I remember hustling through the month while working below deck 13-18 hours per day, with 2 hours of rest on a good day. Trying to keep up, yet constantly feeling like there was never enough time. Shutting down my emotions and body aches because soldiering on was part of the job.
After seven years of this insanity, my body and mind gave out, and I was obligated to resign and take time off.
It took about a year and a half to improve my mental/physical health and transform the patriarchal mindset that working myself to extortion meant I was more productive. During my healing journey, I reconnected with my feminine energy and menstrual cycle, reclaimed my womb's wisdom, and remembered the knowledge of cyclical living.
When I returned to yachts, I implemented Menstrual Rest and Cyclical Living on every vessel I worked on. Because if we want change to happen, we must lead by example.
Taking menstrual rest and syncing your work and life with your menstrual cycle is the key to well-being, mental health, better work performance, and avoiding burnout as a woman.
Menstrual rest means slowing down and resting during your bleeding phase to reconnect with yourself and your inner seasons. Cyclical living means delegating work duties/projects and scheduling your private life according to your cyclical phase.
Why is menstrual rest important?
Let's talk about female vs. male physiology.
The circadian rhythm influences male physiology. It is a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle connected to the rhythm of the sun and ruled by the hormone testosterone. As long as food is eaten at the correct times and they get enough sleep, they're good to go any day of the week.
Cyclical bodies, on the other hand...NOT SO MUCH. If you have a womb, your biological clock is deeply impacted by the infradian rhythm, which is a fancy way to say your menstrual cycle.
This 28-ish-day rhythm is ruled by the moon and governed by estrogen and progesterone hormones. This means you go through four distinct phases/seasons within one lunar cycle, which means you probably feel like this sometimes:
The key to thriving as a cyclical being is to work with the flow of your hormones instead of against them. You do this by planning your life according to the phases of your menstrual cycle and taking rest when bleeding.
The fact is that women have been conditioned to adjust to a man's workplace, environment, schedule, and approach to productivity for way too long because pretty much everything, from exercise to sleep to nutrition and even the way we're expected to work, is based on research done on male physiology. AKA the physiology that is basically the same every day.
Exploring productivity at work through a female paradigm is the key to unlocking your performance genius zone. Learning to sync your female cycle with your work and life is the ultimate bio-hack to harness your energy, productivity, well-being, and mental health.
So, what should you do during menstrual rest?
Rest, Reconnect, and Reset. Here are some ways to achieve that:
Create a relaxing environment.
Listen to your body, hydrate, and eat nutritious foods.
Practice deep breathing and relaxation techniques
Reconnect with your womb. Click here for my womb healing meditation.
Prioritize quality sleep
Engage in gentle exercises like walking, Yin Yoga, Tai chi, Qigong, etc.
Disconnect from electronics and enjoy journaling, painting, or doing anything creative you like.
Practice self-compassion and embrace the power of rest. Allow it to support your overall well-being, ensuring a healthier and happier you during this natural process.
Click here to download my fave 6 menstrual rest rituals!
Let's talk about implementing menstrual rest while working onboard superyachts.
Educate yourself. Learn how your body and menstrual cycle works. Join me in my Womb Magic Productivity Training. Start Here.
Track your cycle. Use an app or the tracking template inside the MKSB.
Practice cyclical living and taking menstrual rest.
Teach your team and women onboard what you learned. The easiest way is to watch my Womb Magic Productivity Masterclass together.
Encourage them to track their cycles to understand how they feel emotionally, physically, and energetically throughout their monthly phases. This is crucial for cyclical living, which involves synching one's menstrual cycle with one's work and life.
If required, meet with the captain or HOD and discuss the benefits of giving menstrual rest to women on board. Every captain I have talked to has supported this decision, and they have always thanked me for educating them and the crew about the topic. Please don't be afraid of speaking about this. It is time to break the stigma and taboo around periods. After all, we do spend an average of 3,500 days menstruating. It's Natural, Period.
Implement cyclical living and menstrual rest at work with the help of the Womb Magic Producitivy Training. Join Here!
The Womb Magic Producitivy Training is the first and only available class in the yachting industry that teaches women how to use their monthly periods as a productivity tool.
It's time to change the stigma, stereotype, and taboo surrounding menstruation by taking your power back.
