3 STEP GUIDE TO
Cycle syncing your life to
optimise your productivity and
hit your goals with less stress
With Pirita Yoga
HI, I'M PIRITA
A Finn living in Australia, a puppy mum, a yoga teacher turned into a
menstrual cycle coach and an ex-career-ladder-climber who turned her
passion into a business.
When for years and years I struggled with PMS, migraines and period pain,
going from one contraceptive to another hoping they would “fix me” and
increase my energy levels, and pushed myself to be more and more
productive every day just to find myself stressed out on the daily, I really
wish there was a menstrual cycle coach in my life back then.
That’s why I’m here for Y-O-U today.
In this guide I will help you re-think your goals so that they serve your
bigger vision and sync your lifestyle with your cycle so that you can show
up as your best self each day to get more done with less stress.
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Let's talk about your cycle
What are the different hormonal phases, how do the
hormones & phases affect your productivity,
motivation and stress levels
2 Setting goals
Setting realistic goals
My step-by-step system for setting smart goals
3 Cycle syncing
Taking care of yourself in each phase
Optimising your hormone health & productivity
Cycle syncing check-list
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR CYCLE
Phases of the hormonal cycle
Menstruation
Time when you're on your period - usually
3-5 days but this can differ. This is when
your hormone & energy levels are at the
lowest. Your intuition is stronger in this
phase and we have a natural tendency to
crave more rest and nurturing in this phase.
Luteal Follicular
From ovulation until your From the last days of
next period. This phase is your period until
usually the longest - ovulation. During this
around 10-16 days. Your phase, your estrogen
estrogen levels decrease levels rise and your body
and progesterone levels produces more serotonin
rise and you may be and dopamine = you feel
used to experiencing happier, focused and
PMS during this phase. motivated.
The days just before
period can be very low
energy so take that as a
sign to slow down.
Ovulation
Around half-way through your cycle (usually
around days 14-17). Ovulation can be late
though - one way to track your ovulation is
with a basal thermometer as your body
temperature rises after ovulation.
Testosterone & estrogen are at their highest
and you might feel very confident, goal
focused & social.
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
SETTING REALISTIC GOALS
That you can actually achieve
The 3 pillars of goal setting
When it comes to setting goals that you can achieve with little stress there are
three important things to keep in mind.
1. You should be in charge of your goals, not the other way around. Meaning that
your goals should be set based on how much time, energy and focus you have to
put into working towards them. We often set goals that are unrealistic because we
don't have enough energy and time for achieving them and end up stressed out,
burnt out and feeling like a failure.
2. Your personal and business goals are equally important. Another huge mistake I
know especially new entrepreneurs or ambitious women make, is only setting
business goals and not taking personal health goals into consideration which often
leads to ignoring self-care. When there's no time allocated for self-care such as
stress-reduction and exercising, you won't have the energy you need in order to
reach your goals.
3. Your goals should support your life and your life should support your goals.
Cycle syncing your goals doesn't mean that you only do creatives things in the
spring phase or only take action in the summer phase. There will inevitably be
seasons of hustle in your life and business (which need to be balanced with
seasons of rest) and cycle syncing is about figuring out how you can best support
yourself through each different phase of your cycle while working on your goals.
And the MOST important thing?
Actively preventing, managing and reducing stress. Stress can manifest as a variety
of things but it all comes down to hormones. When you're fighting a stressor, your
reproductive system takes a back seat. And you won't get all the amazing benefits
that estrogen, testosterone and progesterone have, like increased production of
serotonin and dopamine. All this leads to less energy, less focus and goals that slip
away.
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
SETTING SMART GOALS
Step-by-step
Where do you want to be in a year from now?
What will your ideal life look like? How do you want to feel? How much freedom
will you have? What do you spend most of your time on? How much money are
you making? Where will you live? How will you feel in your body & mind?
Set your annual goals - 3 & 3 realistic goals
You will only set 3 business goals & 3 personal goals based on your desires to
avoid overwhelm, be hyper focused and actually reach your goals.
Remember the 3 pillars of goal setting and think about where you're now in your
life and what resources you have available to move the needle. If your goals aren't
realistic, dial them down slightly. So that you truly believe you can reach them but
also so that they are a little scary. Remember that there's no rush. Your goals &
dreams don't expire. They should support your bigger vision so that this year is just
one step in your 5, 10 or 20 year vision.
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
SETTING SMART GOALS
Step-by-step
Why? What is the deeper reason behind your goals?
Do you want a better life for yourself? Do you want more time with your family?
Do you want to feel more at ease? You don't connect with the goals if they are just
words on paper - you connect with the emotions behind them.
Break your annual goals down to quarterly goals
Think about what you can realistically achieve in the next 90 days and in every 3-
month period going forward. Don't go into too much detail yet - just write down
bigger projects or steps that you need to focus on to reach your annual goals.
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
SETTING SMART GOALS
Step-by-step
Break your quarterly goals down into monthly goals
And this is where the fun begins! You can think about what you can realistically get
done each month and specifically in each cycle and in each different phase of your
cycle. For example, if you're hoping to land a certain number of podcast interviews,
do your best to schedule them to spring/summer phases of your cycle. If your goal
is to have 9 interviews in a quarter, that would mean 3 in every spring/summer
phase when you'll be at your best.
