By: Tayllor Henczel

I recall receiving the message multiple times as a young girl that I could do anything—if I worked hard enough. Whether it was at school or in sports, I received praise when I “pushed through” and “got it done”, no matter what.

Not much has changed for many of us. Productivity is praised, and who doesn’t want to be productive? We all have a lot on the go, and a lot of things we care about, whether it’s parenting, partnership, friendship, working, running a business, staying healthy or pursuing passions and hobbies. While these are all valuable components of our lives, I’ve found that many women, like me, have been told they can “do it all”—and they have—leading to overwhelm, burn out, scatteredness, not showing up as they’d want and beating themselves up for it. 

That’s where I found myself in 2021—my nervous system was completely shot, my body constantly inflamed and overactive to foods and sensations. I experienced stabbing-like cramps that immobilized me, and it was suspected that I had endometriosis. And I, like many others, was told that all of this was “normal”—just “part of being a woman”.

This begs the question, what is productivity? And how has its meaning been shaped by culture? 

While this is a complex, multifaceted topic filled with nuance and multiple perspectives, biology can give us a hint at one contributing factor.

Both women and men have a circadian rhythm (an internal 24 hour clock) that regulates our daily bodily processes. However, women have a second biological clock, starting at puberty and continuing until menopause. It’s a 28 day infradian rhythm that influences brain chemistry and physiology, providing unique strengths at different times of the month.

Since cis gender men have shaped most of the systems we live, work and play in, these systems are based on the circadian rhythm alone. This tends to result in a prioritization of constant and consistent production, where shifts in schedule can be viewed as a lack of discipline, and rest is seen as a last resort when all the work is done.

When only the circadian rhythm is acknowledged, those of us who also run on the infradian rhythm find ourselves trying to operate against our biology. Couple this with a lack of medical research on women’s bodies (women were rarely included in clinical trials prior to 1993) and we find a collective lack of knowledge contributing to barriers to the thriving of women and menstruating individuals—and a one-sided understanding of productivity.

How can we go about our lives and the things we care about differently, working with our bodies instead of against it? 

Cycle syncing is a great place to start.

What is cycle syncing?

According to Alisa Vitti, functional nutrition and women’s hormone expert, in her bestselling book In the FLO, “syncing with your cycle is all about knowing where you are in your menstrual cycle [or infradian rhythm] and using that knowledge to understand yourself better and support yourself as hormone levels change.”

If you’re a menstruating individual, aligning your food, exercise, social and romantic lives, work tasks, and personal projects with this 28 day cycle allows you to create a life that syncs with your body, instead of fighting it. In this way, we can redefine productivity to align with our shifting biological strengths—what was perceived as “inconsistency” can become an intuitive ebb and flow that we can adapt to and thrive.

How to sync with your hormonal cycle

Here’s a breakdown of the four distinct phases of the 28 day infradian rhythm that Alisa shares in her book, along with syncing tips for different aspects of your life. Come back to these tables as a reference anytime.

Phase 1: Follicular (7-10 days)

Hormonal levels cause the brain to be open to new things, creativity and beginnings.

Food: Fresh, light and fermented foods make you feel energized.
Exercise: As your energy increases, try dance, cardio, Zumba and HIIT.
Work: Brainstorming and creativity peak. Plan a new project, think big and set goals.
Life: You’re open to new experiences. Tap into your deepest desires: what do you want?

Phase 2: Ovulatory (3-4 days)

The verbal and social centers of the brain are stimulated.

Food: Raw fruit and veggies help your body eliminate excess estrogen.
Exercise: High energy group workouts: spin, Bikram Yoga, HIIT or CrossFit.
Work: Present ideas, pitch, sell and negotiate. Have meetings. Ask for a raise.
Life: Have important conversations and connect with your community.

Phase 3: Luteal (10-14 days)

Brain chemistry is optimized for detail orientation, and completing tasks and projects.

Food: Roasted or baked root veggies help flush out estrogen.
Exercise: First half of phase: slow strength training and intense yoga. Second half: walking, Pilates and yin yoga.
Work: Check items off of your to do list. Create large chunks of focus time to do project work.
Life: First half of phase: connect with others. Second half: take care of you. Set boundaries.

Phase 4: Menstrual (3-7 days)

Your two brain hemispheres communicate the greatest, allowing you to evaluate with clarity.

Food: Seafood, kelp and nori remineralize your body. Cook soups and stews.
Exercise: Your energy will be at its lowest—consider napping an activity! Tune into your body's needs and don’t push yourself.
Work: Spend time this week evaluating projects and results. Read reports and dig into data.
Life: Give yourself alone time to journal and reflect. Send your partner and/or kids out for a day so you can rest.

Syncing with my infradian rhythm revolutionized every facet of my life. My symptoms are gone, and when any PMS symptoms do flare up, I am equipped to give my body what it needs to get back in balance. My partner and I meal plan based on my cycle, and plan trips to best utilize my inherent hormonal strengths.

When I’m working on a project that doesn’t align with the phase I’m in, I plan extra self-care to support my body so I can do my best (both on and offline). I go on intense bike rides during my ovulatory phase, while I take the first three to four days of menstruation to rest. 

Here’s to a new definition of productivity

As we tune into our bodies, we can collectively create our own definition of productivity. What if it isn’t about constant production and pushing through, but about working alongside our natural strengths to bring what matters to life? What if “consistency” isn’t an indicator of true productivity for those who menstruate, while as adaptivity is? What if we actually don’t need to do it all? In rewriting the narrative of productivity, we can align with our inherent biological rhythms to manage our energy and do what we truly want and need, when it works for us.

Make cycle syncing your own

If you’re interested in diving deeper and equipping yourself to align with your infradian rhythm, you can take a listen to this podcast interview with Alisa Vitti, and read In the FLO. 

Want to know what phase you’re in? There are many period tracking apps out there, but Alisa Vitti created the MyFLO app to help you get aligned with your 28 day cycle.

Disclaimers: it’s a life-long journey to integrate with your unique physiological rhythms. While it’s natural to want to overhaul your entire life, take it slow. Try one aspect out at a time, whether it’s shifting the type of exercise you do, when, or it’s adding one beneficial food to each of your phases. Ultimately, this process is meant to help you become in tune with yourself. Follow your intuition, and trust what your body’s telling you over any kind of plan. 

The vast majority of content within In the FLO (and this article) is addressed to women who are of menstruating age and folks who menstruate. However, Alisa does include some insight specifically for women experiencing perimenopause, menopause and transgender women in her book.