239| How Your Menstrual Cycle Affects Your Productivity with Elizabeth Tidwell

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1. The Power of Cycle-Aware Scheduling:Dashboard

• Nichole talks about her approach to scheduling tasks based on her menstrual cycle, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and proactive planning.
• The conversation touches on the shift from a reactive to a proactive mindset, giving control back to women.

2. Understanding Your Menstrual Seasons:

• Elizabeth introduces the concept of the Inner Seasons framework, a recent development that correlates menstrual phases with the four natural seasons.
• The Winter Phase: Menstruation - A time of hibernation and low energy, perfect for rest and introspection.
• The Spring Phase: Rising Estrogen - A period of optimism and new beginnings, ideal for initiating projects.
• The Summer Phase: Ovulation - High energy, increased sociality, and peak attractiveness, often referred to as the "Beyonce hormone."
• The Autumn Phase: Luteal Phase - A time for coziness, introspection, and preparation, offering a keen eye for detail.

3. Embracing Cycle-Aware Empowerment:

• Nichole reflects on the empowering nature of cycle awareness, highlighting her personal experiences at events.
• She discusses communicating her energy levels to others, including male colleagues, without explicitly mentioning her menstrual cycle.
• The duo explores how this awareness can influence decision-making, particularly avoiding significant life choices during the fall phase.

4. Breaking the Consistency Myth:

• The conversation revolves around how societal expectations, especially in the workplace, have led women to believe they should perform consistently like the sun or a male hormonal pattern, despite natural cyclical changes.
• Elizabeth highlights the importance of awareness in building self-compassion and understanding that it's not an individual problem but a shared experience.

5. Navigating Your Inner Autumn:

• Elizabeth sheds light on the often overlooked and misunderstood inner autumn phase of the menstrual cycle, characterized by heightened critical thinking.
• She explains that while the inner autumn is excellent at identifying problems, it struggles to find solutions. This phase often leads to extreme and impractical solutions.
• The discussion encourages embracing the inner autumn's role as a superpower for evaluation, providing valuable insights even if the delivery might be less polished.

6. Utilizing Cycle-Aware Productivity:

• Nichole and Elizabeth discuss practical ways to work with your menstrual cycle, such as shifting tasks to align with your energy levels.
• Elizabeth highlights the efficiency gained when tasks match your cycle phases, even if full scheduling around the cycle isn't always possible.
• They emphasize the importance of recognizing the bare minimum expectations at work and having open conversations with leaders about energy fluctuations.

7. Overcoming Challenges:

• Both share personal experiences of navigating the challenges of work expectations during different cycle phases, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and communication.
• The conversation stresses the value of understanding your unique cycle patterns and learning to adapt to them effectively.

In conclusion, this episode advocates for menstrual cycle awareness as a tool for self-compassion, improved productivity, and effective communication in personal and professional settings. By embracing the natural ebb and flow of their cycles, women can achieve a healthier work-life balance and contribute to more inclusive and empathetic workplaces.