At The Agenda, when we first put together the planner, we realized the power syncing your cycle with your business could have. People don’t often realize that you can also sync your life to your cycle. Think of your work and your life as a Venn Diagram; both impact your mood, time, energy, and your activities. Let’s dive into how your life can sync with your follicular stage!

Do you ever pack your schedule full and then get to the end of the day realizing you’ve only crossed a few things off your list but are thoroughly exhausted (plus a little resentful at the world)? Then a few days later, you get your period; you see the still mounting pile of work ahead of you and just want to cry? 

We so hear you. 

The Agenda app is made to understand what your body needs, what’s going on, and how you can utilize your flow, not in a boss-babe-your-life-and-squeeze-out-every-inch-of-productivity kind of way but a follow-the-breadcrumbs-and-progress-not-perfection type of way. 

Studies show we get more work done when we are in a state of joy and contentment:

• Life is more manageable.
• Choices are more straightforward.
• We show up in more alignment and integrity.

It’s an easy link to see that when we go with our natural rhythm, it can influence our choices and life.  

So, this is kicking off a new blog series of, “Living in the flow of your cycle.” We’ll go through each of the four stages and touch on working with that stage through an everyday life lens. We will also have a different blog post through a work lens for that stage. Remember the Venn Diagram? We’re here to give you tools you’ll use to help you show up in the ways you want.

What this Follicular Stage is

For this explanation, I’m sharing a snippet from Red Thread: Weaving an Embodied Life of Joy by Aj Smit. She calls the Follicular stage the Waxing Moon phase; as the moon cycle also has four phases at 28 days, it’s a good reflection of the average person’s cycle.

“In this phase, all the fresh, bright energy you have is ready to explode! Estrogen is starting to rise, and it is the perfect time to make plans. For some women, your new womb lining is growing. Your pituitary gland releases follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH) to help an egg prepare to release. It’s go time! The archetypes here are Maiden and Virgin. One definition of Virgin is “a woman who belongs to herself,” think of this as a beautiful time to start fresh on goals and projects. Be careful not to overpack the end of your cycle, thinking you’ll have the same energy then as you have now; you’ll regret it. 

In her book Woman Code, Alisa Vitti writes, “Fresh, vibrant, light foods make you feel more energized during this phase when all hormone levels are at their lowest…think: pressed salads, (kimchi and sauerkraut), plenty of veggies, lean proteins, sprouted beans and seeds, and dense energy-sustaining grains.”  

This first stage is a great time to reach out, love on people, and be spontaneous. Others may lack the energy you have, so be gracious and generous. If people ask you for a big decision, tell them you need a month to think about it. Although you may feel you can take it on now, you’ll want to think about it when you have quiet time, and your intuition is higher. 

You’ll be able to commit or turn down an opportunity during your next Waxing Moon stage, knowing you didn’t hop on it just because you could, but because it’s something you want to do. Often as women, if we feel we have enough energy, we will say yes. We may then feel guilty or coerced into said activity, which can cultivate resentment. Not that any of us have ever said yes in those circumstances. 

I see you smiling recovering-people pleaser. I see you.”

Tips for tending yourself during your follicular stage

Front-load your cycle here with activities that will help future you. You have more energy, so use it well. Don’t burn through all of it, or overextend yourself because your energy will shift in a week. Don’t over-commit. Take some of this extra energy and turn it on yourself in the form of self-care or kindness. It’s an excellent time to pick up a new good habit!

Things to do pre-ovulation

*Clean

*Organize

*Fun workouts

*Meet up with friends

*Purge any items you don’t need.

*Run those errands you keep putting off.

*Do the task around the house you don’t want to do.

Questions to ask yourself during your first period phase.

*What actions can I take in these next five days that future me will appreciate?

*What have I been putting off that needs to be done?

*Is there anything I deeply know or have intuition on where I need to take action?

*What in my house needs organizing, rearranging, or putting together?

*What high-energy activities do I need to do this month that I can do this week?