Cycle Syncing: Leaning Into Your Cycle Phases for Optimal Productivity and Creativity with Corinne Angelica [Ep. 125]

 
 

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Here’s what to expect from this episode:

Have you ever heard of cycle syncing? If not, it's the practice of adapting your health and lifestyle habits to fit the four phases of your menstrual cycle. You can lean into these different phases in your personal life and also as an entrepreneur and podcaster.

I have Corinne Angelica on the podcast today to break everything down for us when it comes to our cycle phases and how we can adapt our work life based on the phase we're in. She shares what happens with our bodies and hormones and how we feel during each phase. Corrine also tells us what to do if we aren't experiencing these phases and how we can really lean into each phase to plan our work and podcasting schedules around how we feel.

If you are a woman listening to this episode, it's really cool to think that our bodies can be such a powerful tool when it comes to our creativity and productivity throughout the month. And even if you're not a woman, you might find this episode interesting and be able to apply some of these ideas to your own routines and work schedule.

One of the biggest takeaways that Corinne shares is that you don't have to go and make a ton of big changes in how you're currently doing things if you don't want to. But just being aware of how you're feeling throughout the month and what's going on in your body and brain can be really powerful information in itself.

I'm so excited for you to hear this conversation. So, let's go ahead and meet Corinne!

Topics Covered:

  • The different phases (or seasons) of our cycle

  • How we typically feel during each of these phases

  • Cycle syncing and breaking down each phase to optimize productivity and creativity

  • Corrine's recommendations for cycle-tracking apps

MEET Corinne:

Corinne is a former High School teacher turned Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Entrepreneur, Podcaster, and Speaker who empowers women to use food and lifestyle to address the root cause of their hormone imbalances and honor their cyclical nature. Corinne specializes in helping women have regular, pain and PMS-free periods, activate fertility for conception & healthy pregnancy, have more energy and better moods, safely stop birth control, thrive with PCOS, and overall improve their quality of life.

Corinne’s passion for wellness came out of her own health struggles of an irregular/nonexistent period, migraines, body rashes, facial hair growth, and IBS, all of which stemmed from undiagnosed PCOS. It’s now her mission to help as many women as possible understand their cycle and fertility and how to support themselves naturally so they can feel their best, be their best, and fully reach their potential.

Connect with Corrine:

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  • Sara Whittaker 0:00

    Have you ever heard of cycle thinking cycle thinking is the practice of adapting your health and lifestyle habits to fit the four phases of your menstrual cycle. I first learned about this idea when I was listening to a podcast episode, and I found it so interesting. You can lean in to the different phases of your cycle in your personal life, but also as an entrepreneur, and podcaster. If you are a woman who is listening to this episode, it's really cool to think that our own bodies can be such a powerful tool when it comes to our creativity and productivity throughout the month. And even if you're not a woman, I think that you might find this episode really interesting. And we'll be able to apply some of these ideas into your own routines and work schedule. You may or may not know about all the details of the cycle phases. But I know this is something that was not explained in a clear way to many of us when we were growing up. I have today's guest Corinne Angelica on the podcast to break everything down for us, she shares about the different phases of our cycle and how we're feeling in each phase, plus what to do if you aren't experiencing these phases. And then she goes on to tell us how you can really lean into these different phases to plan your work schedule and podcasting schedule around the way that you're feeling. One of the biggest takeaways that Corinne shares is that you don't have to go and make a ton of big changes in the way that you're currently doing things if you don't want to. But just being aware of how you're feeling throughout the month, and what's going on in your body and your brain can be really powerful information in itself. Corinne is a former high school teacher turned certified holistic nutritionist, entrepreneur, podcaster, and speaker who empowers women to use food and lifestyle to address the root cause of their hormone imbalances and honor their cyclical nature. If you're listening to this episode, be sure to tag Corinne and I on Instagram. I'm going to leave those links in the description and in the show notes for this episode. But I'm so excited for you to hear this conversation. So let's go ahead and get into it. Your Podcast is a powerful tool that serves your audience and your business. But how do you manage it all bring in new listeners and convert those listeners into customers. That's what this show is all about. Welcome to podcasting for educators. I'm Sara Whittaker, classroom teacher turn podcast manager, and I'm here to help you get the most out of your shell, all while making an impact on other educators. All right, we are here with Corinne Corinne, it's been a long time coming, getting this interview to work out. I'm so glad that you're here today. Welcome.

