How Learning About Your Menstrual Cycle Could Be the Catalyst for Your Corporate Career

I was recently asked to deliver a masterclass for one of my corporate clients, and it brought back memories of my own time in the corporate world. I remembered how often I wished I could operate like my male counterparts, working and feeling the same, day in and day out. For years, I pushed myself to the limit, working overtime, giving my all, and trying to maintain a level of productivity that felt impossible to sustain.

It wasn’t until I experienced what I now know as a devastating PMDD cycle that I realised something had to change. That was the moment I discovered cyclical living. For the first time, I began to understand the stark contrast between men’s and women’s hormonal cycles. Men operate on a 24-hour cycle, which resets daily, while women’s cycles span an average of 28 days, bringing natural ebbs and flows to our energy, focus, and emotions. This revelation completely shifted my perspective, not just on my own well-being, but on how the corporate world is fundamentally designed.

The truth is, the corporate world wasn’t built for women and their cycles. Yet, women make up nearly half the workforce, and their contributions are essential. So, how do we bridge the gap between an outdated, linear system and the cyclical nature of women’s hormones? By understanding, embracing, and leveraging the menstrual cycle, not just as individuals but within our workplaces.

The Power of Menstrual Cycle Awareness

Your menstrual cycle isn’t just a biological process, it’s a roadmap for productivity, creativity, and balance. Each phase of your cycle brings unique strengths that can be harnessed to excel in your career while avoiding burnout.

Here’s a quick overview of the four phases and their strategic benefits:

1. Menstruation (Inner Winter): A time for rest and reflection. While energy levels may be lower, your brain is primed for high-level thinking, making it the perfect phase for strategy, planning, and evaluating projects.
2. Follicular Phase (Inner Spring): As oestrogen rises, so does your energy, motivation, and creativity. This is your go-to phase for brainstorming, initiating new projects, and tackling challenges.
3. Ovulation (Inner Summer): At the peak of your cycle, you’re magnetic, confident, and collaborative. It’s the ideal time for presentations, networking, and leading key discussions.
4. Luteal Phase (Inner Autumn): With rising progesterone, your focus sharpens, making it a great time for detail-oriented work, completing tasks, and tying up loose ends.

When you understand these phases and align your work tasks with them, you stop fighting against your body’s natural rhythms and start working in harmony with them.

Why This Matters in the Corporate World

Corporate culture has long been shaped around the 24-hour hormonal cycle that aligns with men’s biology. The expectation is for employees to deliver the same level of energy and focus every day. But this one-size-fits-all approach overlooks the fact that women’s hormonal cycles operate on an entirely different timeline.

This oversight doesn’t just affect women, it impacts organisations, too. Here’s why adopting a more hormone-friendly workplace is a strategic move:

• Improved Productivity: When women align their workloads with their menstrual cycles, they’re able to work more efficiently and effectively, delivering higher-quality results.
• Reduced Burnout: Supporting cyclical living reduces stress and fatigue, helping employees maintain energy and resilience over the long term.
• Enhanced Creativity and Innovation: Each phase of the menstrual cycle brings unique strengths, from brainstorming in the follicular phase to refining ideas during the luteal phase. Leveraging these strengths boosts team creativity and problem-solving.
• Inclusive Leadership: Creating a culture that supports menstrual health fosters trust, empathy, and inclusivity, key drivers of a successful and engaged workforce.

How Women Can Lead the Change

For women navigating the corporate world, understanding your menstrual cycle isn’t just about personal well-being, it’s a game-changer for your career. Here’s how to get started:

1. Learn Your Cycle: Start by tracking your menstrual cycle and observing how your energy, mood, and focus change throughout the month.
2. Strategise Your Workload: Align your most critical tasks with the phases of your cycle. Plan brainstorming sessions during your follicular phase, schedule presentations for your ovulatory phase, and save administrative or reflective tasks for your luteal and menstrual phases.
3. Advocate for Change: Share what you’ve learned with colleagues and leaders. Suggest policies like flexible work schedules, work-from-home, or workshops on menstrual cycle awareness.
4. Lead by Example: By embracing your cycle and working in alignment with it, you’ll not only thrive but also inspire others to do the same.

A Hormone-Friendly Future

The corporate world is due for an upgrade, one that recognises and celebrates the cyclical nature of women’s hormones. By fostering workplaces where women feel safe, supported, and understood, organisations unlock untapped potential, leading to greater innovation, productivity, and employee well-being.

Imagine a workplace where women no longer feel pressured to suppress their menstrual cycle to fit into a system that wasn’t designed for them. Instead, they feel empowered to leverage their cycles as a strategic tool, not just for their own success, but for the success of their teams and organisations.

Your Next Step

If you’re ready to make your workplace more hormone-friendly or curious about how understanding your cycle could transform your career, let’s connect. Together, we can build a future where women thrive, not in spite of their cycles, but because of them.

Ready to align your career with your cycle?

Book a Success in Sync Strategy Session and discover how to harness the power of your menstrual cycle to work smarter, not harder. Together, we’ll create a tailored strategy to align your goals, routines, and energy for greater productivity, balance, and success—both in and out of the workplace.

👉 Click here to schedule your session and take the first step toward thriving in harmony with your cycle!