Living in the world as it is right now can feel like it’s moving at high speed. There are choices around every corner and people who need us to say what we want multiple times a day. According to researchers at Cornell University, it’s estimated that the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day, roughly 227 of them about food alone. So how do you make a choice? By your mood? By the needs of those around you? If you have a menstrual cycle, you know that what you say yes to during your Follicular stage can have you cringing with regret when you bleed. So here’s how to make big choices when you use your menstrual cycle as a guide.

Ask for time before sharing your decision.

If it’s something small like where you want to eat tonight, you will need to give an answer or be okay with going with the flow rather quickly. If, on the other hand, it’s a more meaningful choice, like moving, where you want to go on vacation in a few months, or even if to take a new job, ask for about 28 days. Not because you expect a zombie apocalypse in 28 days. But because that gives you time to process the choice throughout your four phases. 

Use your menstrual cycle by taking time to sit with the choice in each phase. 

It’s one thing to ask for time but not truly pause to see how you feel. Hormones impact more than when your body releases an egg or decides to start bleeding. They affect your energy levels, mood, stress processing, and more. Acknowledging how you shift between phases allows you to harness them to get a new perspective on the choice. 

Here’s an example using a job offer as the choice:

Follicular You is thrilled about the possibility of a new job, new work friends, and a new role. You see how this could be a crucial step in your career for what you want to do. You also know a change of pace could allow you to stretch your talents in new ways. 

Ovulation You is aware that you take care of a lot in your current role, and leaving in a month can put a few things in the lurch. Knowing this fact, you may want to offer to train your replacement or start a file with how you do your tasks. This way, the next person can easily find what they need to get things done. Guilt may play a role here, or perhaps you are in the middle of a big launch you helped create. It may not be the best time to leave and get a new job…but three months from now could be.

What about the second half of your menstrual cycle?

Luteal You remembers how sticky the interview felt. Some of the questions about how you handle high-pressure environments and can get things done at the last minute have you side-eyeing the company culture. You talk to a friend who recently left that company and hear the current project manager micro-manages. Although you can handle stressful environments, you realize this job might not be the right fit for you.

Menstrual You recognizes that you feel finished in your job. You feel ready to move onto a new role and take on more responsibilities. You also have a deep knowing that the job offer isn’t for you, even if it looks shiny and the pay is decent. Knowing that you want to do those roles, you adjust your resume, send it out to other businesses, and search for a new position you can move to in a few months after your launch.

Do you see how each phase has a different facet of knowing to tap into?

From the take-no-prisoners-Luteal phase gut nudge to the I-don’t-have-the-energy-for-stress-Menstrual knowing, to the caring-about-those-involved-Ovulation, and even the I’m-so-excited-this-is-exactly-what-I-want-to-do-Follicular stage, each allows you to tune in and get more information. This way you have a better grasp on the choice than if you made a choice three days after it was presented to you.

You won’t always have 28 days to decide on significant life changes. When you do, though, tune into your cycle and use it to make decisions that feel true to you.

Want in on Period Tracking in a way that supports your life and goals? We’ve still got you covered with The Agenda. App. Don’t have the app yet?

You can grab it on Google Play, or from the Apple Store!