    Corinne Angelica 2:39

    Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for being patient. It's been a long time coming because I've messed up so many times, nothing to do with Sarah. I'm a new mom. And I clearly don't know how to read a calendar now is just the most wild thing. And I missed this interview twice already. So I'm so grateful that you're so patient and so understanding and I'm so happy to finally be here today. Listen,

    Sara Whittaker 3:01

    I get it and people listening get it you're you have How old is your daughter now? Four months actually, today as we're recording, okay, and four months is like that's the time when they get their first like sleep regression. Usually, too. Yeah, your brain is mush. I really got to

    Corinne Angelica 3:17

    freeze. It's fresh in a different way than it was a few months ago. It's just like, I don't even know what's happening. But here,

    Sara Whittaker 3:23

    we just take it day by day. That's what I'm still doing. And my daughter is six. Yes. Okay. So I think I first heard about you, when I was listening to a podcast, and I think you're a guest on the podcast. And then I found your podcast, and did like a huge binge of it. I love your podcast. And I love that you're a former teacher, right? Yeah. And I've got lots of teachers who are listening to this podcast, so they can definitely relate with that. And I was like, Man, I'd love to have her on the show. I was trying to wrack my brain to see what a good fit topic would be. And I've heard you talk about cycle thinking before. And I this is something that I'm still learning about. I don't know too much about it. But I am fascinated by it. And I think that it's a really amazing tool that we can use as business owners and as moms alike in so many different aspects of our lives. So I'd love to focus on that today cycle thinking and I thought maybe we could start by you just kind of explaining the different phases of our cycle and kind of how we're feeling in each of those phases. I feel. I mean, honestly, when I first heard you describing this, I am like I didn't even I I'm what 30 something years old and I don't even know this much about my body. And this is Oh, it's so interesting to hear about so I'd love for you to kind of start there. Yeah,

    Corinne Angelica 4:52

    totally. So this is like what I'm actually excited about to get my cycle back because I'm currently breastfeeding so I don't have my son I go back yet, and I and obviously when I was pregnant and have it so I like miss those fluctuations because once you actually know what's going on and you're able to like tap into it, it makes so much sense. And it just is so cool to be able to experience all those different sides of yourself. Because you are fluctuating every month like, it's, you're not going to feel the same every single day, you're not going to want to do the same things your nutrition needs are gonna change, like everything shifts, but we live in a society that is male dominated, where we don't learn anything about our cycles, like not to knock any teachers, obviously, it was a teacher, but we learned about like rocks in school. And we like don't learn about our bodies. Like it's so crazy. I'm like, what, and this has nothing to do with the teachers. It's just what they tell you to teach. Yeah, it's completely ridiculous. So anyway, I didn't learn about this till I was in my late 20s. Also. So if you're listening to this, and you're like, I'm my late 20s, my early 30s. I know about this, like, how would you because nobody tells you about it. So we think that like, okay, it's what I used to think was you got your period. And like that's, that's it like, it's just your period. But it's called a menstrual cycle, because there are phases your cycle. And the reason the reason why it's called phases is because your hormones are fluctuating throughout the month in a predictable pattern. So there's specific things that are happening in each phase of your cycle, that's going to shift how your hormones are going to shift how you feel. So for example, I'll start with your menstrual phase, because that's what we all know about was when we're bleeding. And this is what we used to think well for me was just like the whole kit caboodle, and it's just one piece of it, there are four phases all together, I like to think of them like seasons. So because again, it comes in a predictable pattern. So the menstrual phase, I like to think of like winter, this is the phase where your hormones are at their absolute lowest levels, your estrogen, we're talking specifically about your sex hormones, there's a lot of other hormones, but specifically your sex hormones, your estrogen, your progesterone and testosterone are at their lowest levels. And that's what actually stimulates the bleed to happen. So because your hormones are at their lowest levels, your energy is going to be lower, your sex drive is going to be lower, you are generally going to want to turn more inward. Now this does not mean that extreme fatigue is normal or pain during your period is normal. None of that is normal. You'll notice a downtick in your energy, just like you should still have energy to go through your day and do what you need to do. But you're just not like bouncing off the walls, you know what I mean? And you just generally want to be more inward like this is when you are kind of in like hibernation, like winter, like, that's exactly what it feels like, you just kind of want to be more alone, you want to introspect a little bit more, you're not interested in socializing and doing all this other things. So and that's exactly because of where your hormone levels are at. So that phase is about three to seven days long. That's like the amount of length of time you should be bleeding. It was any less than that or any longer than that, you know, you have an imbalance going on. So that's the menstrual phase. Do you want me to just continue to go through all the phases?

    Sara Whittaker 7:52

    Yeah, I do. I do. I am curious, do some people really only have like a three day menstrual?

