It’s Monday again, the day when I write my blogs. Yet, this Monday is different; instead of the words rolling out of me, it is an effort to think of a simple sentence to describe narrative therapy. Instead of forcing myself to write, I expected this to happen and thus decide to stop trying to write and to go hunker down with some pizza, chocolate, and Netflix. How did I know I would feel like this you ask? Not because I’m burnt out or needed a break BUT because I follow my hormone cycle and use it to optimize private practice work. I would argue that, for females, it’s not about taking a break but when you take a break that matters.
Understanding Hormones
I don’t know about you, but I was not taught about how estrogen and progesterone affect us females in school. I didn’t know that when you’re ovulating, you are at your most creative with the highest energy. Or that estrogen drops not once but twice in your cycle, causing the blues and irritability to double. I didn’t even know that progesterone has a sedative effect!!! Embarrassing, I know, but the more I talked to my girlfriends, I found out that many of them did not know either… or… maybe it’s because we’re in Canada. (Hold your Canadian jokes please, lol).
Hormone Horoscope
A couple of years ago, I came across this amazing FREE app, “Hormone Horoscope”. Each day of your cycle it gives you a daily horoscope based off of the science of hormones in an easy-to-read, fun, and friendly way. For example, today is day one of my week four. My horoscope is telling me that the world will probably seem more annoying, yet, I’ll have more energy since progesterone is plunging as I get closer to the end of my cycle. Unlike last week when I could have had three naps daily. Maybe that’s why I now have the energy to blog?
Harnessing Your Hormone Cycle
By using this app, I am able to get more work done in less amount of time. Each week there are certain tasks that will become easier because of where I’m at in my cycle. So, instead of working on a regimented weekly schedule, always having certain days off, I vary it depending on where I am at in my cycle. It doesn’t matter if I am ovulating on a Monday or a Saturday, I will make time to write that day as I will be able to think and write more quickly than any other time in my cycle (often writing multiple blogs in one day). Then in my third week, I’ll take a break from writing, as I know my brain will be foggy anyways.
Organizing My Work Schedule
What my work schedule looks like using this method is:
- Beginning of week one – I do no work and just chill
- End of week 1 to end of week 2 – I work A LOT during this time and focus on networking and blogging
- Week 3 – I work less and make all my big decisions during this time
- Week 4 – I acknowledge that I may be very pessimistic this week and I give myself a break with comfort food and watching more Netflix than usual
To find out why I organize my schedule like this, you’ll have to get the app.
Moving Forward
I should state that following your hormone cycle is not the only thing that affects your mood (as we all know being therapists and such). But, understanding your hormone cycle could help to increase productivity and reduce the hours you work and, maybe, transform your life! It did for me ☺
To learn about your cycle you can find the free app on the App Store or click here:
http://hormonehoroscope.com/apps/
About Julia
In October Julia moved from Northern BC to Halifax, Nova Scotia to live out her dream of living on the east coast and starting her private practice, “Insight Mental Health Counselling”. Julia especially likes private practice as it allows her to follow her hormone cycle.
Click here for her Halifax Counsellor website.
