*Note: I’m writing from a Central-European/Western lens, where we’ve largely been raised disconnected from nature’s rhythms and body wisdom. I recognize that many Eastern and Southern cultures hold deeper cyclical roots – even though modernisation has begun to erode those too. I may explore this more one day.
Why Resting During Your Bleed Can Feel Scary (And Why You Should Do It Anyway)
This month, I blocked out time in my agenda for non-doing during my bleed. For rest.
And even though I’ve been building a life and work that honours my cycle, I still felt it:
That creeping guilt.
That whispering fear.
That low-level anxiety that says:
“You’re being lazy.”
“You’re wasting time.”
“You should be doing something.”
I even caught myself thinking I needed to justify my rest to others. Because we don’t just take rest for a day, right?
Even though I am educating on cyclical living.
How must rest/non-doing feel for others then?
Well, I know I’m not alone in this one, so here’s a blog on why slowing down feels so itchy edgy,
and why it’s emancipatory to give it to yourself.
Why Is It So Hard to Let Go?
It can feel scary to slow down around menstruation.
(Your might already know the importance of taking rest during your menstrual phase. If not, read more here.)
To let go.
To not figure things out.
To not assert yourself.
To trust that this stillness – this spaciousness – is nourishing you.
Will give you what you need.
That it will feed your creativity.
Refill your energy.
Reveal the clarity you’re seeking.
We know this is how nature works.
(If you doubt, do contact me and share your thoughts. I’d love to exchange.)
That everything blooms out of a dance between activity and rest. ☯️
That masculine and feminine energies – in balance – support life.
Transform life.
And still… slowing down feels wrong.
Our Culture Wasn’t Built For This
Here’s what I’ve come to understand:
Our discomfort with rest isn’t personal failure – it’s largely cultural conditioning.
Most of us were raised in a world that values continuous action, speed, output, productivity.
We were taught to push through, get it done, stay ahead.
Sitting still? Reflecting? Resting? Feeling?
We don’t have time for that.
That’s for the lazy. For when we are sick. Or, nowadays it’s also considered a luxury.
But nothing in nature chases endlessly.
Nothing in nature blooms all year.
🌳 Trees rest before growing new leaves. 🐆 Leopards rest (most of the time) before hunting. 🐍 Snakes rest before shedding skin. 🦋 Caterpillars go into silence before becoming a butterfly.
🌙 The moon waxes and wanes. 🌊 Ocean tides ebb and flow.
And you, you are part of nature. We are nature.
Yet our work culture – our calendars, careers, schools – was not built with this wisdom.
It was built for linear productivity.
And it wasn’t built for us – women.
A System Not Designed For Cyclical Bodies
It only dawned on me recently just how logical it is that working life mirrors male hormonal patterns – not female ones.
Here’s the thing:
Women have been a wide & visible part of the paid workforce for less than 100 years – only!
Developing a long-term, self-directed career – in professional, creative & leadership fields, has only been normalised and accepted for women in the last 50 years!
But, we didn’t shape the system.
We were expected to fit into a system already built. 🤖⚙️
We adapted to it.
We silenced our bodies with birth control, caffeine, and overachieving. ☕️
Our capitalist society made those solutions very convenient, even preferable, in the last 50 years.
Sure, this was an important part of the feminine movement, but since we are living in a culture void of body awareness for many centuries,
we ignored our rhythms to prove we were just as capable as men – often more.
And it worked. We’re here. We’re leading.
We’ve proven we can keep up. Outperform even.
But at what cost?
Equality Doesn’t Mean Sameness
The social, cultural, and economic systems were not built for body awareness – they were built for control, speed, and uniformity.
We’ve been chasing equality as if it means:
“Be the same as men.”
“Work like men.”
“Rationalise like men.”
…
But equality is not sameness.
True equity means respecting differences.
⚖️ Valuing the ways in which people work, create, recharge, and lead differently.
And that starts with something radical:
Listening to our body.
Trusting our rhythm.
Saying no when the world says go.
Reclaiming the cyclical intelligence that has always been in us. 🌀
The Cost of Disconnecting from Our Nature
When we ignore our cyclical nature, our bodies don’t stay silent.
They whisper & scream through:
- PMS
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Burnout
- Dissociation
Not because they’re broken.
But because they’re asking to be heard.
Because there’s wisdom there – wisdom we’ve lost in our culture of constant doing.
Wisdom that supports us. Brings vitality, fullness, aliveness.
Wisdom that liberates us.
The Feminine Hasn’t Left You
If you’ve ignored her…
If you’ve pushed through…
If you’ve said yes when your body screamed no…
You’re not alone.
Good thing is that, that feminine part of you – the one that knows how to rest, receive, create, and surrender – never left.
She’s everywhere around you, and within.
And the moment you welcome her back,
She will soften, deepen, lighten your life 🪷
Ways to Work More Cyclically
Here are some gentle ways to begin reclaiming your rhythm.
Rule of thumb: Expansion in first half of cycle, contraction in second half.
🌑 Menstrual Phase (Inner Winter):
Rest, reflect, envision. Let your body lead. Say no where you can. Zoom out. Strategise.
🌒 Follicular Phase (Inner Spring):
Brainstorm, start new projects, take risks. Begin, initiate. Be playful (Yes, you can be professionally playful.)
🌕 Ovulation (Inner Summer):
Socialize, share, launch, communicate – this is your peak visibility. Your time to shine & advocate.
🌘 Luteal Phase (Inner Autumn):
Complete, declutter, organize, edit. Be kind as energy dips. Speak the truth. Discern.
And most importantly:
Track your own cycle.
Notice your patterns.
Begin to trust that they make sense – even if the world hasn’t caught up yet. 🤍
Want to Go Deeper?
If this resonates, I invite you to:
- Rest unapologetically during your next bleed.
- Talk about it. (Even when it feels edgy.)
- Reimagine what work and leadership could look like – on your terms.
And if you’d like support, I’m right here. 🌿
With circles, mentoring, and content designed to bring your Feminine forward – in life, and in work.
You’re not lazy.
You’re cyclical.
And that’s a superpower.
Really curious to hear how this lands with you!
React in the comments below, or contact me here.
With love,
Stéphanie 🌙🌞