    Corinne Angelica 7:57

    Oh, yeah. Mine was generally like four ish days, maybe sometimes five. But sometimes it has to be at least three days, if it's any less than that, you most likely have too low of estrogen levels. So you're not building up that uterine lining enough where it's then shedding. And again, a lot of people are like, Oh, mine is like 10 days and like get it's way too long, you most likely have too much estrogen. So three days is totally fine if you're like actually bleeding. But if it's just like a little bit of spotting for a couple days, like that's when we want to start looking at stuff, you should have like a good a good flow for about three days, or three to seven. And then that and then we'll go into like tasks and stuff like that after but I'll just give an overview first. So then we move into the follicular phase and your whole cycle. In general, when I say cycle, I mean from day one that you get your period until the day before you get your period. Again, that's your full cycle. And the normal quote unquote, normal cycle is anywhere between some people say 21 to 35 days, I prefer my clients to be in the 25 to 35 day range, it does not mean you have to have a 28 day cycle. Most people don't have a 20 day cycle. Most people are either a little bit less or a little bit more than that. But that's what it means when it's disabled day you start bleeding until the day before you bleed again, right? So that first menstrual phase is about three to seven days long. After that your follicular phase, the length of time is going to shift for everybody. And it's the most variable time of your cycle because this is the phase leading up to ovulation and you're out of the follicular phase once you actually ovulate and your ovulation date is not always the same. Because your ovulation will shift based on your stress levels on your sleep patterns on things that are going on because it's just a direct response to your body and that internal external environment really affects it. So the length of time is different so people can have a seven day follicular phase it could be 10 days, 15 days, it totally depends. But what's happening in this phase, it's like spring, your hormones are now starting to rise coming out of winter coming out of the menstrual phase so your estrogen levels are increasing and your testosterone levels are increasing. So you will notice a big shift in your energy. After you're done with your period, when you enter the follicular phase, you feel like oh, like I'm waking up like the flowers are blooming like, okay, like, I'm back, I'm back. Yeah, exactly like your energy is just increasing a bit, along with your mood. And then towards the end of your follicular phase, you'll notice that more uptick in your sex drive and in your energy a ton, because that is leading us into the ovulation phase, which is like summer. And this is when your estrogen your testosterone levels are at their absolute highest, because your body is super smart. And even though if you are not trying to get pregnant doesn't matter. That's what your body is like. That's what the menstrual cycle is designed to do. So it's going to increase your sex drive around that time. And again, this is if your hormones are balanced, if your hormones are not balanced, you might not notice these shifts, because you have things that are off. Some people be like, Oh, but I haven't have a sex drive. Maybe you were on hormonal birth control. Also, I should have said this when beginning. If you are on Bronto birth control, or if you're pregnant, you do not experience the cycle phases. Okay, so you're saying because when you're on hormonal birth control, specifically, the pill, the NuvaRing, the shot, the implant and some IUDs your ovulation is completely turned off the the communication from your brand to your ovaries is no longer happening, you're not actually getting a true period, it's just a withdrawal bleed from the medication. So your hormonal system is offline. So you are not experiencing a menstrual fate, any phases, you're just pretty much like chronically in like a flick of a phase, I guess. But you're it's just not happening. So if you're on hormonal birth control, you will not experience these shifts, because you're not ovulating. So you're the cycle is not complete.

    Sara Whittaker 11:41

    Wow, interesting. So is that why I don't know if this is even true or not. But I know I've heard people say, if you've been on birth control for a long time, once you get off of it, you're probably going to need your body, you're going to need to give your body some time before you're going to be able to get pregnant is that,

    Corinne Angelica 11:59

    oh, I recommend giving your body a lot of time because you also the thing with birth control is this could be a whole nother episode of itself. But um, because it's turning off the communication from your brand to your ovaries, and you're getting pumped with synthetic hormones. So your actual natural production of hormones are there, it's not happening. Because in order to produce natural hormones, you have to be ovulating. And that's and you're not doing that. So when you come off of hormonal birth control, not only does your body has to like relearn what's going on, have your hopefully start ovulating again. You also are nutrient depleted now because your birth control does deplete you of nutrients, your your thyroid can be negatively impacted your gut, your liver. So like there's a lot of things that need to be put in place. Some people get pregnant while they're on birth control. So we will get pregnant as soon as they come off. I don't recommend that even if you could get pregnant, the goal isn't just to get pregnant to have a safe and healthy and thriving pregnancy. So I always recommend ideally, I like my clients to be off birth control for like a year and a half, two years before getting pregnant. Bare minimum I would say like six to eight months bare minimum, because you want to build up that progesterone level again, you want to make sure that you're actually ovulating again, because progesterone is a sex hormone that holds on to allows you to get pregnant and stay pregnant. And I don't recommend ever just stopping birth control. I really recommend supporting your body with proper supplementation, nutrient changes, things like that before you actually stop because most people don't just go on for contraceptive reasons some people do but a lot of people go on for acne or for heavy periods or for irregular periods and we're told isn't gonna regulate your period, this is going to lengthen your period out it looks like it's doing that. But it's not actually doing that like putting a bandaid on it. So then when you come off of it, you just took the band aid off, and now the bleed is still there. So you still have to heal what's actually happening, especially if you do want to get pregnant. Hmm,

    Sara Whittaker 13:47

    this is like so interesting. And I know we're gonna have a total conversation maybe, maybe you have I bet you have like a podcast episode on this topic that I can link in the show notes.