Schedule your first steps into your calendar
So that your goals don't just turn into dreams that you never start taking action on,
you need to create a solid, tangible plan. Identify the first three steps to each goal
and mark them into your calendar (remember, these are small steps) and then stick
to your schedule!
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
CYCLE SYNCING
For hitting your goals with
less stress
Menstruation phase - Inner winter
If you're someone who suffers from painful and heavy periods, I highly encourage
you to rest for the whole first day or two of your cycle. If that's not possible, at
least schedule in nap time, yoga nidra or yin yoga to really switch off.
Taking extra time for self-care in every winter phase could be one of the goals you
set, which makes it much easier to prioritise, because you want to reach your goals,
am I right?
Journal, meditate and slow down in winter phase. Listen to your intuition and
connect with your soul. Trust your gut and know that your intuition is always
guiding you to the RIGHT direction.
Your menstruation phase check-list
Rest & reflect. Your intuition is at it's strongest so set an intention listening to it
Connect with nature
Practise grounding yin yoga to alleviate pain, reduce stress and clear energy
blocks
Eat earthy foods and add things like kale, mushrooms, beets & sunflower seeds
to your diet
Consider adding magnesium glycinate & zink to your supplement range
When you feel more energetic, start with mapping out what you need to get
done in this cycle and what you'll do each day. Remember the 3 pillars of goal
setting
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
CYCLE SYNCING
Follicular phase - inner spring
Now you know that follicular phase can be awesome because of estrogen. The best
thing you can do for your productivity is prevent stress so that your body can
focus on producing those mood-boosting feel-good hormones. Serotonin helps
you to be more alert and focused as well as more positive and creative. Dopamine
on the other hand can give you a motivation and confidence boost.
If you are someone whose periods are usually heavy or you get migraines, you
want to support your body (liver) with flushing out excess estrogen.
Your follicular phase check-list
Get clear on your goals. Ideally, you will have set annual goals that you have
broken down to quarterly and monthly goals and then you take what you can
to work on in this cycle. Focus on tasks that require planning or creativity in this
phase.
Manage stress by working with your sleep-wake cycle: avoid blue light in the
evenings, sleep in a dark room and try to get sunlight during the day
Eliminate excess estrogen by moving your body more, sweating and doing
twisting yoga poses
Add foods such as broccoli, zucchini, carrot and artichoke to your diet. Make
sure you get enough fiber and water so that your digestive system works well
to eliminate estrogen
Meditate to stay focused, reduce stress and increase productivity
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
CYCLE SYNCING
Ovulation phase - inner summer
If you've actively managed stress through the first two phases and prioritised self-
care, chances are that you're feeling very energetic, confident and motivated in this
phase.
Stay focused on your goals that you have set and make sure that you focus on
activities that help you reach your goals. For example, as an entrepreneur, your
business goals are most likely financial. So you want to focus on income-generating
activities.
Even though summer phase is a great time to work hard, don't forget your
personal health goals. When your cup is full, it's easier to pour into your business
goals. Reduce stress already in preparation for luteal phase.
Your ovulation phase check-list
Keep your blinders on - don't compare yourself to others and only focus on
tasks that will get you closer to YOUR goals. Not your favourite IG-influencer's
Have quiet time during your otherwise busy days - for example, do a morning
meditation, go for a mid-day walk in nature and end your day by reading a
book
Opt for stronger yoga flows and weight training
Add foods such as capsicum, spinach, quinoa, turmeric and Brussels sprouts
into your diet
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
CYCLE SYNCING
Luteal phase - inner autumn
If you have history of PMS, you might notice a very big shift in how you feel after
the energy peak in the summer phase. But now that you're aware of your cycle and
know how managing stress can help you with balancing hormones, after a few
months you will notice that the shift is not quite that big anymore.
It's important to start putting more time into self-care in this phase. We're
constantly exposed to different stressors through food, beauty care and cleaning
products that we consume so avoiding mental stress and stress caused by under
eating and over exercising is very important. Less stress means more capacity for
your body to produce progesterone, which is the most important hormone for
period health and avoiding.
Progesterone will also ensure that you feel good through the luteal/autumn phase
and have more energy to keep working towards your goals without feeling
frustrated, having brain fog or getting stressed out.
Your luteal phase check-list
Focus on routine tasks and tasks that require attention to detail. This is not the
time for big-picture thinking or setting long-term goals
Spend more time in nature, get fresh air and do grounding practices like
meditation, walking barefoot or slow flow yoga
Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol the best you can
Skip high intensity workouts and opt for low-impact training, body-weight
training and gentle yoga
Add earthy foods such as sweet potato, radish, pumpkin, parsnip and
cauliflower into your diet
Diffuse organic lavender or sage essential oils
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga
THIS WAS AWESOME, BUT I
HAVE QUESTIONS!
1 Book a free 20-min call with me
This free 20-minute no-strings-attached call is a great
opportunity to ask questions and learn how you can go
deeper into cycle syncing and set yourself up for
success. Use this link to book: [Link]/piritayoga20
2 Message me on Instagram
Send me a DM on Instagram, my handle is @piritayoga
© Pirita Martikainen, Pirita Yoga