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Feeling Overwhelmed by Cycle Syncing? Simple Tips to Get Started
- Antonie Kjosas
- Nov 11, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 25, 2024
Cycle syncing is about embracing the natural rhythm of your body. By understanding your hormonal patterns, you can optimize your lifestyle to align with your body's needs. This means working with your body, not against it, and experiencing greater energy, productivity, and overall well-being.
Although it's an incredibly valuable practice to follow and incorporate into your life, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to get started. And the best way to make sure you won't stick with it or feel the benefits is by trying to do everything at once or thinking that you’re meant to be “perfect” from day one. It’s a learning curve, for you and your body.
To help you make the transition easier, I wanted to share some tips to make the beginning of your journey and your new lifestyle easier.
Quick Summary of Cycle Syncing
The Cycle Syncing Method was pioneered by Alisa Vitti, founder of Flo Living and author of the book In the FLO. You can learn the full scope on cycle syncing here.
In summary, women's bodies operate on two distinct rhythms: The daily circadian rhythm (24-hour clock) and the monthly infradian rhythm (28-day cycle). The infradian rhythm has a significant impact on women's health, especially during their reproductive years. It is divided into four phases: Follicular (right after your period), Ovulatory (when your body is ovulating), Luteal (time between ovulation and your next bleed), and Menstrual (when you're on your period).
By understanding and harnessing the power of your infradian rhythm, you can achieve your goals while feeling your best. Cycle syncing is not just a trend; it's a revolutionary approach to living in alignment with your body's natural processes.
In my view, there are essentially three main ways to get started with the actual habit and lifestyle of cycle syncing:
Starting Approach One
The first way to start your cycle syncing lifestyle is to begin incorporating one super-small aspect of cycle syncing. This can allow you to start gently and help you get used to listening to your body and being aware of your unique menstrual cycle. I would recommend this way if you're completely new to cycle syncing, recently got off of hormonal birth control, or simply feel overwhelmed by your schedule and need a gentler approach.
This could include:
Incorporate seed cycling (eating different grounded seeds according with the different phases of your cycle. I talk about how to do seed cycling in this video).
Cook dinners according to your cycle (Follicular: Light cooking/steaming; Ovulatory: Salads and cold foods; Luteal: Baked and oven-cooking; Menstrual: Stews and soups).
Track your cycle to know when you’re in the different phases (I mention some recommendations at the bottom of this blog post).
Do one “cycle-synced” workout per week (Follicular: Cardio; Ovulatory: HIIT; Luteal: Strengths and pilates; Menstrual: Rest and light walks).
Starting Approach Two
The second approach is to choose one element of the cycle syncing method and follow that throughout at least one cycle until you feel a bit more comfortable with it. From there you can continue adding one element at a time as you go through the following cycles. You can start with whichever element you prefer. Make sure to give yourself the time you need before adding another element, meaning you can spend more than one cycle with an element before you add another.
The cycle syncing method is essentially dividied into four elements (or areas of your life):
Cooking, meals, and nutrition
Exercise and self-care
Work and productivity
Social life
(Learn more about what to do in each of the phases of your menstrual cycle in the full guide here).
This is often a way that people start, but in my personal opinion it's not my favorite because I love a more holistic approach where I feel like I can get my hands into more aspects, without feeling overwhelmed. If that's you too, the third method might be for you.
Starting Approach Three
In this final approach (and my personal favorite) you go at it one phase at a time and plan out a few elements for that phase and do this on a weekly (ish) basis. Meaning, you could plan your week on Sunday night and choose some aspects that you'd like to incorporate based on the phase you're in.
This could look like:
Recipes you'd like to cook
Best tasks to complete
Social outings
Self-care rituals
Don't pick too many at once, you can start with 2-3 items and then move your way up from there - until you've become a pro cycle-syncer who knows exactly what to input on your monthly and weekly plans ;)
This is my favorite approach (and the way I got started) because it allowed me to create a more holistic approach to this new lifestyle without overwhelming me too much with trying to plan out a whole cycle right at the beginning.
If you're feeling like one of the first two approaches are more your style, this third one could be the one you use to "level up" your game and incorporate more cycle syncing practices into your life.
Don't forget that it won't be perfect right away and you'll have a learning curve. The most important thing is to listen to your body and you can always change your approach if you want to.
The first and second method could be your best choice if you have no idea where you are in your menstrual cycle or if you feel like you already have a full plate and want to take it a bit more in smaller steps. The third method is great if you’re eager to approach your life in a new way and experience even more results faster (as you’ll be adapting more of your everyday life to the cycle syncing method).
Don't forget to read the complete guide on cycle syncing here.
Bonus Tip
One bonus tip I'd like to mention, either in case you choose the third method right away, when/if you transition into it, or if you’re unsure of where you are in your menstrual cycle:
Take the next cycle (from the end of your period) or month (at the beginning of the calendar month) and lay out a “big-picture” plan for the upcoming month.
Avoid too many details or thinking about specific dates, but instead create 4 columns on a piece of paper and plot in different tasks and activities you’d like to get done - dividing them into the four different phases of your menstrual cycle.
Then each week, or even each day, select what you feel most drawn to do based on what you put on your plan. Keep in mind that what you put on this big-picture plan aren’t things you plan to get done, they are things you imagine you could get done.
The most important thing when starting your cycle syncing journey is understanding that cycle syncing is designed to help you listen to your own body, energy levels, and needs, and adapt what you do and how you do it based on what’s actually best for you and your output right now.
So no matter how you get started, set an intention to simply listen to what your body is guiding you to do, and you’ll be winning already ;)
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. All the information and tips covered in this blog post are intended as guidelines that have worked for me personally. Always take your own health into consideration and consult with medical professionals as needed.
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