    Corinne Angelica 13:55

    Oh, yes. Yeah, I have multiple to if you go to Module hormones, podcasts and you search birth control, I probably have at least five probably more like dedicated to this topic. So definitely check that out. If anyone's interested in birth control stuff for sure. Go check those episodes out. Perfect. Yeah. So that was flipped with phase. That's the spring your hormones are increasing. Then you get to ovulation, your estrogen, your testosterone levels are at their highest. So you're going to feel a lot more energy, you're going to feel energetic, you're going to notice an uptick in your cervical mucus production. Because that's like going to be now like a raw egg white consistency. So that is the actual cervical mucus that is required for you to get pregnant. You can't get pregnant without cervical mucus, and you're fertile. In this ovulation window. You're only fertile five to six days out of the month. So this phase is about five to six days. However, ovulation is only one day the follicle grows, it bursts and the egg is released. So it's only one day that you're actually ovulating. But the reason why you're fertile for only five to six days is because sperm can stay alive. In that cervical mucus that you are producing around ovulation for up to five days, so say you have sex on like a Monday and you have that raw egg white consistency like okay, I know I'm fertile. I know I'm approaching ovulation because you're going to see that raw egg white consistency as you are approaching ovulation. Not after you want to have sex before you ovulate not after you ovulate in order to get pregnant or not have sex if you want to avoid pregnancy. So you have sex on a Monday and that cervical mucus is present. The sperm can stay alive in there. If you ovulate on Friday, you can still get pregnant because the sperm is just chillin in that cervical mucus waiting for the egg to drop and then going after it. Oh, crazy. So cool. Yeah, but you're gonna feel more like energetic, you're gonna be happier because your estrogen levels are super high. So it's kind of like you're going through life with rose colored glasses like things don't bother you as much as in a better mood. You're like, This is amazing. Like, it's so awesome. And that is during your ovulation phase. And that's like summertime, like everyone's in a better mood in summer. Yes. In my opinion, especially for teachers. Yeah,

    Sara Whittaker 16:00

    for sure. thriving.

    Corinne Angelica 16:02

    Exactly. And then after that is your luteal phase, which is the 10 to 14 days before your period. This is like autumn. Now you have the progesterone, progesterone Do you have the hormone progesterone on the scene because ovulation is what produces progesterone before that you didn't have progesterone in this in this whole mix yet. So this is where your moods are really going to shift because I have a whole nother hormone now that came on to play if you were actually ovulating. And progesterone is a hormone that is so important. Like I said, it's the hormone that's needed to get and stay pregnant. But it's also really important for your hair, your nails, your thyroid, your skin, to reduce anxiety, to get rid of PMS, to get rid of painful periods to reduce your chances of osteoporosis and endometrial cancer and heart disease later in life. Like it's really, really important. But this is why in your luteal phase, you're going to start feeling that desire to go more inward, not as much as your menstrual phase, you're going to feel less like being social, you're going to want to kind of just like chill a little bit like you're going to see if you want to put like sweat pants on. More like you want to do more back end things and kind of the behind the scenes a little bit. Just because you're You're also more introspective, you have, you're a little bit more critical in this phase, you're not as like, everything is amazing, you could see things in a little bit of a different way. So this is a really great time. We'll we'll talk about that after. But that's what your hormone levels are doing. So your progesterone is now here, but your estrogen your testosterone levels are decreasing. So your sex drive is naturally going to go down, which is so normal, if you're like, oh, I don't like feel that into it. Or like when I get close to a period because your hormone levels aren't there. So it's very, very normal. And that's what's happening. And then everything drops or your hormones drop. And that's what stimulates your period. And then you start the cycle over again.

    Sara Whittaker 17:47

    There's like so crazy. We go through that every single month like mind blowing, it's crazy. I also feel like I just learned so much in such a short period of time, you might need to go back to the classroom and be a health teacher because like, literally, I didn't learn about this. My OB has never explained things this way. Yeah, nobody

    Corinne Angelica 18:10

    does. It's insane. When I first learned about this, I was like, why so crazy.

