In our May “how can we help you?” thread, a reader writes:
Do people who menstruate experience fluctuations in energy or productivity during different phases of their cycle? If so, are there strategies that help with managing demanding academic work?
Do readers have any helpful tips to share?
I’m someone who menstruates, and I definitely experiences fluctuations in energy and productivity during my cycle. It can honestly be pretty frustrating. I don’t have any revolutionary advice, but I mostly just try to organize my monthly work-flow around it. I try to do high energy cognitive work — which, for me, are tasks like writing and big picture conceptualizing — for my energetic/productive periods (no pun intended). And reserve certain lower energy cognitive work — like revisions, emailing folks, administrative tasks — for the times when my menstrual cycle is negatively affecting me. This obviously is not always possible. Deadlines sometimes fall in bad weeks and life can disrupt plans. But it can help.
I’ve also found that consistently lifting weights throughout the month has helped with my overall energy levels, which makes the menstrual-cycle-related lull a bit easier to manage.
Would love to hear if other folks have better tips though!
I try to plan my schedule so that I don’t need to, as it were, move heavy furniture on those days. sometimes it can’t be helped so in that case I do what I can and give myself some grace and healthy snacks (almonds, raspberries, bananas).
and when those days come, I usually do either setup or recuperation. setup is me acquiring books, hatching a timeline for the paper and figuring out what the writing community for this paper might be. recuperation is me, say, taking a longish hike to gain some fresh eyes on whatever I’ve written.
I’ve also found that my eye for revising is best during menstruation. not sure why but my theory is that this is the time when my tolerance for BS is at its lowest and my willingness to be honest is at its peak. makes me an unpleasant social companion I’m sure but it helps me spot and acknowledge gaps in logic, odd framing, overreaches in my claims…
Yes. I suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and it took me quite a while to really recognize and accept it. I now regularly take medication in the luteal phase that I don’t need in the pre-ovulation phase. A career coach once told me to accept that my cycle has such a strong influence on my mood, cognitive abilities, motivation and workflow, and that I should basically not work during the times when I am in my ‘cycle deep’ (as my productivity is much lower). I am still working on accepting PMDD and my mood shifts, but it got better. I try not to stress myself too much if I don’t feel productive during the luteal phase (but I find it still hard, as I am usually very productive and full of energy). I try to do ‘simpler’ work during the luteal phase (e.g., corrections, admin work, responding to emails, etc.) Having a supportive partner really helps (when I am in doomsday mood, he tells me that it will be over soon and that I will feel well again. I never believe it, but when my period starts, I get all energy back and I am in a good mood again). I plan to write sometimes a paper on the ethics and metaphysics of PMS and PMDD. Very interesting and underdeveloped topic in philosophy, unfortunately.
So generally, what I can recommend is: listening to your cycle / body; take medication if needed (I consider my medication during luteal phase a lifesaver); be patient, caring and loving with yourself in difficult phases of your cycle; do sports, as it helps with the mood; eat healthy; get enough sleep; and don’t beat yourself up too much if your productivity is lower during some times of the cycle – the cycle changes, and so does your mood and energy.
This is such a fantastic thread, and I’m so happy someone asked this and that it was posted.
I have no tips for writing or research, but I usually leave myself a few admin tasks to do on the first two days of my period, since I know I’ll be unable to focus very well, or I write lectures, if I need to. If it’s a weekend, I don’t worry about it, since I won’t work weekend, and I just have a lazy couple of days.
My flow is pretty heavy the first couple of days, so I tend to feel woozy and in pain.
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