Reprogramming the Workforce to Suit Women’s Biochemistry
Written by Miriam Nazim, Young Professionals Intern, UN Women USA LA
As a woman, you are blessed with two clocks, the Circadian and the Infradian rhythm. The Circadian rhythm refers to the 24-hour day and regulates daily bodily processes, like digestion, body temperature, metabolism, sleep, elimination, and the regulation of hormones. It kicks into action the day you’re born and continues ticking until you die. We naturally follow the circadian clock and are fully aware that being out of sync, can have adverse effects on one’s health, and naturally do our best to be in sync with this clock. The second clock — the Infradian rhythm begins at puberty and has 4 distinct phases and lasts for decades of reproductive years until menopause.
Modern lifestyle and conditioning by society have not taught us to be in sync with our second clock. Offices, hustle, and work culture have been designed by the 24-hour clock, which was designed decades ago keeping in mind the male workforce. Women entering the workforce was once rare and revolutionary, there wasn’t enough room to ask to accommodate our needs when we were too busy trying to prove our place at work, in careers, and in the world. Being in sync with the second clock and its 4 phases allows every woman to use her body, mind, hormones, and brain chemistry to plan, prioritize and make decisions to live an optimum lifestyle.
The male-energy cycle is based on a 24-hour clock and can be compared to the analogy of how a hockey puck works. A hockey puck is pushed across the ice, accelerates, decelerates, and eventually comes to a stop or is pushed and used until desired. Similarly, we’ve been conditioned to go as hard as we can and crash in the end. The female energy cycle, based on the 28-day cycle, is repetitive, in circles like a wheel, and is powerful, efficient, and protects itself from diseases that male counterparts may otherwise be vulnerable to. When you intentionally and strategically support the four phases of your cycle instead of simply pushing through your agenda each day, you’ll be gaining energy rather than draining it.
The four phases in our second clock — are follicular, ovulatory, luteal, and menstrual. These phases constitute and divide the 28-day cycle in a woman’s life and are closely linked with the first clock. Nourishing the body according to phase-specific needs and making small changes to diet and lifestyle can help your female reality. Biohacking by syncing with your second clock is the key to taking full advantage of your cyclical nature for many decades of your reproductive years until menopause.
CYCLICAL EATING AND DRINKING
Eating the right foods in each phase helps optimize your body and its chemistry for the next phase. Consuming phase-specific foods not only eliminates period problems but your body the boost it needs to support your cyclic hormones allowing you to be the best version of yourself by maintaining and increasing energy levels.
REPROGRAMMING THE WORKFORCE
Workplaces used to be (and often still very much are) mostly occupied by men and the current work system we have is based on what suits male bodies. We have women in the workforce and a good percentage of them are menstruating women of reproductive age with different needs compared to male bodies and some of those needs influence focus, productivity, well-being, self-confidence and communication skills, and effective performance of work. It naturally makes sense for a workplace to actively and genuinely care about a woman’s cycle. Some of the ways a workplace can make changes are by
Providing free period products:
Imagine a world where we must remember to bring our own toilet rolls to work or risk being caught short. It would be a world where we, as adults, would be forced to awkwardly ask our colleagues if they have some spare toilet paper in their bag; or make excuses to leave the office and shuffle uncomfortably to the nearest shop to buy the provisions needed. This is the reality for most women at work, a period is a perfectly natural healthy bodily function that almost every woman will experience, just like going to the toilet, women in the workplace aren’t being offered period products. Employers could offer this under adversity initiative.
Contributing to the stress management of employees:
Work can be stressful. Between managing hormones, bleeding, and pain, our period can be an additional source of stress. That’s without taking into record menstrual-related conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and perimenopause to name just a few!
Introducing yoga, mindfulness classes, or space for someone to relax and breathe. Allowing employees to take 10-minute breaks to lie down with a hot water pack or go outside for some fresh air is priceless.
Providing comprehensive health insurance:
Providing employees with comprehensive health insurance policies could revolutionize how the women in your workplace manage their periods and undiagnosed menstrual conditions that they cannot afford to get checked out. Contraception, painkillers, and medication required to help manage body conditions and access to consultants and surgeries would be a game-changer.
Author and journalist, Emma Barnett, points out in her book Period:
“Women fear being seen as weak in the workplace, so they say nothing about menstruation and any issues they might be having, tacitly reinforcing a view that we are less capable during our time of the month.”
Educate and create awareness:
Education around these issues teaches employees that there are different dimensions to women’s health and bodies. Aside from its regular cycle, there are also menstrual conditions like premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Headaches and migraines from hormonal changes could affect work. Bringing in professionals to provide educational workshops at all levels of hierarchy on women’s bodies, cycle and menstrual disorders creates awareness understanding, and empathy toward women in the workplace.
Provide more bathrooms:
Building enough toilets for women not just in the workplace but also in public areas to avoid waiting in lines. Unisex bathrooms also add trouble to the mix for menstruating women.
Establish protected policies from discrimination:
This may seem obvious but you would be surprised at how many organizations, do not have adequate policies protecting against discrimination, particularly referencing periods and menstruation. It is important to make your female employees and colleagues feel seen, heard, and respected and for their rights to be supported.
Providing menstrual leave:
Menstrual or period leave is still controversial. Women should be allowed to take time off if required. Every organization should design its own menstrual leave policy according to its business needs. An overall 8 days throughout the year could go a long way in sending a message that you are serious about women’s health and well-being.
“At the end of the day, creating a period-friendly workplace is just not enough, having female decision makers at government and health policy-making levels where decisions of women’s rights, women’s health, and women’s bodies are made would be the beginning of fairness towards women and the beginning of change.”
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Vitti, Alissa, (2021) in In the Flo. Harper Collins Publishers.
Saddington, N. (2019) Why every employer should offer free sanitary products at work, Stylist. The Stylist Group. Available at: https://www.stylist.co.uk/long-reads/free-sanitary-products-period-tampons-pads-at-work/334730 (Accessed: November 14, 2022).