    Sara Whittaker 18:14

    Yeah. And I love how you compare them to the different seasons. Because for me, that's just it like paints that visual. And it makes so much sense. So okay, knowing this information and knowing that hopefully, like you said, if things are balanced, and you're experiencing this cycle throughout the month, how can we as business owners and as podcasters? How can we use that information when it comes to like our work schedule and the different things that we have to do in our business? Yeah,

    Corinne Angelica 18:44

    and this is so huge. And this is like what I miss in a way about it because I like love doing this? Well, first just being aware of it, right? Like, if you're just learning about this, what I first would recommend is number one, actually making sure you're ovulating. Because what if you're tracking your period on like a your cycle on a period app, it'll say like, we'll have like the flower on the day that like you're ovulating. That is not accurate whatsoever. That's just like an algorithm, right? It's just pinpointing. Okay, she got her period, this is this is probably when she ovulates. But it's not telling you that you actually did or the actual timeframe, so I would make sure that you actually are ovulating because if you're not, you're not gonna experience these fluctuations, and you're gonna be like, what, what is she talking about? I don't feel this. If you go to Episode 123 of my podcast, it'll teach you how to actually track your ovulation using your cervical mucus patterns and your basal body temperature. So definitely go because that could be a whole hour long thing too. So go check out that episode. So you first know that you're actually ovulating and you're confirming ovulation because that is like the anchor point. So at your cycle and ovulation are the anchor points so you know what phase you're actually in and you could actually track it so knowing obviously you know when you're bleeding so you know that's your menstrual phase and then when you could pinpoint ovulation, then you'll be able to know Okay, this is my Flipo phase. And then this is where my luteal phases. So that would be step number one. And then once you confirm all of that, really just first noticing, listening to like the descriptions that I gave, and then I have a download for this also a cycle phase and productivity guide, it's totally free, I'll send you the link, you can put it in the show notes. It's all about like the tasks that are most supportive in every single phase of your cycle. So I'll give that you you could have to you guys can download if you want, it's completely free. And it goes through the phases like I talked, but also with different tasks and stuff like that. So I would just feel into the shifts and notice what's actually happening in your body. And then you could start actually mapping things out with it. So what I would say for the, for your menstrual phase, this is the time where you want to really listen to your intuition, your brain, your left and right hemisphere of your brain are communicating better than in any other phase of your cycle. So it's kind of like the veil is lifted a little bit like you're able to really tap into that intuition. And a lot of people will be like, Oh, she's just like PMS saying like, it's, you know, you're just feeling this way, because you had PMS is real. And it's PMS equals like, you just have low progesterone levels, that's exactly what's happening. But if you're getting a strong like hit with something like, oh, I have an idea for a podcast, or, Oh, I'm feeling like I want to shift this way. Like really, like take the time. And it's just hard for business owners to actually slow down and feel like you're being productive when you're not actually quote unquote, doing something. But this is the time to do that, and really reflect on the previous month. What felt really good, what didn't feel really good, what was like, letting me up, what do I how do I feel like I want to move forward this month, because you have the space and the intuition for it. But you also then have the brain capacity to figure out a plan to get you there. So it really take the time in this face. Like I don't know, if you're some people a journal or some people aren't, I personally am a journal. And I love it. That's kind of how I process so if you want to just like journal stuff out, if you want to go for a walk and like voice message yourself, whatever it is, this is really the time to slow down and go inward and like kind of reflect on what's going on. So you could move forward with what actually feels good to you, instead of always looking outward at like, Oh, they're doing this or they're doing this, I'm just gonna be very easy to do, especially with social media. So that's like the most effective thing to do during your menstrual phase.

    Sara Whittaker 22:18

    Awesome. I'm thinking like in terms of podcasting, maybe if you have an idea for like a podcast series that you want to plan out, that might be a good time, or we have a lot of people who do live launches like maybe during this cycle, it might be a good time to really kind of nail down those plans and think about how you want to approach something like a live launch. Is that right lined

