Productivity for Women

Harnessing Your Hormonal Cycle for Productivity and Self-Care: A Guide for Women

Do you feel like you’ve tried every productivity strategy out there? Do you have stacks of unused planners and still wonder, What is wrong with me? Why can’t I stick to anything? Or worse, If I just find the perfect planner, my life will be sorted! I’ve been there. And no, I don’t have ADHD. I used the Passion Planner (still love it), but when my life changed, I was back on the endless hunt for a new system—until I read In the FLO by Alisa Vitti. That book was a lightbulb moment.

Our workdays and productivity models are built around the male daily hormonal cycle. As a part-time working mom with a normal monthly cycle no wonder most productivity systems felt irrelevant to me. Reading Alisa’s book gave me the information I needed to plan my life around my body and my family’s needs, instead of trying to force my life into a tri colored Google calendar.

On top of reading Alisa’s book, I also love seeing what other people are doing with certain topics on Youtube. Search anything related to productivity and you’ll likely find Ali Abdaal. He’s a doctor-turned-entrepreneur with 5.39 million subscribers, releasing videos like How to Make 2024 the Best Year of Your Life and How I Make $27K Per Week. He cites research, uses gadgets, alarms, and elaborate systems. One day, after watching one too many of these videos, I snapped. I HAVE KIDS! NONE OF THIS APPLIES TO ME!!!

Productivity hacks dominate YouTube, but unless you specifically search mom productivity, the advice won’t apply. And even then, those videos often start with, I wake up before my kids at 5 AM, which is an automatic click-out for me.

Moms need productivity systems because our responsibilities are constant, varied, and unpredictable. Unlike a traditional job with boundaries, we juggle childcare, household management, relationships, personal goals, and sometimes part-time work—all without external accountability. I wanted a system to help me manage my limited free time, schedule self-care, streamline decisions, model healthy habits for my kids, and reclaim a sense of control. And I believe all moms—stay-at-home or working—want the same.

I asked my friend and colleague Lisa Gallagher, a Naturopathic doctor, for her insights on cycle syncing for productivity. Here’s a clip from our conversation:

[Lisa Clip]

With that said, it’s time to start planning like a woman which means allowing for normal and variable fluctuations. First, a little bit of background on your cycle. I know that those high school biology classes taught you so well, so here is just a refresher.

Understanding the Four Phases of Your Cycle

Your menstrual cycle has four phases, each with unique hormonal shifts that affect energy levels, mood, and cognitive function. Here’s how you can structure your tasks and self-care to align with these phases:

1. Menstrual Phase (Days 1-5): Rest & Reflection

• What’s Happening: Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, leading to fatigue and introspection.
• Best Tasks: Prioritize rest, minimal social interaction, and light household tasks. Use this time for reflection, journaling, or planning for the month ahead.
• Self-Care: Extra sleep, warm baths, and comfort food. Give yourself grace and allow for slower days.

2. Follicular Phase (Days 6-14): Creativity & Action

• What’s Happening: Estrogen begins to rise, boosting energy, motivation, and cognitive function.
• Best Tasks: Start new projects, tackle creative endeavors, and organize. This is a great time for deep cleaning or reorganizing spaces.
• Self-Care: Try a new workout, experiment with meal prepping, and engage in hobbies that require focus and energy.

3. Ovulatory Phase (Days 15-17): Social & High-Energy Tasks

• What’s Happening: Estrogen peaks, making you feel confident, outgoing, and sharp.
• Best Tasks: Schedule social events, networking, big conversations, and high-energy activities. This is the best time for tackling leadership tasks, planning playdates, or hosting gatherings.
• Self-Care: Engage in high-intensity workouts, wear your favorite outfits, and lean into your most energetic self.

4. Luteal Phase (Days 18-28): Focus & Maintenance

• What’s Happening: Progesterone rises, bringing a more introspective and detail-oriented mindset, but energy starts to wane in the later days.
• Best Tasks: Complete lingering projects, handle administrative tasks, and prepare for the upcoming cycle. This is a great time for meal prepping and organizing routines.
• Self-Care: Prioritize stress management, get extra rest, and engage in gentle movement like yoga or walking.

