The 9–5 Workday Wasn’t Built for Women
There’s something broken about the way we work. And no, it’s not just burnout culture, back-to-back meetings, or inboxes that never quit. It’s deeper than that. It’s structural.
The traditional 9–5 workday wasn’t built for balance, flexibility, or inclusion. It was built for factories. For men. Specifically, for men whose bodies run on a 24-hour hormonal cycle that resets daily.
Sound familiar? It should. That’s still the rhythm our work culture is built around, despite the fact that nearly half the population doesn’t operate on that rhythm.
Hormones 101: The Circadian vs Infradian Reality
Here’s where things get interesting (and frustrating):
Men’s hormone cycles follow a circadian rhythm, meaning their energy, motivation, and focus tend to peak and dip within a single 24-hour window. Testosterone rises in the morning, dips at night, and resets the next day.
Women, on the other hand, follow an infradian rhythm, a roughly 28-day cycle that shifts across four distinct hormonal phases:
Menstrual (Days 1–5): Energy dips, rest is key.
Follicular (Days 6–14): Estrogen rises, bringing energy, focus, and creativity.
Ovulation (Days 15–17): Peak performance window — confidence, communication, clarity.
Luteal (Days 18–28): Progesterone rises, slowing energy and prompting introspection.
Our energy isn’t linear. It’s cyclical. But our workplaces weren’t designed with that in mind.
Why It Matters
When we ignore the infradian rhythm, we set women up to constantly fight their biology. We expect consistency when the body is built for change. We reward output over alignment, and hustle over harmony.
So when someone tells you to "just push through," remember: the system wasn’t built for your cycle. It was built to support a rhythm that resets daily, not one that shifts weekly.
What Would Change Look Like?
Imagine a work culture that adjusted based on your cycle, where planning a presentation during your ovulation phase was the norm, and booking creative sprints in your follicular phase wasn’t revolutionary.
Imagine if we designed workflow systems, schedules, even expectations, around a 28-day reality instead of a 24-hour one.
It’s not about less productivity. It’s about better productivity. Smarter scheduling. More self-trust. Less burnout.
Syncing with Your Cycle (Even When the System Doesn’t)
If you're not in a position to rewire your workplace, you’re not alone. But you can start to build around your rhythm:
Use your follicular and ovulation phases for high-energy tasks: strategy, collaboration, visibility
Reserve your luteal and menstrual phases for quieter work: admin, deep focus, reflection
Give yourself permission to rest, slow down, and shift gears
You’re not being inconsistent. You’re being cyclical. And cyclical is powerful when you stop fighting it.
Rewriting the Rules
The 9–5 model wasn’t made for women. And that’s not a failure on your part — it’s a flaw in the system. One we’re allowed to question. One we can slowly, collectively rebuild.
Not all productivity looks the same. And it shouldn’t.