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For most people who menstruate, getting your period on vacation is bound to happen at some point. You may prep by packing just the right amount of tampons and pads, but then end up getting it a few days later than expected. What gives? Well, if you’ve traveled across time zones, your internal “menstrual clock” can actually get thrown off. But how long jet lag can delay your period? That’s a whole other question.

You may be thinking: How is this even a thing?! But it’s true. Any significant disruption to your usual daily rhythm can lead to changes in your cycle, explains Charis Chambers, MD, an OB/GYN and Midol partner also known as “The Period Doctor.” And as far as your body is concerned, flying off to a different time zone *definitely* counts as a disruption.

Read on to learn how late your period can be from jet lag, plus other tips for traveling while menstruating—including when to take your birth control.

Why jet lag and travel can delay your period

A lot of the menstrual changes that happen while traveling come down to your circadian rhythm—the internal clock in charge of physical, mental, and behavioral changes the body goes through over a 24-hour period, largely driven by exposure to light and darkness. “It sets the tempo and tone for your body,” Dr. Chambers says.

That includes determining when different hormones should be released, like melatonin to make you feel sleepy. It also regulates hormones in charge of ovulation—like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, according to March 2010 research in the International Journal of Endocrinology.

Your internal clock is synced to the rhythm of your original time zone. So when you fly to a new one, that clock temporarily gets thrown off, explains the Mayo Clinic. That can lead to small, but measurable, changes to your ovulatory hormones, especially if the travel causes your sleep to get disrupted. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep, for instance, can decrease follicle-stimulating hormone secretions by around 20 percent, the International Journal of Endocrinology study noted.

Jet lag (and the sleep disruptions that come with it) also tends to leave you feeling groggy in general. Pair brain fog with being in a new place, and you have a recipe for heightened levels of stress, which can also throw off your period, Dr. Chambers notes.

Birth control can factor in, too. If you take the pill, missing just one dose (which can definitely happen amidst travel chaos!) can shift your cycle, according to Planned Parenthood. You may also take it at different times from what your body’s used to, which can throw off your cycle. (More on this later.)

How long does jet lag delay your period?

Because everyone’s body and menstrual cycle is so different, it’s hard to say for sure how long you can expect a delay. The more time zones you hop through, however, the more intense your jet lag will likely be, per the Mayo Clinic.

As for how exactly that’ll affect your period? “Because the menstrual cycle is influenced by hormonal rhythms that can be disrupted by circadian misalignment, it is reasonable to expect that menstrual irregularities may begin to resolve as circadian rhythms stabilize,” Dr. Chambers says.

In other words, your period-regulating hormones should start to adjust in line with your sleep. Depending how long that takes, it could take a month or two for your cycle to totally get back to normal, Dr. Chambers adds.

Birth control timing while traveling to different time zones

We talked about how changes to your usual birth control routine can lead to changes with your period. To keep your cycle consistent and make sure you’re continuing to reap the benefits of the pill, “it is critical to minimize disruptions to the dosing schedule,” Dr. Chambers says.

Here’s her advice for how to do that:

• For short trips or trips where the time change is just an hour or two: Keep the same schedule you use at home and don’t adjust for the new time. For example, if you normally take your pill at 9 p.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s an hour behind, take it at 8 p.m. local time (which is still 9 p.m. home time).
• For longer trips or trips where the time change is three hours or more: Adjust your dosing schedule by 1 to 2 hours per day until it aligns with the new time zone. If you normally take your pill at 8 a.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, take it at 11 a.m. local time the first day (which is still 8 a.m. home time), 10 a.m. local time the second day, 9 a.m. local time the third day, and 8 a.m. local time the fourth day. (Keep in mind, you may still experience some breakthrough bleeding or a delay in your period with this method.)

A few other things to keep in mind that may help:

• Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to take your pill, even if you don’t do that at home. It’s easier to forget to take birth control on vacation because you’re off your usual routine.
• Bring along an extra pack of pills in your carry-on in case you run into any travel delays or your checked bag gets lost.
• If you miss a dose or take it late, use back-up contraception for seven days to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy.

