How Your Menstrual Cycle Affects You at Work (and Why We Should Talk About It)

As women in business, especially those of us running our own brands, building client relationships, leading teams, and holding space for others, our energy is one of our biggest assets. But our energy isn’t linear. It moves in cycles, just like we do.

Instead of forcing ourselves to “push through,” we can actually start working with our cycles — planning content, launches, creative work, and even meetings around where we are hormonally. That’s not being dramatic. That’s being self-aware.

Let’s look at the four main phases and how they tend to show up at work.

1. Menstrual Phase (Day 1–5): Rest, Review, Real Talk

This is when you’re bleeding. Hormones are low. Energy is low. Emotions can be closer to the surface. Your body is literally doing a full reset. This is not the time to expect “peak performance.”

How it can show up at work:

• Lower energy + more brain fog

• Less social / don’t want to be “on”

• More intuitive and clear about what’s not working

• Craving quiet tasks

Good tasks for this phase:

• Admin, invoices, scheduling

• Reviewing metrics or what’s working

• Planning what to let go of

• Saying no to things that don’t align

What to give yourself:Grace. You can be a badass and still take a slower day. Build your business to hold rest — not just hustle.

2. Follicular Phase (After your period): Ideas + Fresh Starts

This is your “spring.” Estrogen is rising, energy is coming back, and your brain is ready for new things. You naturally feel more hopeful and future-focused.

How it can show up at work:

• Motivation comes back

• You want to start new projects

• You feel more creative

• Problem-solving feels easy again

Good tasks for this phase:

• Brainstorming offers, content, or launches

• Creative direction, mood boards, strategy sessions

• Planning your month / quarter

• Trying new systems or workflows

What to give yourself:Space to dream. This is where your best ideas come in — write them down and batch plan while the energy is high.

3. Ovulation Phase: Show Up & Be Seen

This is your “summer.” Energy is high, confidence is high, communication is on point. This is the time to be visible.

How it can show up at work:

• You’re more social and magnetic

• You communicate clearly

• You feel more confident on camera / meetings

• You can hold more client energy

Good tasks for this phase:

• Client calls + sales calls

• Filming reels / video content

• Networking / events / interviews

• Pitching / collaborations

• Launching something

What to give yourself:Visibility. Batch your “on-camera” work here so you don’t have to force it later.

4. Luteal Phase (before your period): Detail Work + Boundaries

This is your “autumn.” Progesterone rises, and near the end, energy starts to dip. You may feel more sensitive, more aware of what’s out of alignment, and more easily irritated (hi, PMS).

This doesn’t mean you’re “emotional.” It means your body is telling you where things need tightening.

How it can show up at work:

• You notice mistakes or messy processes

• You’re less tolerant of BS (which can be a superpower)

• You want to work alone

• Energy slowly declines

Good tasks for this phase:

• Editing, refining, proofreading

• Finishing client deliverables

• Updating website/pages/systems

• Boundary-setting and decluttering

What to give yourself:Compassion. Don’t start everything here. Finish things. And don’t make big life decisions 2 days before your period 🙃

Why This Matters for Women in Business

Because we’ve been told to run our businesses in a masculine, linear way — go hard every day, constant output, no dips, no rest. But if you’re a woman leading a brand (and especially serving other women), running your work in cycles can make your business more sustainable, more creative, and more authentic.

Cycle-aware work helps you:

• Prevent burnout

• Plan content around your high-energy window

• Be kinder to yourself on low days

• Communicate better with clients (“I do recordings on these weeks,” etc.)

• Normalize being a human, not a machine

How to Work With Your Cycle (Not Against It)

1. Track it. Even just in your calendar or Notes app.

2. Batch visibility (video, meetings, launches) during ovulation/summer.

3. Batch strategy + creative direction right after your period.

4. Do admin + cleanup in late luteal and menstrual.

5. Tell your team (or at least organize tasks) around this flow.

If you’re a solo entrepreneur, this is your secret weapon. If you run a team of women, this is culture.

Final Thought

You’re not lazy. You’re not inconsistent. You’re cyclical.Your creativity, your capacity, and your confidence all move in seasons — just like your business. When you honor that, you don’t lose momentum… you become more powerful.