    Corinne Angelica 22:37

    up. So it's, it's, well, that might be more sort of another phase, which we'll get to me this is more just like, the little pings that you get a black goo. I had an idea that I wanted to reach out to so and so or like, Oh, if for podcasting wise, like it specific, like a direction maybe you want to go it's kind of not as concrete, it's just more of like, tuning in to what feels good. And what did it feel good. Okay, the more concrete stuff is going to be in your luteal phase. So which we'll get to so after your menstrual phase, your follicular phase, this is the brainstorming phase. So this is where once you determine like, Okay, this feels really good. This is like kind of the direction goes when my intuition is telling me what to do. Like these are the topics I'm really kind of interested about. The flicker phase is where your brainstorming is, this is where you want to really plan things out. Like this is the planning phase. So it's like, I would have like a separate notebook for your follicular phase. That's like your brainstorm on that you always go back to when you're like, Okay, I want to talk about X, Y, that you're just gonna have so many ideas like let your ideas flows your creative phase. So like, let allow it to just like blossom, kind of like a flower, like in spring, it's just like coming up, like write all your ideas down. Again, this could be really like specific topic ideas, or even like a full blown like script of what you want to talk about on your podcast, whatever it is. But this is the brainstorming idea. This could also be you brainstorming ideas of like how to collaborate with other podcasters an idea that you want to do like a podcast swap or how you can start monetizing your podcast how you can talk about it, like just whatever. It doesn't have to be related your podcasts just brainstorm about anything that could then lead to the podcast, but this is the brainstorming the planning the creativity phase. And if you have like one note before it, you can always go back and be like, Oh, what did I put in the last month that I wasn't able to probably get to because you have so many ideas. This is like the idea phase. So give yourself the space for that creativity, whether it's going on a walk, whether it's like five or 10 minutes before you do work just like brain dump stuff, writing it pen to paper, whatever it is. That's like that's the perfect face for that. Perfect. That makes total sense. Yeah. And then your ovulation phase. This is when you want to be more social. This is when you want to talk this is when you're actually more able because your brain changes throughout your brain change about 25% throughout the month because of where your hormone levels are at. So where your hormone levels are at during ovulation, your brain is more primed for being able to communicate more effectively, whatever you want to talk about. So this is a perfect time if you like batch creating, this is the time to like record a ton of podcasts to go and interview other people or to be on other podcasts to launch like launching is the best time is during ovulation because you're not in your head as much. You're more able to like manifest and really like see the goal coming to like really believe in yourself more like you're able to have that outward energy and feel really social feel more confident in yourself like this is the phase where it's aquas your estrogen levels are so high. Those studies have show that you actually look better during ovulation phase, you're more magnetic like because if you think about it, the egg right, right when you're ovulating a follicle grows, it releases it first and the egg is released and the egg attracts the sperm, right? It sends out a signal it drives us from crazy and the sperm then gets drawn to the egg. So you'll literally magnetic like that's what's actually happening. So it's just a really great phase to, to launch anything to record to batch record to go on to the podcast to reach out to people to network.

    Sara Whittaker 26:06

    This is a perfect face for that. Awesome. Yeah, you're like feeling good about yourself. Totally Yeah. And you can

    Corinne Angelica 26:12

    get your ideas across better. So if you're like pitching someone to go on their show, or to have them on your show, you can explain it and articulate it better than in any other phase during this phase. Love it. Yeah. And then your luteal phase is more backend stuff. So this is more of like organizing, doing stuff that's not as much forward facing. So maybe editing the podcast, organizing your files, maybe doing like show notes, or also in your flip the pages when you create like graphics for the podcast if you're putting that stuff out on social media. And then your luteal phase is when you want to organize everything. So like you don't want to be as forward facing you just you're more in like the you have like a desire to like I gotta clean that junk drawer out. Like I've had these returns that are sitting in my corner for freaking two weeks, I'm gonna finally get them done like this is when you want to get shit done. You're like done procrastinating, you're closing up loopholes. So whatever like ideas maybe you had in your follicular phase, your luteal phase is where you're like closing up those loopholes. You're organizing everything, you're doing stuff on the back end. And the thing with that I also want to say about all of this is like, that doesn't mean that you can't record a podcast during your period or during a lunar phase. And you can't have good ideas during a lunar phase like, it's not meant to be restrictive. It's meant for you to capitalize on where your hormones are actually at when you can, right. The reality is there's some times when you're not just going to be able to do certain things and certain phases of your cycle. And it's not meant to, you know, put like a limit on what you can do, it's really meant for you to just use the power you have within you to make things easier, because the thing is, it's easier to be creative in your follicular phase than it is in your menstrual phase to get just in your luteal phase like it really just is. So it doesn't mean it's impossible. But why not do things when it's actually easier. And when you're primed to doing it so that you can be more effective, you can have better time management, you can feel more productive, you can actually like the things that you're doing in a in a more like, impactful way.

    Sara Whittaker 28:13

    Yeah, it makes total sense. I mean, I would imagine that if you're matching up these different tasks to these different cycles, or to these different phases, you're going to be more way more productive when you're actually doing those things. I know so many people struggle with coming up with, like, if they're producing their podcast by themselves, there's so many things that go into that you've got your your planning, your recording, your editing, your show, notes, graphics, I do it all myself, too. Yeah. So many people do that are listening. And it's a lot. And we've talked in previous episodes on here about how you're really using, like different parts of your brain for all of these different tasks. And so that's why it's really hard sometimes to sit down and knock out all of those tasks at one time, while others take that approach of okay, I'm going to batch plan, and then I'm going to record another week, and then I'm going to edit another week and it sounds like you really could match up those different tasks to the different phases, which is really, really cool.

