In the FLO: A 28-day plan working with your monthly cycle to do more and stress less

by Alisa Vitti

L...

10–14...

corpus ...

grows inside the ovary, sparking the production ...

Estrogen levels continue to rise and promote additional padding o...

rise in proge...

rise in progesterone also signals the pituitary to stop releasing FSH and LH.

estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone reach their peak concentrations, they begin to fall to their lowest levels right before your period begins.

time of completion, when you’re naturally inclined to finish projects and tie up loose ends—you begin to turn your attention on yourself.

REST

Menstrual

3–7...

corpus luteum gets reabsorbed, progesterone production ...

consistency, color, and duration of your menstrual period is a powerful sign ...

ideal time for reflection and looking inward.

monthly at-home hormone

female brain is close to 10 percent smaller.

the female brain functions very differently, with stronger networks that foster communication, emotional memory, intuition, and anger suppression.

larger PFC,

uptick in empathy, impulse control, controlled risk-taking, and focus.

young women tend to seem so much more mature than their male counterparts.

long-term memory and emotional memory formation,

may explain why we never forget an argument, a wedding anniversary, or a first date.

fear and anger center

ability to defuse tense situations

houses those gut feelings,

sexual drive,

why we aren’t as obsessed with thoughts about hooking up at all times.

brain’s decision-making and anxiety center

more time when making big decisions and worry more than men.

bridging the two sides.

allows us to harness the power of more regions of our brain when solving problems.

you’re brilliant in a uniquely feminine way, and you can thank your female brain that you are wired for leadership, empathy, community building, problem solving, intuition, fairness, and systems thinking.

you aren’t the same person day to day—

feel energetic and efficient,

inwardly f...

ovulation lead to a boost in synaptic connections within the hippocampus, which can increase mental sharpness, creativity, and communication skills.

uptick in estrogen enhances the release of serotonin, which is known as the happiness neurotransmitter.

feel more social, verbal, and outgoing in the first half of your cycle as ...

second half of yo...

estrogen falls, those connections in the hippocampus decrease and s...

shift in your cogniti...

Each half is equally valuable in different ways.

first half

outwardly focused and to take car...

secon...

allowing us to turn our attention inward to nu...

cannot be in perpetual harvest or constantly in s...

take time to rest and attend to our own needs and has built this balance i...

imbalanced or you don’t care