Do you know your menstrual cycle can influence your career and relationships?
To tap into this amazing superpower, I did a Question and Answer guest article with Sunny Britton Sink- A fertility coach and co-owner of the Agenda Period.
Here you can find out everything you need to know about…
-The relationship between your cycle, career, and relationships
-What it means for TTC
-How to connect with your menstrual cycle and promote a healthier one
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you click on them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
How do the four phases of the menstrual cycle affect a woman’s relationships and business/work?
Hormonal fluctuations in our body means that women do not have the same energy levels, motivation levels, and skills week after week.
This means that something that feels easy at the first part of our cycle may not feel easy towards the end.
This leads us to feel frustrated and even wonder what’s wrong with us.
In relationships we can realize that we’ve had the same argument over and over every single month.
We may feel super connected to our partner and family one week and the next feel misunderstood and disconnected.
At The Agenda. Period we focus on the benefits of each of the 4 phases so that we can harness the superpowers of each.
For those who don’t know here are the 4 phases:
Menstrual: This is the first phase of your cycle. This is when you bleed. You may feel more internal, withdrawn, and crave cozy surroundings.
Your body is working hard, so you may feel less energy and motivation during this phase.
This is a great time for meditation, planning, and setting goals!
Follicular: This is the 2nd phase of your cycle. Your bleed is done and your body is preparing for ovulation. You may start to feel more external, craving connection with others.
Your energy and mood will likely be rising and it’s common to feel happy and confident.
This is a great time to check off your to-do list!
Ovulation: This is the 3rd phase of your cycle. Your body releases an egg in this phase. You are likely to feel on top of the world at this time.
You may feel extra sexy and more willing to take risks. We release pheromones and our faces are more symmetrical in this phase.
This is a great time to ask for a raise!
Luteal: This is the last and longest phase of your cycle. Your body is preparing for pregnancy. This is a phase that gets a bad rap! This is when you may have PMS and mood swings.
Women find that they are more sensitive and more likely to have self-doubt in this phase. What’s great about the luteal phase is you will likely be more organized and detail oriented.
You may be more connected to what is / is not working in your life and at work. This helps you to create new goals for your next cycle.
This is a great time for reflection and organization!
What advice would you give women who are trying to conceive in regards to their period?
I think it’s really important to get in tune with your body. I think this connection comes in two parts.
When I was trying to conceive my menstrual cycle became a dreaded occurrence. It meant to me that I’d “failed” that cycle.
I teach my fertility clients to honor and respect their cycles and their bodies.
We dive into their relationships with their cycle, their relationship with their body, their relationships with being a mother, and relationships with their own mothers.
This is an often overlooked part of the fertility journey.
Did you know that when a woman uses mind/body techniques while doing IUI / IVF they have an 80% higher chance of becoming pregnant?
I think that the mind/body connection and its impact on positive outcomes isn’t spoken about enough.
In addition to checking in with your beliefs it’s important to really understand when you are ovulating.
Unfortunately a lot of women rely on the date in the period tracking app they use and it’s not always correct.
I think it’s important to check other signs such as cervical fluids, position, ovulation predictor kits, and even temping (BBT).
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What are some ways to promote a healthy and regular cycle?
While there haven’t been enough scientific studies, a lot of our clients see great results with seed cycling. It can be a natural way to uplevel nutrients in your body. Some other suggestions are to eat healthy food, get enough water, and get enough sleep.
Syncing with your Cycle (Adjusting your lifestyle for your cycle) can help women tune into specific adjustments that are unique to their bodies. We’ve found that tracking and understanding our unique patterns reduces stress and overwhelm and helps women to advocate for themselves in every area of their lives.
What can natural remedies like crystals do for the menstrual cycle?
While I’m not an expert in this subject it’s said that crystals emit positive, uplifting, energizing, and calming vibrations into the body. Since stress is the leading cause of period irregularities, calming techniques can be quite helpful.
Stress is the leading cause of period irregularities. This can come in the form of physical stress (such as toxins, malnourishment, or illness in the body) or emotional stress. The focus when working with an irregular cycle needs to be on reducing stress in all forms.
A great whole foods detox partnered with nutritious eating and stress coping can be a great way to balance the cycle.
Do you believe the moon cycle is connected to our menstrual cycles?
I believe that the moon cycles emit very similar energies and feelings as our menstrual cycles. At the Agenda.
Period we teach women about the 4 phases of their menstrual cycle. For women who are not menstruating, they can follow the moon phases instead!
This is how they line up:
Menstrual Phase = New Moon
Follicular Phase = Waxing Moon
Ovulation Phase = Full Moon
Luteal Phase = Waning Moon
We find that women who plan their lives based on the 4 phases are able to reduce stress and overwhelm and feel more connected.
Can you tell me more about The Agenda Period? When will the App be available?
The idea for The Agenda. Period started when Co-Founder Alyx Coble-Frakes was starting her coaching business.
Alyx found it difficult to wear all the hats required to own your own business. A coach she was working with suggested that she track her sales conversions.
She quickly learned that she had more sales in her ovulation phase. When she realized this she wondered what else was possible.
At first, she just went searching for a planner to help her schedule her business tasks based on her cycle phase. When she couldn’t find it, she decided to make it herself.
After working with hundreds of women we have learned that cycle education changes everything for women.
From their relationships with their families, to their stress levels at work. Women begin to understand that each of their phases carries with it wisdom and gifts. (Think SUPERPOWERS!)
When women understand the gifts of each phase they can use those phases to their advantage.
And we also know that we can’t always decide what we do each and every day, so we also help women understand what self-care works best for each phase so that they can increase self-care when they are not feeling as energetic or motivated.
We currently offer a planner to help women plan their business around their cycle, and we will be releasing an app in the next couple of months.
We are so excited to help even more women connect with their cycles!
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Where can women find support, encouragement, and education for their self-care related to their menstrual cycle?
To get started we recommend beginning to track your cycle every day! We have a free cycle tracker that teaches you how! Free cycle wheels
We also offer free education in our Cycle (re) Introduction Facebook Group. In the group we offer a units section with topics like Understanding the 4 phases, What to eat in each phase, and How to balance your hormones.
You can find us on all platforms @theagendaperiod
Sunny Britton Sink is the co-founder and COO at The Agenda. Period and a Certified Transformational, Life and Health Coach. She helps women every day with menstrual cycle empowerment and knowledge, fertility, and miscarriage support coaching. Her Facebook Group Cycle (Re) Introduction offers units section with topics like Understanding the 4 phases, What to eat in each phase, and How to balance your hormones.