Planning Your Schedule Around Your Menstrual Cycle

Women often understand the struggle to balance their daily responsibilities when overwhelmed with emotions and the painful cramping from menstruation. But did you know there are strategies for adjusting your work and rest time to improve your performance throughout your menstrual cycle? This article will explain how women can plan around their menstrual cycle to boost effectiveness, decrease stress, and balance a healthy hormone cycle. 

 

First, let’s review the main stages of a menstrual cycle:

  1. Menstruation lasts anywhere between 2-7 days. During this phase, estrogen and progesterone are low. The lining of the uterus called the endometrium, is shed, causing bleeding. [5]

  2. Follicular phase overlaps with your period. It starts on the first day of the period and ends with ovulation. As the follicle inside one of your ovaries is maturing, estrogen and progesterone levels start to rise. As a result of the estrogen spike, you are likely to feel upbeat and optimistic and your skin will also be in its best shape. [5]

  3. Ovulation happens when the ovary releases the egg around day 14 before your next period starts. This phase lasts 12-48 hours. An unfertilized egg will dissolve inside the uterus, triggering the luteal phase of the cycle. During this phase, estrogen peaks, and testosterone and progesterone levels rise. [5,3]

  4. Luteal phase averages around 14 days. During the luteal phase, the corpus luteum is formed from a dominant follicle after ovulation and starts producing progesterone. If the egg is not fertilized, hormone levels decrease and the menstrual cycle starts again. [5]

Planning your schedule around your menstrual cycle

Each phase of the menstrual cycle relies on hormones to work effectively. This is why it’s important that women don’t operate on stress hormones to have a healthy cycle. The release of stress hormones, or cortisol, can make your periods heavier, and suppress normal levels of reproductive hormones [1]. Too much cortisol can negatively affect thyroid hormone production which can make your periods very light, heavy, or irregular [6]. Thyroid disease can also lead to a condition called amenorrhea which can cause a period to stop for a long period of time [8].

Each phase of the menstrual cycle relies on hormones to work effectively. This is why it’s important that women don’t operate on stress hormones to have a healthy cycle. The release of stress hormones, or cortisol, can make your periods heavier, and suppress normal levels of reproductive hormones [1]. Too much cortisol can negatively affect thyroid hormone production which can make your periods very light, heavy, or irregular [6]. Thyroid disease can also lead to a condition called amenorrhea which can cause a period to stop for a long period of time [8].

Symptoms of high cortisol levels include weight gain, lack of energy, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and an impaired immune system. These systems can oftentimes be managed naturally with a change of habits that invests in your health. These habits include:

  1. Getting the right amount of sleep: Sleep between 7 and 9 hours [2]. 

  2. Moderate Exercise: Aim for around 150-200 minutes of mostly low-to moderate-intensity exercise each week and rest between workouts [2]. 

  3. Learning to recognize stressful thinking: Recognize stress before it begins by being aware of stress-provoking thoughts and reacting to them appropriately [2].

  4. Breathe: “Studies have shown decreases in cortisol after participants incorporated deep breathing into their routines” [2].

  5. Laughing: “Laughing promotes the release of endorphins and suppresses stress hormones such as cortisol. It’s also linked with better mood, reduced stress and perceived pain, lower blood pressure, and a stronger immune system” [2].

  6. Maintaining healthy relationships: Healthy relationships provide a support system that contributes to the reduction of stress [2]. 

  7. Taking care of a pet: A study on PubMed suggests that dog owners have a reduced cortisol level when compared with non-dog owners [4]. 

  8. Eating a nutritious diet: “One study found that a diet high in added sugar, refined grains, and saturated fat led to significantly higher cortisol levels compared with a diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and polyunsaturated fats” [2].

In addition to implementing these habits into your routine to help regulate your cycle, you may also find that adjusting your daily and work responsibilities to your cycle phase will help you manage tasks efficiently and see better results. 

 

The menstruation phase of your cycle is a great time to focus on tasks. According to Flo, “At work, this is a great time for purging and organizing the workspace. Get into some rearranging and simplifying, removing unnecessary paperwork, and establishing new systems of organization that will be more productive.”

During the follicular stage, you may notice that you feel energized and productive. “This is a great time to start a new project and deal with more difficult working tasks that will require more inspiration, enthusiasm, and creative energy” [7].

Throughout your luteal and ovulation stages you will likely be more introverted which is a great phase to self-reflect. If there are profound changes and make vital decisions you have to make, this is the time [7]. 

If your work schedule is flexible, you can use your menstrual calendar to adjust tasks accordingly to boost productivity. 

 

Using this information, you can make your cycle work to your advantage. You can track your cycle using a chart or apps like Flo Health, Clue, and Glow. 

 

Most importantly, recognize when your body needs rest and plan accordingly. Sometimes you will feel an intense decrease in your energy during your menstrual phase. It’s important to not push yourself past your limits but instead take time to intentionally rest so you can have a healthy cycle. 

 

With Love, 

Your Friends at Options

 

References

 

  1. Care, E. (2021, March 11). How Cortisol Affects Women’s Health and the Menstrual Cycle. Healthline. https://elara.care/hormones/how-cortisol-affects-womens-health-and-the-menstrual-cycle/ 

 

  1. Davidson, K. (2023, January 17). 11 Natural Ways to Lower Your Cortisol Levels. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-lower-cortisol 

 

  1. Higuera, V. (2018, December 7). How long does ovulation last each month? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/how-long-does-ovulation-last 

 

  1. Krause-Parello, C. A., Tychowski, J., Gonzalez, A., & Boyd, Z. (2012). Human-canine interaction: exploring stress indicator response patterns of salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A. Research and theory for nursing practice, 26(1), 25–40. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22866562/

 

  1. Krupp, A. (2023, February 8). Cycle syncing: Matching your health style to your menstrual cycle. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/guide-to-cycle-syncing-how-to-start 

 

  1. MALACOFF, J. (2019, December 17). 8 Thyroid Healing Practices You Can Start Today. https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/thyroid-healing-tips/ 

 

  1. Shkodzik, K. (2018, December 27). How to Plan Your Work Around Your Period. Flo. https://flo.health/menstrual-cycle/health/period/plan-work-around-your-period

 

  1. Thyroid Disease | Office On Women’s Health. (n.d.). https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/thyroid-disease