"There's just no point, I sigh to my mother, who smiles and asks what day of my cycle I'm on. I grumble back, insisting it has nothing to do with my period, I just happen to have lost all motivation and inspiration. What's the point anyway, I add, when we're watching the world burn? Nine times out of 10 my period shows up shortly afterwards and, a few days later, my creativity, motivation and drive all come flooding back."
"You'd think that growing up with a menstrual educator for a mother and having a fairly solid knowledge of the cycle myself I'd remember this each month when feelings of disillusionment and apathy creep in. But deep in the slump it's hard to convince myself that it's my hormones playing tricks on me again. While I had a fairly good understanding of the monthly cycle as a kid and teen, I thought I was too cool to have in-depth discussions with Mum"
Monthly hormonal cycles produce predictable shifts in energy, creativity, motivation and mood. Low motivation and apathy commonly occur before menstruation during the luteal phase, followed by restoration of drive after the period begins. Awareness of follicular and ovulatory phases reveals higher energy and creative potential, while luteal and menstrual phases often require more rest. Cultural and feminist shifts historically encouraged minimizing menstruation to pursue workplace equality, aligning schedules to male patterns. Cycle literacy enables planning work and rest around hormonal fluctuations and supports reclaiming productive rhythms that respect physiological variability.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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