To ask how your creative/ technical abilities are affected by your menstrual cycle?

[Bigcitykitty]

This is my question really. I’m self employed in a creative role, (making stuff, let’s say).
Every month I’m increasingly aware of how much my menstrual cycle affects my ability and productivity. Not always in a negative way, as sometimes I can get a sudden burst of inspiration and energy and have great focus. Often though despite the intent, the work I produce can be poorer quality and I look at it after my period has gone and think it’s shit and want to do it over again.
I just wonder if anyone else feels this way ever? I guess if I wasn’t self employed I’d have to find a way to maintain standards for the whole month, whereas currently I arrange my work schedule to accommodate the crap days.
I assume women who work as surgeons or pilots or similar find a way around this issue though ?
It feels sexist to even ask the question .

I'm through menopause now but I used to get bursts of creativity, lust and ingenuity in the two or three days before my period. It was cool. Instead of PMS I got extra powers.

I am negatively affected. Headaches mean concentration is low. Irritability and impatience with tasks. General low mood.

Thanks for posting. It is nice to hear from a creative's point of view, its often mistaken with physical energy. I'm not that creative myself, but from what I've read it's common. In my own experience I only notice it physically and emotionally as I've aged. I am more irrationally irritable and lethargic mid cycle. It may have always been a thing for me, thinking back - 15 years living for the weekend and mucking about with various forms of medical contraception but at 42, 2 primary aged kids and a boring part time office job and no hormone meds I notice it now more than ever. I enjoy gym, swim, run, cycle first 2 weeks, but 2nd 2 weeks forget it. Its frustrating! Looking at low progesterone. All the best aye

Thanks for the replies. I’d like to thing I sometimes harness some of the super powers @PrawnofthePatriarchy mentions. Sometimes I do get the energy burst but mostly like @Didimum and @emsie12345 its lethargy and two weeks of decline. Frustrating!

I lose my ability yo visualise things for about 5 days. If I were to try and fantasise about something, so for example running through a field of flowers or being in an orchestra (two things I've done many times!) I wouldn't be able to. I could imagine it but not to the extent that I feel immersed in my thoughts. If that makes sense. It is troublesome.

I’m not in a creative role but my cycle and hormones really affect me at work. Last month I nearly handed my notice in when I was a few days away from my period, then I came on and realised how silly I was being. This month I started considering if I should jack it all in and move us all to bloody Thailand (?!) I’m in quite a senior position, manage a big team, am held in high regard at work, yet I fall to pieces the week before my period. It’s like the sky is falling and I can’t talk myself around it. I’ll then come on my period and have a few days where I’m so tired I struggle to string a sentence together, before I come back to life again.

I manage it by giving my absolute all for the rest of my cycle. I’ll take advantage of my energy and enthusiasm and get loads done, book in meetings, hit deadlines, etc. I then give myself extra time and patience when I’m approaching my period. I’ll try to move important calls, avoid making big decisions, work from home a bit more (as I can be very irritable) and generally go easy on myself. It’s crap though and I hate that I have to deal with such big mood swings at work. I would love to hear solutions if anyone has any!