Daily Cycle Considerations

Women also have a hormonal rhythm within a single day. Unlike men, whose testosterone levels peak in the morning and decline steadily, women experience fluctuations tied to cortisol and estrogen. Here’s how to align your daily routine:

• Morning: Best for creative work and high-energy tasks.
• Afternoon: Ideal for social interactions and collaborative work.
• Evening: Wind down with organization, reflection, and relaxation.

Embrace Your Natural Rhythm

By working with your body instead of against it, you can create a schedule that enhances your productivity, supports your well-being, and honors your natural energy levels. This isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what works best for you.

So, based on what I have read and researched, I came up with my own productivity model specifically designed for moms. I am not in the business of selling you another strict and structured protocol to follow so these are general directions by design. You will have to apply it in the best way for you and your family.

Let’s begin:

1. Start with a planner, any one you want, or just a blank desk calendar.
2. Month at a glance- highlight your cycle, a different color for each phase of your cycle
3. Fill in events that are already on your schedule, notice if they align with the phases of your cycle

Things that don’t align: for example a big work presentation during your period, just take note, you will add some extra self care during that time. 

4. List out things you “need to do” like errands and projects

Assign them according to your cycle as best you can- for example, plan a trip to the zoo in your ovulation phase, plan a snuggly movie day during your menses

5. Plan exercise: Do not pick one routine to stick to forever. Evaluate your exercise interest based on your phase- stretching and yoga for your menses, and cardio and strength training for your ovulation and luteal phases, assign as it feels right for you. Even better if you can find a personal trainer who can help you with this! Message me for a personal trainer referral, I have one and she’s fabulous.

6. Meal plan and grocery shop: Do this based on your energy levels for the phase you’re in or your energy levels allow: Meal planning might be a follicular phase kind of thing, where leftovers and reheatables might be more suited for luteal and menses.. 

7. The day to day stuff/ the stuff that pops up: In general, just let it go- this could be another whole podcast episode about my philosophy on this but here it is in a nutshell… Dishes will pile up throughout the day, toys will be everywhere, things will be out of place, and it’s okay. There will be a time during the day you can get it done and it will happen naturally, so trust the process. Don’t let a worry about keeping a clean home keep you from enjoying daily life with your kids. Do not let Pinterest create an unrealistic expectation in your mind. Look around at the dirty dishes- a sign of full bellies, the toys on the ground, a sign of experiential play and the “work” of a child. It is all a sign of days well spent and a life well lived. 

If you have a harder time trusting the process, and just knowing that eventually it will all get done, then you can assign tasks to a day of the week, again keeping in mind your cycle. Maybe fresh sheets and towels would be most enjoyed right before your menses, when you plan on getting extra sleep and keeping your body warm. The toilet looks a little grimy? Maybe a bathroom deep clean is a task for the follicular phase where work feels effortless and you have a spike in energy. The main point here being planning your tasks around your energy and what your body needs, rather than on deadlines and other people’s expectations. 

While you’re planning around deadlines, play dates, and home tasks, also make room on your schedule for down time/rest. We all need rest and as women with hormonal cycles, rest is BUILT into our biology. So let’s stop criticizing it and start embracing it. Plan for a day with the tissue box, plan for the extra warm comforter and turning your phone on silent. Bake it all innnn.

There is something very zen about this whole approach that I am discovering and loving. This is the first approach that I have seen, that is evidenced based and backed by research, but ALSO, promotes greater self knowledge. There are too many protocols, diets, fads, and routines out there that are based on someone else’s biology or lifestyle. This approach asks you to turn inward, challenges you to find what works best for you and your family. There is no wrong way to do it. Let your body have a say in all that you put it through. Respect and honor it when it says it wants to slow down or take a break. You can, once again, trust the process that soon, energy levels will increase again, creativity will strike, motivation will soar, and you’ll be back to achieving like you always do. 

Thanks for listening, now go take a break. 

Resources and book recommendations on cycle syncing can be found on the article post for this episode on our website.