The start of 2019 marked the beginning of a new path for me. A new way of living you could say!
During the first few weeks of the year, the boys and I were living at the beach and we were loving the lifestyle and the relaxed, slow nature that living by the water invites. Daily walks on the beach. Toes in the sand. Unaware of what the time was. Truly connecting with nature . . . which feels quite foreign when you live in the city. We LOVED it.
No timetables. No clock watching. No having to rush out the door anywhere. Each day we woke and let the weather or our surroundings decide on how we were going to spend our time.
This time of slowing down and ‘smelling the roses’ resulted in me spending A LOT of time thinking, and journaling, about what 2019 could offer me.
I had consciously decided to take a month off over the Summer. To focus on being present with my boys and to have no To-Do lists. To really just enjoy living in the moment.
I had the flexibility to do this because I had closed my graphic design business of twelve years and I had a network marketing business, that doesn’t rely on me ‘working’ a certain number of hours a week like a conventional job. And so I found myself in this space of questioning ‘Now what?!’
I am VERY fortunate in that Phil supports me 100% and so together we decided that 2019 was going to be the year I slow down, be less busy, and take time to think about what I truly wanted to do with my time and life.
I love looking back at my journal entries from the Summer! Here’s one from the beginning of 2019 that sums up my thoughts nicely:
I think it’s time to find my rhythm. My way of doing life!
Finding and discovering when’s the time I need my space and my time to be productive.
WOW. How cool would that be?
Once we arrived back from our Summer holiday, it didn’t take long to get sucked back into the daily grind and rushing out the door. But I’ve been conscious of this feeling, of wanting to find my way, all year.
Well, The Universe must of heard my thoughts because I happened to come across Kate Northrup.
I wish I could remember where I first learnt of her work but I’m pulling a blank. I’m pretty sure it was on Instagram but I can’t think of the link to how or who. It probably doesn’t matter so I’ll continue on . . .
What attracted me to Kate’s work were her ideas on feminine energy. How if we tuned into our body, and used our core energy, we’d achieve more success, be SO much more productive and all without burning ourselves out in the process.
Anyway, I added her new book Do Less to my wishlist and started following her on social media. I loved her message and style so when I saw that she was running a free online webinar based on the strategies of her new book, I signed up straight away.
You can get your copy of Kate’s book here: Do Less. A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms.
So beginning of June I watched her three part webinar series and . . .
MIND BLOWN!
I had found what I was looking for . . . a natural WAY of tuning in and finding my own personal rhythm. And what’s amazing is that this way of ‘doing life’ is available to everyone.
The part that resonated the most with me, and why I’m sharing it with you, is the power and influence our menstrual cycle has on our productivity and energy levels.
Now, Kate’s not the creator or the first one to teach this kind of stuff but I love her style and the way she communicates things.
Here are the phases of the menstrual cycle with the corresponding lunar phase, and what type of activities are ideal for that phase:
Straight away I started tracking my period more purposefully by really noticing and being aware of my energy levels during the different phases of my menstrual cycle.
Then her book arrived. I devoured it in a day. And yes, you know me too well . . . the pages have pen all over them, highlighting and loving on the parts I want to come back to.
With my energy tracker and her book, I feel I’m on my way to living a life by my own unique rhythm.
It’s still early days for me and I haven’t got it all figured out BUT this is something I’m sharing with all the women in my life. How amazing would it be for all the mums, and women, we know to be conscious of the power and energy their body holds when they tune in and work with it. Rather than fighting against it to keep up with push and hustle of society.
If you want to know more about tuning into your menstrual cycle and how to use the phases to your advantage, I’d highly recommend getting yourself a copy of Kate’s book, Do Less. A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms.
In it she explains the phases of the menstrual cycle and the best way to use the energy of the phases. She also offers experiments and strategies around asking for help, listening to your body, managing your energy, simplifying your life, bending time and more. And the best part is, she’s a mum of two and an entrepreneur so her examples and ideas are totally relatable, relevant and achievable.
Here’s a paragraph from the book that sums things up nicely:
“We’ve been brainwashed into thinking that the way to be valuable is to always go the extra mile, to always put in more hours, to always put in more effort, to always do more at work. But hopefully by now you’re seeing why more isn’t always better and how deliberately using breaks, cycles, and pulling back can actually lead to the same, if not better, results (not to mention preserving your well-being).”
If you’re ready to start tapping into your unique superpower that is your feminine energy and body, I highly suggest getting a copy of Kate’s book. I’d also start tracking your menstrual cycle too so you can start to see the patterns of your energy levels and mood during the different phases.
I love using the My Flo app to track my cycle. It cost me NZ$3.49 and I use it most days. I love how it tells me when to expect my next period, what phase of my cycle I’m in and what types of activity, food and exercise is optimal for a particular phase.
> Click here to buy the My Flo app for Apple
> Click here to buy the My Flo app for Android
> Click here to buy Kate’s book, Do Less. A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms
If you don’t have a period you can still access your feminine power and energy by syncing yourself with the lunar/moon phases. Head back up to the chart and use that as a guide. The Moon Calendar app might also be helpful.
I’m curious . . . is this something that resonates with you? Have you been struggling to find your rhythm of life? If so, get in touch and let’s chat. I love talking about this stuff and would love to help you live your life your way.
Until next time, take care.
