What Every Woman Should Know About Her Cycle 🌙 (But No One Taught You)

Aug 20

Most of us grew up learning only the bare minimum about our cycles—just enough to avoid pregnancy or track a period. But there is so much more to know. Your hormones impact everything: your mood, your energy, your cravings, your creativity. When you start to understand and honor these natural rhythms, it changes how you show up in your body and in your work.

In this post, we’re talking about cycle syncing in a real, practical way—so you can stop fighting your biology and start working with it.

Here’s what we’re diving into:

✻ Why the world is built around a 24-hour male hormonal cycle—and why you’re not “inconsistent” for having a monthly rhythm
✻ The four phases of your cycle and what each means for your energy, motivation, and self-care
✻ How your cycle affects your business, creativity, and goals—and how to plan around it instead of fighting it
✻ Tangible ideas for what to eat, how to move, and what to focus on in each phase
✻ A fresh perspective on consistency and how to honor your ambitions and your well-being

Whether you’re brand new to cycle syncing or you’ve been tracking for years, this will help you feel empowered, educated, and ready to reclaim your rhythm.🖤

I don’t know about you, but the sex ed I grew up with basically boiled down to: “Here’s how not to get pregnant.” 😅🫠

No one ever told me:

That my hormones would shift week to week
That my mood and motivation would ebb and flow
That my energy, metabolism, and creativity would change predictably every month

And because no one explained this…
I spent years thinking something was wrong with me.

Like I was inconsistent bc there were times I was super tired. Or undisciplined bc I couldn’t force myself to do the thing. Or just too sensitive at certain times of the month.

If you’ve ever felt that way, today’s episode is for you.
As women, we are not broken.
We were just never taught that our bodies are cyclical and they function differently than most every thing else in society.

It’s time to start honoring that instead of fighting it. I want to share some things I’ve learned that have radically helped me in my journey. Let’s dive in.

THE MYTH OF CONSISTENCY

Let’s start here—because I think this is where so many of us get stuck:

We’re taught that consistency means showing up the exact same way every single day.

But here’s the thing most women were never told:

The world was built on a 24-hour cycle—the male hormonal rhythm. Which is— testosterone peaks in the morning, drops through the day, and resets overnight.

When you look around you’ll see that the corporate world, school schedules, productivity culture, and even most fitness programs are designed around this daily cycle.

Meanwhile, women have a roughly 28-day cycle that ebbs and flows. Your hormones literally rewire your brain chemistry week by week.

I like to think of it like this—
☀️ Men are like the sun. A daily rhythm.
🌙 Women are like the moon. We have phases.

And if you’re living by a system that expects you to be in “summer” every day of the month, it’s no wonder you feel exhausted.

In my own life, the moment this clicked was when I was deep in my fitness coaching days. I’d be following these 30-day calendars—programs that were typically written by men—lifting and doing HIIT workouts on repeat each week—no matter what. And almost every time I got to the end of my luteal phase, I swear to you…without fail, I’d pull a muscle in my back doing a deadlift. Over and over again.

It was like my body was screaming: "We don’t like this. We need something different right now." And I hate that for so long I didn’t listen. I just powered thru.

And the same has been true for me in business, maybe you too.

I have a week every month when everything feels hard.
When I want to burn it all down.
When my brain feels foggy and I question every idea I’ve ever had.

I used to think this was a character flaw I needed to work thru, but I realized that it’s just biology.

I don’t have to shame myself for it—I can plan for it bc like clockwork, it will return each and every month. I’m learning to work with my cycle instead of fighting against it and it has been such a game-changer.

Because here’s the truth: WOMEN ARE CYCLICAL.

And when you understand the four phases of your cycle—and how each one has its own energy, gifts, and needs—it becomes so much easier to honor your body, stay connected to your goals, and build a rhythm that actually supports you.

So let’s walk through them together—one by one—and I’ll show you exactly how they show up in your life, your work, and even your relationships.

THE FOUR PHASES + SEASONS OF YOUR CYCLE

I love to think of these phases like seasons—it makes it so much easier to remember and relate to.
Because just like nature, you were never meant to stay in the same energy all month long.

Here’s a look at each season—how it can impact your body, your creativity, and your daily life (even if you have a consistent job schedule):

❄️ Menstrual Phase — Winter
Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your bleed. Hormones are at their lowest.
This is your natural time to rest, reflect, and retreat inward.

Body: You might feel tired, heavier, or low-energy. Prioritize gentle movement—stretching, walks, restorative yoga. Eat warming, nutrient-dense foods like soups, stews, iron-rich meals.

