18 May Got a task that requires focus? Why you’ll excel at it in your Week 3
I always seem to have a lot of work piled on my plate. And while you’d think I’d be bummed to be in my fatiguey Week 3 (the week right after ovulation) since sedating progesterone is tiring me out, truth is, I’m actually getting more work done than I did in my high-energy Week 2.
Why? Because I’m doing tasks that require a lot of concentration, such as research and writing. And, according to a 2008 study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, your ability to focus peaks in Week 3 of your cycle, making this kind of work easier to do.
Credit goes to the sedating effect of rising progesterone, which calms your brain, helping you pay closer attention to facts, figures and other information that was too boring to soak in during your Week 2 when high estrogen triggered mental antsiness.
I’ve also personally found that during my Week 2, I’ll look for any reason to get out of the house. Need groceries? Pet supplies? A new knob for a dresser drawer? I’m your gal!
But, once Week 3 rolls around, the combination of a dip in estrogen and a rise in progesterone turns me into a homebody who wants nothing more than to sit in my chair with my laptop in front of me.
The takeaway here? Think about the tasks you need to do for the month, then try to schedule those tasks that require extra concentration for Week 3 of your cycle. Like me, you may be surprised to find you’re ticking far more to-dos off your list than you did during higher-energy weeks!
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