I Started Planning My Month Around My Cycle – Here’s What I’ve Learnt

My hormones like to periodically dictate my whole life. I will find myself sobbing while watching wholesome Instagram reels, cancelling plans with my friends and feeling tempted to delete my whole online existence just to get my period the next day and for it to all “make sense.”

After a bit of research I decided I was going to map out the 4 different phases of my cycle (according to my trusty Flo app) and plan my meals, exercise and social plans according to what my body needed more during these phases. This small change wasn’t an attempt to make myself productive 24/7, that’s hard enough during the best of times (best of times – AKA ovulation week).

I did this to avoid huge dips in my moods throughout the phases of my cycle, something I struggled with and unfortunately my loved ones had to cope with. Planning my month around my cycle left me feeling more energised, with better moods, workouts and social appetite.

Although this has helped me, everyone has different cycle experience and different factors can cause these cycle patterns to be severe or disruptive. If this is something you experience, it is worth going to your GP. Below is the gentle framework I used to help get the best out of my cycle. Before I can tell you how to plan your cycle, it helps to understand what suits your body best socially, mentally and physically during the four different phases, and of course, it’s all backed by science.

Period (Days 1–5) Rest and Refresh

Your Social Life: A lot of people assume that during your period, it’s prime “bed-rot” time, (tempting), however, I find that socialising during this period is one of the best things you can do for your mood at this point. One of the keys is making sure this socialisation is not something so overstimulating that will have you wishing you just stayed in bed after all, especially when you have cramps, a heavy flow or just suddenly decided to remember all those who have wronged you, (it happens).

Personally, during my period I love a chill coffee meet up with my favourite order (even if it is a €5 coffee) or a cosy movie night at home. I avoid anything that feels trapping like a night out when you know it’s going to be an issue getting a lift home. Being social on your period can be a great distraction, but be aware of your symptoms when making plans in order to save yourself from those last minute cancellations.

Your Mental Health: During your period, your mental capacity may be less compared to other parts of your cycle. This is usually due to the symptoms that occur during your period, such as pain, broken sleep and fatigue, which can certainly make the easiest tasks feel a lot heavier.

If you have a lot of symptoms and it is weighing down on you and yet you still want to get some things done, choose tasks with clear endpoints, such as replying to an email or text, or lightly editing any work that has to be done. But if you feel like your symptoms are mild, there is no evidence based research that suggests that just because you are on your period, you can’t do difficult things. Work at a pace that makes sense to you.

Your Body: During your period, any movement is a win. Exercise in any form has been proven to reduce period pain. If your regular workout just isn’t physically possible on your period, some gentle walking or yoga can definitely suffice. Make sure to keep hydrating yourself and focus on your iron intake when preparing meals, especially if you bleed a lot.

Foods like beans, lentils, leafy greens, fortified cereals and red meat are a great source of iron. Sleep is such an important lifestyle factor, especially during our cycle. Prioritise an earlier night where possible, especially as period pain loves to creep in while you’re trying to get some beauty sleep.

Some suggestions to add to your planner:

• Go on a ten minute walk if you really feel like the gym is a no-go.
• Add one source of iron to your dinner.
• Make social plans that include a good exit plan, (don’t stray too far from home and drive yourself if possible).

Follicular (Days 6–13): A Fresh Start

Your Social Life: During the follicular phase of your cycle, you can tend to feel revitalised after dealing with the shedding of your uterus lining the week before. This can be a great time to plan some slightly more demanding socialisation, like organising a catch up with that friend you only see every six months, booking a weekend away or going on a hot date.

Your Mental Health: After coming out of your menstrual week, trickier tasks may seem more accomplishable after overcoming cramps or fatigue. Start writing that paper you’ve been avoiding, plan the project you’ve been thinking of, test out that new skill you’ve always wanted to learn and respond to those pesky texts that you avoided last week.

Your Body: During your mid-to-late follicular stage can be a nice place to slot your tougher workouts in as your energy bounces back, if that is something you’re into. Focus on hydration (as always), and eat consistent meals filled with protein and fibre. If you find you sleep better during your follicular stage, take advantage of this by working on your more demanding tasks in the morning.

Some suggestions to add to your planner:

• Put one “high-demand” task in your planner during this time.
• If you are up for it, focus on some strength training sessions.
• Leave one night with no plans in your calendar.

Ovulation (Days 14–17): Social and Sexy

Your Social Life: Ovulation can be a good time to plan those demanding, high energy social events, as it can typically be a time in your cycle where your energy and confidence peaks. This can be the perfect time to plan that networking event, big night out or or host a dinner with your friends.

Your Mental Health: How you feel mentally during ovulation is down to the individual and lifestyle habits in regards to sleep and dealing with stress. If you recognise that within yourself that you “peak” during ovulation, make the most out of it through completing any work that could benefit from a boosted social battery, like interviews, presentations and group projects.

Your Body: Again, if ovulation is the part of your cycle where you feel your strongest and most energised, it could be wise to plan your higher intensity gym sessions during this period, (if that is something you’re into). On note of this, some studies suggest that your knees are more prone to injury during one’s ovulation/luteal phases, so take extra time to warm-up during these times.