Business + Work:
If you’re in a job where you can’t slow down externally, look for micro ways to honor this phase:
— Keep your schedule as simple as possible.
— Take shorter meetings when you can.
— Build in moments of quiet—closing your eyes for a few breaths or stepping outside for fresh air.
— Go easier on yourself mentally; this is not the week for intense self-criticism.

🌱 Follicular Phase — Spring
After your period ends, estrogen begins to rise. Your energy comes back online.
This is your season of renewal and growth.

Body: Try new workouts. Strength train. Move more vigorously if it feels good. Eat fresh, vibrant foods—lots of leafy greens, lean proteins, sprouted grains, and probiotic-rich options to help metabolize rising estrogen and keep your energy steady.

Business + Work:
Lean into fresh thinking and creative problem-solving. This is a great time to:
— Propose ideas.
— Start new projects.
— Plan future initiatives.

If you have limited control, use this energy to organize your workspace or make progress on tasks that felt overwhelming earlier in your cycle.

☀️ Ovulatory Phase — Summer
Estrogen peaks. You feel outgoing, confident, magnetic. This is your most energetic time.

Body: Go for it—higher-intensity workouts, group classes, social events—this is when you feel strongest. Focus on hydrating fruits, colorful veggies, healthy carbs, and zinc-rich foods (like seeds and chickpeas) to fuel your higher energy and support hormone balance.

Business + Work:
This is a great week to:
— Schedule important conversations.
— Lead meetings or presentations.
— Network or collaborate.
— Share your ideas publicly.

If you don’t control your schedule, use this window to connect with coworkers, check in with your manager, or tackle the tasks that require more social energy.

🍂 Luteal Phase — Fall
After ovulation, progesterone rises. Your energy starts to decline, and you turn inward again.

Body: Your body needs more rest and carbs to support this phase. Slow your workouts. Lean into stretching, walking, and gentler movement.

Business + Work:
This is your detail-oriented phase. Perfect for:
— Wrapping up projects you started earlier in the cycle.
— Editing, refining, reviewing.
— Checking off to-dos you’ve been postponing.
If you have a structured job:
— Use this phase to quietly get things done behind the scenes.
— Communicate early if you need extra time or space.
— Create margin before your next cycle begins.

And if you feel like you don’t have much choice at all?

Remember: Cycle syncing doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Even small shifts—like how you fuel your body, how you talk to yourself, or how you set boundaries around your energy—make a difference.

You don’t have to overhaul your entire life. You just have to get curious.

Most of us were taught that consistency means showing up the same every day. That if you can’t push at 100% all month long, you’re somehow failing.

But that’s simply not true.

Consistency doesn’t mean same. It means steady. It means honoring the season you’re in and taking the next right step—whatever that looks like today.

Some days, your next right step is pitching yourself and making big moves. Other days, it’s resting, reflecting, and letting your body recalibrate.

You can be ambitious and cyclical.
You can care deeply about your goals without abandoning your well-being.
And you can trust that showing up for yourself—on your terms—is still progress.

That’s what I hope you take away from this episode:
Being a woman comes with seasons. Phases that ebb and flow. When you learn to honor them, you discover a steadier, more sustainable way to live and lead.

I’ll be honest—learning to honor my own cycle has changed so much for me.

It’s changed the way I set goals. The way I show up in my business. The way I care for my body without feeling like I’m failing when I need rest.

And it didn’t happen overnight.

It took time. It took paying attention. It took tracking my patterns and being willing to experiment.

But the payoff has been incredible. Because now, instead of fighting my natural rhythms, I work with them. I plan launches, creativity, and rest around the way my body is designed.

And it feels…so much more sustainable.

So if you’re curious about this, start small. Maybe it’s journaling how you feel each week. Maybe it’s downloading an app like Natural Cycles to start tracking where you’re at day by day in your cycle. Maybe it’s adjusting your workouts or giving yourself a little extra grace when you’re feeling tired and depleted. Your body is talking to you. We just have to be willing to listen, right?

I promise—when you learn to honor your seasons, you’ll find a deeper steadiness and so much more consistency in your journey bc you’ll be making it work FOR YOU not against.

If today’s episode resonated, I’d love to hear what season you’re in and what you’re learning about yourself in the process. Come say hi over on Instagram or leave a review to let me know what you think And if you have a friend who could use some encouragement to honor her own rhythms, share this episode with her. We’re so much better together.

Alright friends. Thanks for being here and keep taking care of yourself. I can’t wait to see you right here, next week, on The Self Care Sisterhood Podcast. 🖤

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