From Burnout to Balance: My Journey to Cycle-Aligned Work

"My life has whizzed by without a lot of consideration for my body, menstrual cycles, perimenopause or menopause. My life revolves around my work, so I have pushed through impossible deadlines, stress, high achievement, entrepreneurship, taking on masculine qualities at work and ignoring the feminine side of me, ignoring the cycles my body has been going through."

For decades, I built my professional identity on being reliable, consistent, and always available. As an entrepreneur, I prided myself on showing up every day with the same energy, commitment, and focus—regardless of what was happening in my body.

The modern workplace demands this consistency. It operates on a masculine model that values linear progress and steady output. Most of us have internalized this model so completely that we don't question it. We push through pain, exhaustion, brain fog, and emotional turmoil because we believe that's what professionals do.

I didn't know there was another way.

The Warning Signs I Ignored

Looking back, my body was sending signals long before I was ready to listen:

A frozen back in my 30s
A frozen shoulder that the doctor said I was "too young" to have
Palpitations that I dismissed until they became impossible to ignore
Fibroids that I was too busy (and too scared) to investigate
Periods that became increasingly irregular, then heavy, then seemingly endless

But I kept pushing. Through role changes and company mergers. Through raising a child and supporting aging family members. Through the relentless demands of growing a business from 7 employees to 30.

"I thought every day had to be the same; so what if I was bleeding more, or for the last 18 days?"

The Perimenopause Wake-Up Call

It wasn't until my 40s, when a doctor wrote "Perimenopause" on my prescription pad, that I first encountered the term. Even then, I didn't fully understand what it meant for my body—or my work.

For many professional women, perimenopause arrives at precisely the same time as career peak responsibilities. We're often in leadership positions, managing teams, making critical decisions, all while our hormones fluctuate dramatically, affecting our energy, mood, cognitive function, and physical comfort.

Yet we've been conditioned to power through, to pretend these changes aren't happening, to maintain the illusion of consistency.

The Cost of Ignoring Our Cycles

Research shows that ignoring our body's natural rhythms comes at a steep price:

Physical health: Stress-related conditions, autoimmune disorders, and accelerated aging
Mental wellbeing: Increased anxiety, depression, and cognitive difficulties
Workplace performance: Despite appearances, fighting our cycles actually decreases overall productivity
Innovation and creativity: Some of our best thinking happens in phases typically labeled as "low energy"
Authenticity and leadership: Suppressing our cyclical nature creates a disconnect that undermines our leadership presence

According to a 2023 survey by the Mayo Clinic, 80% of women report experiencing significant menopause symptoms at work, but only 20% feel comfortable discussing these challenges with supervisors or requesting accommodations.

My Turning Point: Discovering Cycle Alignment

"What would have happened if I had cared enough to listen to my body? Would things have been any different? There is no way to tell, but the gut says, No, work will always be there, but I would have rested and been in a better state of mind."

I found cycle alignment, after I entered menopause. So there was no cycle to speak of. But the body was speaking to me.

My journey toward body alignment began with simple awareness.

What am I feeling right now? What’s the mood, the energy level?

In times of illness, I started tapping into my body’s wisdom. Sitting with her, asking questions, shocked that I was getting answers. Shock that changed into wonder. I realised we are all magic!

If I wake up tired, I listen to what my body has to say. “Rest”. “Pomegranate”. “Avoid calls that are intense”. Those are things I have heard my body tell me. I choose to work from home; earlier I would simply show up at office, rain or shine tired or energetic.

If I wake up energetic, I go all out, doing this, handling that. But I also know, I tend to overdo things, so I deliberately pace myself, and build in periods of rest.

If I feel mellow, I call up a friend and ask them to give me a lift to work. In my mellowness, sometimes driving a car doesn’t seem to be the best thing for me to do.

So what’s different now? What is it that I do that didn’t before?

It’s a plain and simple checking in with my body, mood, energy. It takes just a few minutes (or seconds). If you feel you need help with this, there are apps that will make it easy for you to check in.

The results are transformative. I do the same amount of work, or maybe more. But with ease.

Of course, this means you learn to have boundaries, protect your energy and mood, eat right, exercise…basically, honour yourself.

That’s what alignment delivers.

What Cycle-Aligned Work Looks Like in Practice

Cycle alignment doesn't mean working less—it means working smarter. It's about strategic allocation of your energy rather than the random distribution most of us default to.

For me, it now looks like:

Blocking my calendar for deep work during my high-focus days
Scheduling client meetings and presentations when my communication skills are sharpest
Allowing for flexible start times during lower-energy phases
Building in restoration days without guilt
Being transparent with my team about this approach (which has inspired many to adopt similar practices)

Since implementing these changes, I've experienced:

Higher quality work output
More sustainable energy levels
Fewer stress-related health issues
Improved relationships with team members
A deeper connection to my intuition and creativity
Greater overall satisfaction with my work

The Broader Vision: Transforming Workplaces

What began as a personal journey has evolved into a mission. I believe workplaces that honor women's cyclical nature aren't just better for women—they're better for everyone.

Imagine organizations that:

Recognize productivity as cyclical rather than linear
Value output quality over consistent hourly presence
Create flexible work arrangements that accommodate biological realities
Normalize conversations about hormonal health and its impact on work
Train leaders to understand and support team members through various life stages

This isn't just about accommodating women's biology—it's about leveraging an untapped source of workplace wisdom and power.

Your Next Steps

If my story resonates with you, here's how you can begin your own journey toward cycle alignment:

Start tracking your energy, mood, and cognitive patterns throughout the month
Identify your patterns and consider how they might align with hormonal fluctuations
Experiment with scheduling your work to match your natural rhythms
Share your experience with trusted colleagues
Join our community of professionals exploring the Aligned Way of Work

"I wish we were taught to listen to our cycles and bodies. I wish we didn't buy into the belief that we are just the same as men. It's time to change this. High time."

I invite you to take our survey to help us better understand how women's cycles impact their work experience, and to join us in creating workplaces that honor the full spectrum of feminine power.