Nutritionally, during your ovulation it is a smart move to fuel up on carbs if you are focusing more on exercise during this time. Your sleep should be stable during this part of your cycle, however some people have noticed that they sleep worse during their mid-cycle. Keep an eye on any patterns you may notice and take extra care if your sleep is suffering within this time.

Some suggestions to add to your planner:

• Schedule one exciting social event.
• Take extra time to warm-up during your gym sessions.
• Note any ovulation cues that you notice.

Luteal (Days 18–28): Slow, Steady and Peaceful

Your Social Life: Ah, this is the part of my cycle I find it the hardest to be social, and if that’s you, embrace it! This is a good time to draft some plans that don’t take an emotional toll on you. Casual catch-ups with your best friend, going on a nice walk, seeing a movie or even just scrolling on the couch with your partner of choice.

If you suffer from PMS, try not to involve yourself in any intense socialisation or jam-packed weekends. I find that during this time, one minor negative interaction can feel devastating. The luteal phase can be a time of irritability, mood change, insomnia, so planning a softer week here is strategic.

Your Mental Health: This is where things can get weird. Between a bad night’s rest, an increased appetite, uncomfortable bloating and moodiness, it can be a struggle. Be gentle on yourself as your body deals with this load, especially if you already deal with any form of mental illness. It is easy to get in your head during the luteal phase and it is incredibly valid to find it overbearing at times.

Your Body: Because your core temperature is elevated and heart rate may run higher during the luteal phases, workouts can seem tougher than usual. Go easy on yourself if you find your luteal phase makes it harder to do your usual training. Research has suggested that you may burn more calories during the luteal phase, which may explain why you feel hungrier during this time. Plan plenty of snacks high in protein, fibre and carbs to subside cravings.

Your sleep may get messy during the luteal phase. Temperature rise and changes in circadian temperature patterns mean that sleep can worsen before your period. It may help to sleep in a cooler room with less bedding, paired with an early night to get a better sleep during this time.

Some suggestions to add to your planner:

• Keep your calendar clear a few days before your period, in order to achieve the most rest possible and keep symptoms stabilised.
• Load up on luteal phase friendly hacks like yogurt, fruit, hummus, crackers, nuts and bananas.
• If you are low on energy and can’t get your usual workout in, go on a walk or focus on strength training.

How I plan my month around my cycle in 10 minutes

I begin by opening my calendar and period app side by side and seeing where all my phases line up in the month to come. I mark the most important phase first, my period, and highlight it as a “light” week where I avoid planning anything too stressful. I then mark my predicted ovulation week and pop in any plans that would require me to be more outgoing and energised, like dates, meetups with old friends and nights out. I then do the same but with my follicular phase, and schedule in my errands, appointments and any “boring adult stuff” I’ve been avoiding, as I will have more patience for it during this phase.

After I have the most important pieces planned, I then start to organise my workouts that I’ll be doing that month. I place my harder sessions within my cycles where I tend to feel stronger, and lower-intensity options like walks and light strength training during phases where I know I may be starting to experience PMS or period symptoms. Lastly, I choose one completely free weekend (usually during my luteal phase, when I’ll need it most). This weekend keeps me sane, comfortable and allows me to rot in bed with my hot water bottle and YouTube without feeling like a woman gone mad.

This schedule allows me to work with my hormones instead of allowing my hormones to dictate and surprise myself. Just because I plan my month around my cycle, doesn’t mean I don’t still experience cramps, mood swings and moments where I cry hysterically in work over a sad TikTok (you’re not alone). But it does help stopping me from forcing myself into uncomfortable situations that could have been avoided if I had been planning around my cycle.

I treat each phase as useful information to understand what is happening to my body, and it allows me to make better social plans, workout more efficiently and time my errands correctly. Planning your month around your cycle doesn’t have to be a full time job, it can be a gentle method of self care in the form of noticing your own body’s patterns, experimenting with what works for you and making your life feel a little less chaotic, when really you are just luteal.

EYNTK about your menstrual cycle stages

Period: Menstruation begins after a drop in progesterone in your late luteal phase. The lining of your uterus begins to shed after being triggered by estradiol. This part of the cycle overlaps with the early follicular phase, when ovarian hormones are low. Painful period cramps sourced from the uterus are common and normal during this time.

Follicular: Bleeding ends and the follicular phase begins, estradiol rises, follicles develop and progesterone remains low. This is one of the longest phases of the cycle. 

Ovulation: The ovulation phase occurs after a rise in estradiol leads to an LH surge, the follicle releases the oocyte 1 to 2 days after LH surge onset. This is often around day 14 of the cycle.

Luteal: Once the ovulation phase is complete, progesterone becomes the dominant hormone and body temperature rises. If pregnancy does not occur, progesterone and estradiol fall in the late luteal phase, triggering the next bleed. PMS symptoms can occur during the luteal phase.

Words by Katie Walsh