    Corinne Angelica 29:14

    Yeah, totally. Exactly. And you're sort of find what works best for you. Like, for me that recording never felt really good. I like to be like close to the topics that are coming out. The only time I batch recorded was before I had Madison because obviously I was gonna be out for a while. Yeah, so I had to batch record a ton. But I now I'll do like two at a time just because it's easier with the baby when I have someone with her I could just like bang them out. But you just have to find what works best for you and do if this is like how you want to do it. You could totally do whatever all these different tests in different phases of your cycle and just figure out or even if you don't want to do it that way you could at least do pinpoint like, Okay, this is one I'm gonna actually be creative or I'm gonna watch something like you could just pick and choose what's going to feel best for you when you're doing it. And with like editing and stuff like that, like, I barely edit. I don't I like leave shit in it. I'm like, whatever. So it depends on like how your bio says I'm like, I don't have time to edit this. i I'm sneezing, you hear mass in the background like whatever, like we're keeping it in, like, I don't care. So but that's just my style. But anyway, it's yeah, it's so cool that we have visibility and just the awareness of it like Yeah, even if you don't change anything that you're doing, just being aware of it. If like you are creating a graphic or something in your little face, you're like, why is this taking so long? I just like cannot even think about doing this. Yeah, like, oh, that's because of where my hormone levels are at right now. Okay, so let me just like come back to it. Let me outsource it, or whatever it is.

    Sara Whittaker 30:38

    Yeah, I think that's a really good point too. Like you don't have to full fledge, jump in and like change your whole schedule. But for me, like one of the biggest things I can think about because I've noticed the difference in myself, depending on where it is during the month is doing guest interviews or guesting on other podcasts, like there are times when you just feel kind of blase about it, and you're like, not locked in. And then there's other days where it's like, wow, that felt really good. And I'm really excited to go into this interview. And I feel good about the way that I sound and the way that I look. And I feel good about being on video. So that alone might be a good place to start.

    Corinne Angelica 31:11

    Exactly. Even if you can't plan it that way. You're just like, oh, okay, that makes sense. Why it feels better this time than it did this time, you know, and like, and then doing your best like in your flicker phase is when you could look at your calendar and be like, Okay, I'm going to strategically try and plan things and like, give yourself more space in your luteal phase, your menstrual phase, as well, like don't book out your schedules during that time. Because in your follicular phase, like when you kind of are excited, you want to do things like same with ovulation. Sometimes we plan a ton of shit like for out in the month, and then you get there and in your luteal phase. And you're like, Oh my God, I don't want to do any of this. Like I have zero desire to this. And obviously we have to do certain things. But be conscious of that of when you're planning stuff like make it more like your days more heavy of stuff that you have to do in that follicular and auditory phase. And then later in your luteal and menstrual phase. That's just like one easy step that you could take to yes,

    Sara Whittaker 32:03

    that's perfect. Now I want to go back real quick. When you were first talking about like, if anybody's listening and they've never tracked their cycle before. Do you recommend like what works for you? Do you track that paper pencil? Or do you have any kind of apps that you like that do seem like they're accurate or that you can kind of customize to make it fit your exact cycle versus just having an out an algorithm? Yes,