Tips for managing your period while traveling

While it may be a bit annoying, traveling with your period is totally doable. In fact, there are a few extra steps you can take to help you feel your best on your trip. This includes:

• Staying hydrated. Bring along your refillable water bottle and sip throughout the day. Drinking enough H2O reduces bloating and boosts your energy, per the Mayo Clinic.
• Reaching for wholesome foods as much as you can. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. And we know it’s hard while on vacation, but reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, and fatty foods can help cut down on PMS symptoms, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• Not letting sleep fall by the wayside. Trying to get back on a quality sleep schedule can keep fatigue and moodiness in check, while helping you cope with any travel-related stress.
• Getting some movement every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes every day, the ACOG recommends. While on vacation, this can look taking a walking tour, exploring a new neighborhood on foot or on a bike, or going for a swim at the beach or pool.
• Bringing along a supplement. Magnesium‘s a great one for managing bloating, moodiness, and breast tenderness, the ACOG notes. Dr. Chambers is a fan of Midol Peace Out PMS, which uses chasteberry extract, ginger, and valerian extract—all of which are thought to help reduce PMS symptoms.

Midol Peace Out PMS — $25.99

Shop now

The bottom line

Jet lag can do a number on your body while traveling (even though it’s so worth it for Euro summer vacations!). This includes changes and delays in your menstrual cycle, especially when you’re in a different time zone.

Fortunately, period delays from jet lag are harmless and your body should acclimate within a couple days. Just make sure you’re staying on a consistent schedule with your BC pills (if you do take them) to avoid period changes and get the best protection against pregnancy.

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For most people who menstruate, getting your period on vacation is bound to happen at some point. You may prep by packing just the right amount of tampons and pads, but then end up getting it a few days later than expected. What gives? Well, if you’ve traveled across time zones, your internal “menstrual clock” can actually get thrown off. But how long jet lag can delay your period? That’s a whole other question.

You may be thinking: How is this even a thing?! But it’s true. Any significant disruption to your usual daily rhythm can lead to changes in your cycle, explains Charis Chambers, MD, an OB/GYN and Midol partner also known as “The Period Doctor.” And as far as your body is concerned, flying off to a different time zone *definitely* counts as a disruption.

Read on to learn how late your period can be from jet lag, plus other tips for traveling while menstruating—including when to take your birth control.

Why jet lag and travel can delay your period

A lot of the menstrual changes that happen while traveling come down to your circadian rhythm—the internal clock in charge of physical, mental, and behavioral changes the body goes through over a 24-hour period, largely driven by exposure to light and darkness. “It sets the tempo and tone for your body,” Dr. Chambers says.

That includes determining when different hormones should be released, like melatonin to make you feel sleepy. It also regulates hormones in charge of ovulation—like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, according to March 2010 research in the International Journal of Endocrinology.

Your internal clock is synced to the rhythm of your original time zone. So when you fly to a new one, that clock temporarily gets thrown off, explains the Mayo Clinic. That can lead to small, but measurable, changes to your ovulatory hormones, especially if the travel causes your sleep to get disrupted. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep, for instance, can decrease follicle-stimulating hormone secretions by around 20 percent, the International Journal of Endocrinology study noted.

Jet lag (and the sleep disruptions that come with it) also tends to leave you feeling groggy in general. Pair brain fog with being in a new place, and you have a recipe for heightened levels of stress, which can also throw off your period, Dr. Chambers notes.

Birth control can factor in, too. If you take the pill, missing just one dose (which can definitely happen amidst travel chaos!) can shift your cycle, according to Planned Parenthood. You may also take it at different times from what your body’s used to, which can throw off your cycle. (More on this later.)

How long does jet lag delay your period?

Because everyone’s body and menstrual cycle is so different, it’s hard to say for sure how long you can expect a delay. The more time zones you hop through, however, the more intense your jet lag will likely be, per the Mayo Clinic.

