Menstrual Leave - are we there yet?

I’m suffering with my period this month. I’ve had cramps for nearly a week leading up to day 1 of my cycle, a particularly sharp pain in what I think is the spot my right ovary lives, my brain isn’t connecting to my mouth efficiently and I’m finding it hard to form cohesive sentences. I have a general brain fog that I can’t really shake, interspersed with rare moments where I feel clear headed. There is an overflowing washing basket in the corner of my room that has been there for days, sitting there staring at me like the judgey Bitch she is. The sink is full of dishes, the really gross ones have been pretending to get clean through “soaking” in icky oily orange-tinged water.?There are little bits of things all over the floor that get stuck to my feet when I walk from one room to the next (my pet hate, usually I vacuum at least twice a day because I hate it so much). My cats have just been desexed and need extra care and attention. I am bleeding heavily. I have a headache, my lower back aches and I need to brace it with my hands when I walk. I am so very tired.?

I have weight training this morning, then a long arse list of things to get done today, proposals, quotes to be sent, tenders to submit, emails to answer, what feels like hundreds of unanswered text messages screaming at me with the little red notification circle on my home screen, boxes to check, calls to answer, a meeting this afternoon, and food shopping before I pick my little one up from school, take him to footy training and then deal with the hell of witching hour, cooking, bathing and wrestling him into bed.?

I don’t want to do any of it.?

I feel crushed under the mental load of alllllllll the things when my body is just screaming at me to hibernate. I want to take a bath, lie on the couch with a soft snuggly blanket and cuddle my soft snuggly cats, nursing a hot water bottle, sipping a cup of Earl grey and snooze as needed.?

But the world I live in has conditioned me that I must keep going. Take as many panadol as needed because I must hustle and just get it done.?

I’m fortunate enough to work for myself, so I can do the things in a way that feels comfortable to me and I’m not working to deadlines set by other people.?

But what if I was? What if I had an employer who didn’t understand the pressure that looms every month knowing that we are facing days where despite our best intentions, it is nearly impossible to be productive. What if this was not respected or even acknowledged? And I want for more than it to be simply acknowledged, I want it to be honoured.?

Then I realised that I AM that boss, because I don’t have a policy in place to empower my own team in this regard. Isn’t it beautiful when providence smacks you in the face.?

Yesterday I read that Spain has introduced paid menstrual leave for employees who need it. I rejoiced at the progression, and became hopeful for what this could mean for us in the future. Then I immediately realised I am a business owner and can make my own rules for my all-female team, and can be the change I want to see in the world.?

So that’s it. I’m introducing paid menstrual leave as standard, because I don’t want my team to feel like I do this morning. I want them to have the space to attune to their bodies and ask “what do I need today?” to live a happy and balanced life.?