Do you feel your timing is off? That the 24-hour day somehow doesn’t have enough time in it to complete the ever-mounting to-do list? All day, every day, we are to push ourselves to the limit to produce and create, causing us to overstretch, overexert, and overwhelm. For those with vulvas, this might feel especially true. Why? Chances are you’re living on the wrong clock.
Women’s hormone expert, Alisa Vitti, wants you to jump onto the right clock, the “right-timing” as she says. She is speaking about your infradian rhythm, the lengthier sister to the 24-hour day cycle The infradian rhythm, also known as your menstruation cycle, consists of around 28-days and takes place over four phases, each with its own change in brain chemistry and optimization for different things from nutrition and exercise to communicating, rest, and productivity.
In her book In the Flo: Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life, Vitti presents her decades of research. Vitti is, understandably so, furious with how the world has failed her and every other vulva-owner by not prioritizing this incredibly important aspect of their bodies and lives.
During one’s menstruation cycle, many changes occur in the body. In a small breakdown of the infradian rhythm, Vitti demonstrates how our metabolism speeds up and slows down predictably across the month and that you need to change what you eat and the intensity of your workouts each week in order to optimize your metabolism. Indeed, your cortisol levels are higher in one part of your infradian rhythm, so pushing yourself through intense workouts (which already creates cortisol) only increases the stress and inflammation in the body, adding to the anxiety and lack of focus.
So how do we jump onto this “right timing”? Start by tracking your cycle and following Vitti’s anagram POWR—Prepare, Open Up, Work, Rest—to know what to do in each cycle.
The first phase is to Prepare. This is the Follicular phase and it begins right after your menstruation ends—not at the start. This stage takes 7-10 days, in which your hormones are quiet, just beginning again. This is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts, and the opportune time to set intentions and goals for your upcoming cycle. Ask yourself “What do you want more in life?” and brainstorm how to get there.
The second stage is the Ovulatory phase, a 3-4 day window where there is a dramatic increase in estrogen and luteinizing hormone which stimulates one of the follicles to mature and drop to be fertilized. It is at this time that you’re may feel communicative and social as these hormones also stimulate the verbal and social centers. This is the time to take meetings, phone old friends, and gather the community you may need to complete the goal you set previously.
From there is the long Luteal phase or the time to work. Generally 10-14 days long, the Luteal phase is when the body begins the necessary steps in anticipation of a fertilized embryo. At this time, your brain is optimized for task and project completion. It’s also a time to focus on caring for yourself and setting boundaries.
The fourth and final stage is the Menstrual phase and a time of rest. This phase can be 3-7 days long and is marked by the corpus luteum being reabsorbed and the progesterone production drop causes the uterus to shed the endometrial lining. It is at this time that you reflect and dream of your “big picture.” Vitti suggests you schedule time to analyze your previous month and assess where you are with your goal so you can begin the process again with the follicular phase.
It is hard to break away from the entrenched societal codes of time management and physical health. It will take time and it will take listening. Focusing on your infradian rhythm, stepping into your space of POWR, is not some big thing, according to Vitti. No, it’s “a million little moments when you include your female reality in the choices you make, reclaim your sovereignty, and increase your enjoyment and well-being.” If you have a vulva, you have an advantage.
By Shelby Lueders