Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle For Better Productivity when Working From Home

Being a Work-At-Home Mum is a huge commitment and can often be quite a juggle with life’s other commitments. Between parenting, working (often running a business), and trying to have a personal life too, you don’t need the struggles of menstruation getting in the way. So, what if you could understand your body’s natural rhythms and use that to your advantage?

Understanding your menstrual cycle isn’t just about managing periods — it’s a powerful tool for productivity, planning, and self-care.

Whether you are a freelancer, work remotely, or run your own business from home, learning what to expect during each phase of your cycle, what self-care things you can do to guide you through them, and what products are out there for comfort during this time can help you get more done, with less stress. Here’s how…

 

First, Let’s Break Down the Menstrual Cycle

Your cycle isn’t just about the days of bleeding – it is a monthly rollercoaster of changing hormones that go through 4 distinct phases. Let’s break them down for better understanding.

Menstrual Phase (Days 1–5):

Your period. This is where the uterine lining sheds and hormone levels drop. Often women have low energy, feel cramps, and need more rest.

‘Your period is when the uterus lining sheds and flows out of your vagina. Periods contain blood, mucus and cells from the lining of the uterus.’ Jean Hailes.

Follicular Phase (Days 6–14):

This is when the blood stops. Your estrogen begins to rise again, which boosts energy, mood, creativity, and focus.

Ovulation (Around Day 14):

 A Mature egg is released. This phase is when you are most fertile and have the best chances of falling pregnant. You feel confident, vibrant, your libido increases and your social energy peaks.

Luteal Phase (Days 15–28):

In this phase, a woman’s progesterone levels rise in preparation for pregnancy. This often brings on the PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms, and energy levels start to decline. This is a time for gentle self-care and slowing down. The time to stock up and get the appropriate sanitary products ready.

Here’s where you can learn more about the menstrual cycle phases.

How Your Menstrual Cycle Impacts Your Work-at-Home Productivity

With that knowledge and understanding your menstrual cycle of what happens to our bodies and hormones throughout our cycle, we can help break down and plan our work month by month around it. This will help create realistic goals with less stress and more productivity.

I have given examples below of activities to focus on during each phase.

Menstrual Phase = Rest & Reflection

Ideal work focus:

• Light admin (emails, invoices, data entry)
• Small creative tasks like content outlines and journaling
• Wrapping up and reviewing last month’s projects

Self-care strategies:

• Don’t push yourself too much — try shorter work hours, which will be more productive than burnout
• For pain and comfort: Use heat packs, nourishing food, and herbal teas to soothe your body
• Schedule in some rest time — this phase is about rest and recharging guilt-free
• Plan out 10 minute wellness breaks to recharge

Follicular Phase = Planning & Brainstorming

Ideal work focus:

• Planning Time: new offerings, blog calendars, business ideas
• Content creation: articles, scripting videos/podcasts
• Starting new client work or strategy development

Self-care strategies:

• Take on bigger goals while you feel optimistic and energised
• Try new workouts, healthy meal plans, or activities that inspire you
• Use your momentum to batch high-energy work while it flows naturally

Ovulation = Connection & Confidence

Ideal work focus:

• Sales calls, networking, discovery calls
• Social media lives or video recordings
• Outreach emails, PR, collaborations

Self-care strategies:

• Schedule your most visible tasks here — you’ll feel on fire
• Flirt with ideas, clients, creativity — this is your moment to shine
• Use nutrient-rich foods like leafy greens, fish, and flax to support hormone balance

Luteal Phase = Completion & Focus

Ideal work focus:

• Finishing tasks and tying up loose ends
• Reviewing finances, editing, or detailed admin
• Prepping content or schedules for next month

Self-care strategies:

• Avoid overloading your calendar — block out solo work time
• Prioritise magnesium-rich foods (like dark chocolate, nuts, leafy greens)
• Minimise caffeine/alcohol if you’re prone to PMS symptoms

Instead of week after week of burnout and overwhelm, you can plan your workload around your cycle.

Self-Care for Mums Isn’t Selfish — It’s Strategy

Sometimes when we work from home, the lines between work and life can blur. Women are lucky in the sense that our cycle permits us to slow down, reset, honour our needs and plan ahead.

Self-Care can sometimes be labelled as Selfish. Don’t listen to that nonsense. You need to take care of yourself, otherwise you will not show up for others, including your children to full capacity.

Here are some tips to help care for yourself:

• Jot down notes about how you’re feeling throughout the month, patterns in energy and mood. Experiences your body has: pain, aches, etc.
• Try using different essential oils; they have a wide range of health benefits
• Relaxing herbal teas or warm baths can also help to relax
• Block out days of “low energy” on your calendar each month to rest and recharge

Real Talk: Why Your Menstrual Cycle Matters for Work-at-Home Mums

Unlike male hormonal cycles, which are stable and run on a 24-hour rhythm, which is traditionally what most work systems are built on, women’s cycles are run on a roughly 28-day pattern.

So, as a work-at-home mum, you can use this flexibility to work around your life schedule. Use that power for maximum productivity.

• Plan tasks around your energy levels
• On low energy days, avoid launching or big meetings
• Have rest days without the guilt – listen to what your body needs

It’s not about doing less work. It’s about utilising our biology to work smarter and align with our needs. 

Be Kind to Yourself when Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle and Productivity

Work-at-home mums already do so much! Once you have a better understanding your menstrual cycle, you can plan your working month and your family life around it for maximum productivity and balance. It isn’t something to be ruled by, but being aware of your body and emotions can drastically help, creating a stress-free environment.