar routine as the other cycles: Life, Rest, Returning Life.

Setting this time of menstruation apart, as well as understanding the rest of the parts to your cycle can encourage your days to be more balanced and fruitful. It’s something every woman should understand. Take advantage of your month so that your month and hormones do not take over you.

There’s a lot to cover so lets get started!

Your Cycle has Four Seasons

First things first. To completely understand the seasons, you need to understand a little about your actual cycle. Though the science world would separate these lines into three phases, we’ll use a different way to understand it.

160606_AvaWorld_Ovulation_Process_02-1024x680 — https://www.avawomen.com/avaworld/the-ovulation-process/

Before you get too scared by the lines that seem to be scribbling every which way in this graph ( not too unlike the children’s handy work on my living room wall) I want to bring your attention to a different picture: A picture of Seasons.

Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall.

Think about your cycle by dividing it into four seasons.

Winter

A few days before your period starts begins the “winter” of your cycle. Hormone levels take a rollercoaster drop as both your progesterone and estrogen plummet. Your body takes all the nutrients and energy that it can during the cycle month. Because there is no pregnancy growing life inside your miraculous body, the hormones tumble. This in turn starts a release of all that would’ve supported life: the period we know and love.

Yes, that was sarcasm.

This is the season that feels pointless. Your brain may feel fried. You may have extreme cravings and fatigue can be endless. The list goes on and on.

How to Help Productivity

During the “winter” season of your cycle, the brain is more focused on inner thoughts any other time of the month. While verbal skills peak about three weeks into the cycle, these first days are the internal time. Also know that the first day of your period is the most impulsive time of the month. As your estrogen rises again, impulsive decisions aren’t as common.

Get your ideas out on paper. It’s ok and good to dream during this time. It may help you in the future. Write things down but don’t make big decisions without spending the time to think them through.

Make time for you to be alone. You may feel like your brain is not working but if you get some quiet time to think and ponder things, you might be surprised at what will come out.

Avoid planning extra social dates or extra work based around serving kids or other people if possible. If your child’s birthday falls during this time, that’s ok but make sure you take yourself into consideration. Get things ready before hand or ask a couple other parents to help. We can’t always decide what will happen. We can decide how to handle our calendars during each phase of our cycles.

Spring

Your period is at an end and the fog is beginning to lift! This season of the monthly cycle is where we begin to gain energy again. Hormones “mostly stay level with a gradual rise and the body begins to take in more nutrients after the release of blood.

The rise in energy is also joined by the ability to mentally look outward. Spatial awareness is actually rising after that “inward” focused time.

Now’s the time to plan how you will implement those ideas. How did that cleaning schedule work? When was the best time for making dinner? Practice implementing those changes in your motherhood!
Allow yourself extra rest time but know that your mental outlook is changing to be more outward focused. It might be ok to help in the church nursery that extra day without feeling too overwhelmed.

Summer

Summer is for many of us, the favorite season. Energy is at it’s highest levels. In the midst of summer the hormones peak and ovulation happens.

If you’ve been wanting to switch the kids chores around or potty train this is the time as your body will take the outside stress much better than if it were around menstruation.
Big decisions are best made at the height of the estrogen rise so the spring phase and the beginning of your energized summer months are best for these.
Trying to get some extra one on-one-time with kids is best done now. Verbal skills are best for women at this late summer time. Get together with your girlfriends!

Fall

As the end of your cycle nears, energy levels begin to drop. Here comes the fall phase. Progesterone will hit it’s peak, then realize there is no life to maintain. The result is a long drop for the progesterone that will also be accompanied by a drop in estrogen.

You may experience a surge of energy before hormones fall so get those last to-do’s done and then plan to step back the few days before your period starts.
Talk with those close to you about stepping back a little bit. Notice how much energy you have as well as how much stress is impacting you.
This may mean seeing if your husband can put kids to bed on the two nights before your period starts. It may help to have freezer meals or very simple food planned for your late fall and winter phases.
Just as our pioneer friends stored up for the winter months, it may be a good idea to use your peak times in the month to make your winter phase more restful.

Use Your Cycle for Productivity

Track your Cycle

The very first thing to do in order to use your cycle for productivity is to track it! There’s some awesome Apps out there that make it easy to mark when your cycle is starting and where you’re at.

Remember, tracking cycles is not just for “having babies” or figuring out why you’re in such nasty pain. It literally drives a woman’s life as a rhythm much like sleep. Until you understand how to follow the rhythm, you won’t gain the benefits of having the rhythm.

Also know that if you’re on the pill, your cycle will not have a rhythm. In order to find a rhythm in your monthly cycle, you will first need to get off the pill. You can find information on this in the links below.

Work Around Your Seasons

Think winter/ summer. Be proactive to take time for yourself to turn your brain inward during your “winter” days. Berrion Berry of Flo Academy actually takes three days off around every cycle! The day before it starts, the day of and the day after menstruation begins.

Helping yourself to rest when it’s needed will truly help you have the energy for your summer phase.

Help Your Cycle

It’s becoming more and more clear to the medical world how much our daily habits influence our hormones: stress, exercise, sleep, eating habits, nutritional intake and more!

Practice lowering your sugar and getting more omega 3’s. This is a great place to start when adjusting your diet to support healthy hormones.

If you have an irregular cycle talk to your Doctor or Medical professional. Don’t walk it alone. There are also several online resources to learn more or heal hormonal issues.