Cyclical Living: An Introduction Guide

Ready to escape toxic hustle-culture? Learn how Cyclical Living for women can transform your daily habits and ease the pressure to be productive all of the time.

The most conventional productivity advice on the internet is linear and masculine, but what if there were other ways to honour and work with the natural ebbs and flows of our bodies and the natural world?

This post is all about Cyclical Living and how it can bring more ease to your daily routine, especially for cyclical living women.

What is Cyclical Living?

When researching similar articles online, I noticed that cyclical living tends to lean more closely with the menstrual cycle, which makes sense since this is the cycle that women are most familiar with. However, did you know that hormones don’t just fluctuate depending on the time of the day and where you are in your menstrual cycle? Cycle syncing with the moon and the seasons also plays a huge role.

That being said, I’ve always been curious as to how we can bring the these three cycles together – menstrual, lunar and seasonal – to create more intuitive and supportive routines that truly work for us.

The goal is definitely not to have rigid routines that add more tasks to your to-do list, but to become more mindful of these rhythms and adjust our energy accordingly, so that we can begin to live with more ease in our bodies and with the natural world.

Why Linear Routines Don’t Work for Women

I’ve started going to the gym recently and constantly feeling a sense of jealousy with a man’s 24 hour body clock. One day, they may wake up and feel on top of the world, smashing out a full leg day.. without the pre-workout. The next, they may feel lethargic and choose to give the gym a miss.

Once Mother Nature calls, I’m out for a week. In fact, when you start to learn more about the different phases of the menstrual cycle, I’d be confident to say that we only really have one good week of the month, where we feel completely energised and on top of the world (thank you, ovulatory phase!).

Because of the way our bodies work, the “hustle culture” mentality of doing the same thing every single day, with the same amount of energy, is absolutely exhausting and unsustainable – hence why I’m a big fan of cyclical living. I would love to smash out a HIIT workout every single day, but my body doesn’t agree with that line of thinking. Due to the biological and hormonal fluctuations that affect a woman’s energy, creativity and social battery throughout the month, this can be a real struggle.

I mean, you wouldn’t expect a tree to bear fruit in the winter, right? Hence, why we women shouldn’t expect ourselves to be “on” all of the time.

How to Start Aligning Your Habits with the Cycles

The menstrual cycle & your daily habits

Our menstruating years are when we really figure out who we are and by using our menstrual cycle to understand our bodies, we can attune our daily routines to our natural rhythms.

This is where tracking your menstrual cycle becomes really important to your cycle awareness. Start to notice how you feel each day and write it down. Perhaps make it part of your morning or evening ritual. How is your energy, appetite, emotional welleing, sleep, bloating and digestion? Do you have any cravings? Are you getting any headaches?

Once you start to build this up, you’ll then begin to curate a monthly menstrual map, which will provide a ton of insight into how to take care of yourself during each phase. If you’re not a big fan of pejn and paper, then there are a ton of apps out there to help you track your cycle. My personal favourite is Stardust.

Here are some of my favourite ways to incorporate more self-care into each phase:

• Menstrual Phase (Winter) – Focus on rest, reflection and getting some inner work done. Make some time for gentle and more mindful activities such as journaling, meditation and light stretching.

• Follicular Phase (Spring) – Use this time for planning, brainstorming new ideas and growth initiatives, whether for work or your personal life. Set some new intentions and start to move your body a little bit more. If you’re looking for follicular phase tips, then this is a great time to get creative and explore what lights you up.

• Ovulatory Phase (Summer) – The epitome of hot girl summer. Use this week to focus on connecting, networking and collaborating. This is the time where you’re going to feel more ready for socialising and taking up creative projects.

• Luteal Phase (Autumn) – Now we can focus on “doing” and completing any remaining tasks. Tie up those loose ends and make some time for organising, deep work and preparing for the next phase. This is also a great time to research the best luteal phase foods to eat so that you can support your energy during this time.

the lunar cycle & your routine

This may be “woo-woo” for some, but I personally feel as though I have a real affinity with that big silver ball up in the sky, and the concept of “working with the moon” has become even more popular over the years – thank you, TikTok!

I think if anything, even if the “mystical” or “magical” doesn’t exist – the moon serves as a cyclical living metaphor. A guiding light, if you wish. It’s a consistent, observable cycle that can serve to inspire the framework our own lives. I like to think of it as a pretty little calendar of the sky, reminding us to take time for self-reflection and personal growth.

How can you forget your monthly journaling session when the full moon is quite literally shining through your bedroom window reminding you to do it? With that being said, the most significant phases for this work are the New Moon and the Full Moon. Here are some ways to harness the energy of these phases.

• New Moon – A time for intention setting and new beginnings. This energy is introspective, quiet and full of possibility for the upcoming moon cycle. It encourages you to turn inwards, reflect on what you truly want to create in your life and set the stage for the month ahead. I recommend using this moon phase for journaling, visualisation and creating plans of action, perhaps brainstorm some new moon ritual ideas of your own, to really serve you during this phase.

• Full Moon – A time for release and letting go. When the moon is fully illuminated in the sky, it’s bright intense light is said to shine light on what’s been growing in your life – both the good and the bad, so this phase is all about releasing what no longer serves us. It’s also notorious for being a time of heightened emotions and I’ve definitely felt that, but don’t be nervous, because the full moon can also bring clarity and a sense of completion as well. Use this time to focus on reflection, releasing rituals, indulging in a full moon ritual bath, full moon rituals and practicing gratitude. You’ve come a long way since the new moon, so celebrate the progress you’ve made.

the seasons & your rhythm

Our mind and body are naturally influenced by seasonal changes in light, temperature and food availability. When we can align our habits with cyclical living, we can establish better physical and mental well-being, increased energy and a more mindful, intentional life.

Our body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm as it’s more commonly known, is regulated by light. This means that during Winter, when we have shorter days and less sunlight, this can lead to lower serotonin and Vitamin D levels, which can impact your mood and energy (hey, seasonal depression.. not the greatest fan of you!). By adjusting your routine to work with the seasons, you will begin to honour your body’s changing needs, rather than fighting them, and this is the essence of seasonal living.

Here are some of my favourite ways to honour myself with the change of the seasons:

• Spring – A time for renewal and growth. This is an ideal time to start new projects, “spring clean” your life and start to incorporate more movement into your daily routine, as Mother Earth begins to wake up from hibernation.

• Summer – The season of abundance and high energy. This is the perfect season for socialising, outdoor mindfulness and enjoying the fruits of your labour in the slower months. This is a great time for summer self care.

• Autumn – My absolute fave season (totally not biased!). This is the time to slow down and reflect, finish projects that you started in the spring and prepare for rest with cosy activities and nourishing, warming foods. Don’t forget to incorporate some autumn self care ideas during this period.

• Winter – The season of rest and introspection. This is a natural time to turn inwards and enjoy the comforts of our home, focus on deep self-care and practice gentle routines to conserve your energy for the year ahead. This is when the slow seasons truly come into their own.

Your First Step to Cycle Alignment

This definitely isn’t about overhauling your life in one day – that sounds overwhelming and not sustainable. The most important next step is to simply become aware of the changes that you want to make, the life that you envision for yourself and how you want to feel in your daily routine.

Then start to cultivate a plan and start with a very simple, single habit to start out with. For example, start tracking your energy levels and mood alongside your menstrual cycle for the next few months. Then you can start adding in habits that are going to support you during each cycle from there.

This post was all about Cyclical Living and how to attune your daily routine with the various natural cycles including menstrual, lunar and seasonal.