    Corinne Angelica 32:28

    for sure. Okay, great question. So I'm not tracking it right now, because I'm not having a cycle. I'm going to start though, because you're going to ovulate before you actually get your period. So I want to know when that's happening, but my my like blanket statement recommendation is temp draw, which is a specific basal body thermometer, that it's an armband that you wear, because the thing with tracking your basal body temperature. And the reason why we track this to confirm ovulation is because like I said before, when you ovulate, you produce the hormone progesterone. And progesterone increases your metabolic rate, which increases your body temperature. So when you're taking your temperature every single day, in the morning, it has to be like your waking temperature. That's what basal body temperature means your waking temperature, you will see that from the day that you get your period until the day before you ovulate, it'll be about 97 to 97.7 degrees. And then after you ovulate, it's going to uptick about point five degrees to 98 98.8 degrees somewhere around there. Now, if you have a lower end, there's another reason why it's really important to take your temperature is because if you're noticing that it's trending lower, whether it's like 95, or 96 is that's an indication that you have a low underactive thyroid, because your thyroid is also responsible for your body temperature. So it's really just really great information to have. But the thing is, in order for you to get accurate numbers, you have to take your temperature at pretty much the same time every single morning after like a good restful night's sleep, which is your postpartum if you're a mom, if you're a shift worker, it's going to be really difficult for you to take it at the same time every day. So that's why I personally like temp drop, because it's a wearable armband that collects data throughout the night. So that it doesn't have to be that you take it every single morning at the same time for accuracy. So that's what I personally like. And you want to see again, that you have that uptick in your temperature for at least three days in a row to confirm ovulation. I explained it in more detail in the episode 123. So go listen to that. But as far as a specific thermometer, that's the one that I recommend natural cycles is also really good. And the temp job and both of these natural cycles and temp job they come with an app that you can track everything as well. And you could write in details of like, okay, I see cervical mucus on these days or I had sex on these days if you're trying to get pregnant trying to avoid pregnancy, whatever it is, but I don't recommend LH trips. I don't recommend just doing apps like I really love temp drop and natural cycles. And you could it is I don't think it's like 100 and something dollars but I have a code for two it's called a F Qur'an if you want to get a discount on it, I think it's like 11% off for temp drop not for natural cycles. Okay, third grade, you could check them both out and see which one you like the best. But I highly recommend doing this because a period is not a sign of ovulation. Just because you're bleeding every month does not mean that you're ovulating. That could just be that you had enough estrogen built up during that cycle, and now you're utilizing a shedding, but you didn't actually produce any progesterone. So it's really, really important to track that you are ovulating, whether you want to get pregnant or you don't want to get pregnant, we have to be ovulating for overall health and our longevity and our support to poor health even in menopausal years. So it's just really important.

    Sara Whittaker 35:38

    Yeah, that's one of the coolest things that I've learned that I learned from your podcast was about how you can track whether or not you're ovulating because I used to use an app. And I was like, This doesn't seem right. And I dried the strips. And then I learned about the basal body temperature and the cervical mucus and it was Yeah, it's amazing. So if you're listening and you're not experiencing all of these different changes throughout the month, I would definitely go check out Kevin's podcast, mind your hormones, because you just do such a good job of like breaking it down in a way that's easy to understand and user teacher experience. Right? I know it's again, and you just give like actual solutions to so we'll definitely link that in the show notes. You but where else can people find you besides your podcast?

    Corinne Angelica 36:28

    Yeah, so that's where again, so much information is there. So definitely head there. My Instagram at current Angelica. I'm very active over there always on stories I'm always posting I have a tick tock but like I don't really post over there often I'm going to be eventually the other rabbit hole and like, if I'm prepared to get on that right now. But I do have mainly you could find me on Instagram and all my podcast. I do put like some YouTube shorts on there and stuff too. And some podcast episodes on there if you're YouTube YouTube person, but those are the spots you could find me the most perfect

    Sara Whittaker 36:58

    I have not made the leap to Tik Tok either I think podcasts and Instagram is enough. And I'm good. With that right now. Yeah,

    Corinne Angelica 37:07

    I'll give you that link to that free download for the cycle phase and productivity guide. And I have another free resource to if anyone wants it, it's teaches you how to create hormone balanced meals. So if you are feeling like my period is irregular, I'm working on fertility, I'm actually on birth control or want to get off birth control, I don't have a cycle of whatever's going on. It's just a really good place to start. It's a training I pulled from my course the module hormones method that it's free for you to get access to. And I go through like a smoothie formula. And so it's really, it's really awesome. I could give you that link as well. So you could download that and just another resource for

    Sara Whittaker 37:40

    them. That sounds perfect. Thank you so much. And seriously, thank you for all the information breaking everything down in a way that's easy to understand. I so appreciate it.

    Corinne Angelica 37:50

    Oh my god, you're so welcome. Thank you for being so patient. So they were able to do this. And yeah, thank you for just, you know, put bringing me in front of your audience. I love teachers. I know how hard a lot of them work and podcasts are the opposite of podcasting. So it's just such a cool platform. So I hope this could just help in any way.

    Sara Whittaker 38:08

    Absolutely. Thank you so much. Thanks so much for listening to today's episode. To keep this conversation going connect with me on Instagram at podcasting for educators. I'm always looking for an excuse to talk about podcasting. If you're looking for support and launching, managing or growing your podcast. Check out my online course the podcasting for educators prep school at podcasting for educators.com/prep school. I'll see you here next time.

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Podcasting for Educators is the podcast for TpT authors and other online educators. It's a show that will help you get your podcast in front of those who need it most - teachers, counselors, literacy specialists, SLPs, parents, and more! Each week, Sara Whittaker and her guests will share top tips and actionable strategies that you will need in order to launch, manage, and grow your podcast. You’ll learn how to leverage your show to build long-lasting relationships with your audience and promote your TpT resources, courses, and memberships, all while providing valuable and accessible content!

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