How your menstrual cycle affects your business (with Mel Laird)
Have you ever had days of huge self-doubt, questioning your business, your decisions, your whole path, with absolutely no idea why it hit you that day of all days? ✨
I've had exactly that experience, and it turns out it wasn't random at all. In episode 6 of Soul & Strategy, I sat down with Mel Laird, an Aussie certified menstrual cycle coach, inner growth coach, and reproductive biologist based in New Zealand, to talk about the connection between our cycles, our self-doubt, our people-pleasing patterns, and yes, even our business.
Listen to the full episode above, or keep reading for the highlights.
Mel's own story of burnout
Mel spent years in a competitive academic and scientific career, deeply in her head, disconnected from her body, and excellent at ignoring her own limits to stay productive. That worked, until it didn't. About eight years ago, she hit a huge burnout, right after finishing her PhD and starting a new job she genuinely couldn't show up for.
That burnout became her wake-up call. Two things led her to the work she does now: being diagnosed with endometriosis, and unpacking the fears underneath her patterns - the fear of not being smart enough, the fear of not being liked if she wasn't always available. That's the good girl, people-pleasing pattern many of us know intimately, where we override our own needs to keep everyone else comfortable.
Your cycle isn't the problem, it's the messenger
One of the most powerful reframes Mel shared is this: your cycle is usually a mirror, not the actual problem. Painful periods, bad PMS, mood swings - they're often reflecting something else going on in your life: leaky boundaries, a draining job, a relationship that isn't working, or something you're simply not addressing yet.
Our cycles are far more sensitive to our lives than we tend to give them credit for.
Why you might feel more self-doubt right before your period
This one hit close to home for me. I used to have random waves of self-doubt about my business with no clear trigger, until my partner pointed out a pattern: it kept happening a few days before my period.
Once I understood that, those thoughts lost their power over me. I still notice the self-doubt, and it's valid, but I now know it will pass once my period arrives. That's the reassurance Mel talks about too; understanding the cyclic pattern behind a wobble means you can trust it will shift rather than spiralling into "what's wrong with me."
How to actually start connecting with your cycle
Mel's biggest message here is that it's genuinely not your fault if you feel disconnected from your cycle. Most of us were never taught this; it's often treated as a taboo rather than a normal, healthy part of life.
Her simplest starting point is a two- to five-minute daily check-in using what she calls the four bodies method: a quick note on how you're feeling mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, one word or symbol per category. No app required; pen and paper work fine.
Doing this every single day matters more than doing it perfectly. The goal isn't reciting "this happens on day three"; it's building an embodied, intuitive sense of where you are in your cycle, especially useful if your cycle length varies, since Mel explains that tracking ovulation (rather than counting days from your period) gives a much more reliable read than the calendar ever will
Using your energy to plan your business, not just your day
This is where it gets really practical for anyone building a business. Mel's approach is to use her higher energy phases to protect and prepare for her lower energy ones, rather than trying to be equally "on" every single day.
For me, that translates directly into how I run this podcast. I don't try to record and publish an episode every single week in real time. When I have the energy and I'm inspired, I'll record four episodes in one sitting and schedule them out. That's consistency on a monthly scale rather than a daily one, which fits how our energy actually works.
Mel was clear on an important trap here too: using your high energy phase to cram in as much as possible is still overdoing it. If you constantly squeeze every bit of output out of your "juicy" phases without ever just enjoying that energy for yourself, you end up depleted, and eventually those high energy phases stop showing up altogether. Keeping some of that energy for yourself is part of what makes the whole cycle sustainable.
The link between people pleasing and your cycle
If you're someone who says yes out of obligation, who keeps the peace, who's everyone's go-to person for help, Mel explained how that tendency can get amplified during more outward-focused, social phases of your cycle. It's easy to overcommit when you're feeling capable and energised, and then find yourself exhausted trying to deliver on all of it once your period arrives.
The flip side is powerful too. There are points in your cycle where boundaries and saying no come more naturally. Learning to recognise those points means you can lean on them, saving harder conversations or bigger no's for the phase where you can hold them with more conviction.
Key takeaways
Your cycle is often a mirror of what's already happening in your life, not a random inconvenience.
Self-doubt or mood shifts that show up at a consistent point in your cycle are worth tracking; understanding the pattern can take away a lot of their power.
A simple daily check-in, just a word or two on how you're feeling, is enough to start building awareness, no app or perfect system required.
Planning content or business tasks around your energy, even on a monthly rather than daily scale, is still consistency.
People pleasing patterns can intensify during more outward-focused cycle phases. Knowing your own pattern helps you protect your energy and your boundaries.
Want to track your own energy?
Mel has a free energy tracking map to help you start noticing your own patterns across your cycle.
And if what came up around self-doubt or people pleasing felt familiar, that's honestly a big part of the inner work I do with my own coaching clients too, alongside the practical business strategy. If that's something you want support with, you're welcome to book a free Soul Business Start-Up Session with me, we'll look at what's currently coming up for you and what could help ✨
Book your free Soul Business Start-Up Session
Listen to the full episode above for the complete conversation with Mel, and you can find her on Instagram @melanie.laird.coach for more. If you enjoyed this episode, follow the Soul & Strategy podcast so you don't miss what's next.
With love,
Sabine 🤍
