The Four Seasons: Women in Business

In a climate that continues to expect more from women; as employees, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and visionaries; we need to ask ourselves: why are we constantly neglecting the four seasons of our being? 

Just like the seasons of the year, women move through these same four energetic and emotional seasons; daily, monthly, yearly, and across a lifetime. Yet, we live and work in a world designed around linear output and constant momentum, not cyclical wisdom. And in this dissonance, many of us begin to burn out, questioning our worth when we’re not producing, performing, or pushing. 

Of course, I cannot be the voice of all women. I can only speak from my own lived experience; nearly 40 years of being a woman, mother, daughter, friend, businessperson, and now, increasingly, a truth-seeker. 

As I inch closer to four decades of life, my priorities have softened. The fire is still there; but it now burns with more clarity and intention. I no longer chase life and achievement with the same relentless energy I once did in my 20s and early 30s. And increasingly, one-word hums in the background of my thoughts: grace. 

Grace to slow down. 
Grace to evolve. 
Grace to let go of what no longer serves me. 
Grace to accept that growth doesn’t always look like upward motion — sometimes, it looks like stillness, surrender, or quiet reinvention. 

The Myth of Constant Productivity 

In the world of business, especially for women, there’s an unspoken pressure to stay “on” all the time. Be visible, be productive, be strong, be responsive, be inspiring. But few are talking about how this pressure ignores a fundamental truth about women’s energy: it is cyclical, not linear. 

From our hormonal patterns to our emotional bandwidth, women experience inner seasons that influence how we think, feel, and perform. And yet, the current systems, both corporate and entrepreneurial, rarely honour this. 

We praise hustle culture. We idolise productivity. We reward consistency without context. 

But what if our power lies in the very fluctuations we try to suppress? 

Understanding the Inner Seasons 

Each woman moves through a rhythm of: 

1. Rise (Spring / Follicular / Morning) 
   This is the phase of emergence and energy — when new ideas feel exciting and your curiosity is alive. You feel optimistic, creative, and open to trying new things. Great for brainstorming, strategy, and beginning projects. 

1. Peak (Summer / Ovulation / Midday) 
   This is your power phase — your visibility, confidence, and communication skills are at their highest. It’s a time for presentations, collaboration, leadership, and execution. You feel “on” and aligned. 

1. Harvest (Autumn / Luteal / Evening) 
   Here, energy starts to slow, and your instincts turn inward. You become more analytical, protective, and grounded. It’s the season of editing, refining, assessing. Tasks that require discernment and detail work best here. 

1. Rest (Winter / Menstrual / Night) 
   Often mistaken as a weakness, this is actually the season of renewal. Reflection, evaluation, deep creativity, and intuition rise. It’s a time to step back, reset, and allow the next vision to be born. 

These phases can unfold over: 

• A day (morning to night), 

• A month (your menstrual cycle), 

• A year (spring to winter), 

• Or a lifetime (maiden → mother → maga → crone). 

The more we honour these natural rhythms, the more sustainable and impactful our lives become. 

Aligning with Our Cycles 

Imagine syncing your calendar with your energy, not just your obligations. 

• Schedule big meetings or sales pitches during your “summer.” 

• Use your “autumn” to close loops and wrap up. 

• Protect your “winter” with quiet time, journaling, or strategic reflection. 

• Start new ventures during your “spring” when optimism and motivation are natural.

This isn’t just spiritual talk, it’s biology and psychology in action. Women who align their work with their cycles often experience: 

• Less burnout 

• More productivity 

• Improved emotional resilience 

• Greater fulfilment

And in a business world that’s only just starting to value emotional intelligence, cyclical wisdom is a competitive advantage. 

Confidence and the Female Journey 

The societal expectations placed on women start early, and research reflects the impact. 

According to the Girls’ Confidence Index by The Confidence Code for Girls and studies by Ypulse: 

• Girls experience up to a 30% drop in confidence between ages 7 and 14. 

• At age 7–8, most girls report high confidence levels (averaging 8.5/10). 

• By age 14, that confidence drops to around 6/10.

Why the decline? 

• Social media-fuelled comparison 

• Fear of failure and internalised perfectionism 

• Lack of female role models in diverse spaces 

• Subtle but persistent gender expectations

What’s more striking is that boys during the same age range don’t experience such a steep confidence drop, indicating that this isn’t just about adolescence, it’s about conditioning. 

This confidence gap follows women into the workplace, where we: 

• Hesitate to negotiate salaries 

• Underestimate our qualifications 

• Battle imposter syndrome even after measurable success

To rebuild this confidence, both in girls and women, we need to not only empower through words but create systems and environments that celebrate cyclical success, not just linear ones. 

A Call for a New Paradigm 

This Women’s Month, let’s move beyond celebration and toward recalibration. 

Let’s stop asking women to show up in male-defined frameworks of success and instead honour the intelligence of our rhythms; emotional, hormonal, creative, and professional. 

Let’s teach our daughters that it’s okay to rise and rest. 
Let’s allow ourselves, as women in business, to redefine what power looks like, not as a constant flame, but as a fire that knows when to burn and when to rekindle. 

After all, nothing in nature blooms all year. And yet, everything still grows.