As for how exactly that’ll affect your period? “Because the menstrual cycle is influenced by hormonal rhythms that can be disrupted by circadian misalignment, it is reasonable to expect that menstrual irregularities may begin to resolve as circadian rhythms stabilize,” Dr. Chambers says.

In other words, your period-regulating hormones should start to adjust in line with your sleep. Depending how long that takes, it could take a month or two for your cycle to totally get back to normal, Dr. Chambers adds.

Birth control timing while traveling to different time zones

We talked about how changes to your usual birth control routine can lead to changes with your period. To keep your cycle consistent and make sure you’re continuing to reap the benefits of the pill, “it is critical to minimize disruptions to the dosing schedule,” Dr. Chambers says.

Here’s her advice for how to do that:

• For short trips or trips where the time change is just an hour or two: Keep the same schedule you use at home and don’t adjust for the new time. For example, if you normally take your pill at 9 p.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s an hour behind, take it at 8 p.m. local time (which is still 9 p.m. home time).
• For longer trips or trips where the time change is three hours or more: Adjust your dosing schedule by 1 to 2 hours per day until it aligns with the new time zone. If you normally take your pill at 8 a.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, take it at 11 a.m. local time the first day (which is still 8 a.m. home time), 10 a.m. local time the second day, 9 a.m. local time the third day, and 8 a.m. local time the fourth day. (Keep in mind, you may still experience some breakthrough bleeding or a delay in your period with this method.)

A few other things to keep in mind that may help:

• Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to take your pill, even if you don’t do that at home. It’s easier to forget to take birth control on vacation because you’re off your usual routine.
• Bring along an extra pack of pills in your carry-on in case you run into any travel delays or your checked bag gets lost.
• If you miss a dose or take it late, use back-up contraception for seven days to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy.

Tips for managing your period while traveling

While it may be a bit annoying, traveling with your period is totally doable. In fact, there are a few extra steps you can take to help you feel your best on your trip. This includes:

• Staying hydrated. Bring along your refillable water bottle and sip throughout the day. Drinking enough H2O reduces bloating and boosts your energy, per the Mayo Clinic.
• Reaching for wholesome foods as much as you can. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. And we know it’s hard while on vacation, but reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, and fatty foods can help cut down on PMS symptoms, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• Not letting sleep fall by the wayside. Trying to get back on a quality sleep schedule can keep fatigue and moodiness in check, while helping you cope with any travel-related stress.
• Getting some movement every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes every day, the ACOG recommends. While on vacation, this can look taking a walking tour, exploring a new neighborhood on foot or on a bike, or going for a swim at the beach or pool.
• Bringing along a supplement. Magnesium‘s a great one for managing bloating, moodiness, and breast tenderness, the ACOG notes. Dr. Chambers is a fan of Midol Peace Out PMS, which uses chasteberry extract, ginger, and valerian extract—all of which are thought to help reduce PMS symptoms.

Midol Peace Out PMS — $25.99

Shop now

The bottom line

Jet lag can do a number on your body while traveling (even though it’s so worth it for Euro summer vacations!). This includes changes and delays in your menstrual cycle, especially when you’re in a different time zone.

Fortunately, period delays from jet lag are harmless and your body should acclimate within a couple days. Just make sure you’re staying on a consistent schedule with your BC pills (if you do take them) to avoid period changes and get the best protection against pregnancy.

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For most people who menstruate, getting your period on vacation is bound to happen at some point. You may prep by packing just the right amount of tampons and pads, but then end up getting it a few days later than expected. What gives? Well, if you’ve traveled across time zones, your internal “menstrual clock” can actually get thrown off. But how long jet lag can delay your period? That’s a whole other question.

You may be thinking: How is this even a thing?! But it’s true. Any significant disruption to your usual daily rhythm can lead to changes in your cycle, explains Charis Chambers, MD, an OB/GYN and Midol partner also known as “The Period Doctor.” And as far as your body is concerned, flying off to a different time zone *definitely* counts as a disruption.

Read on to learn how late your period can be from jet lag, plus other tips for traveling while menstruating—including when to take your birth control.

Why jet lag and travel can delay your period

A lot of the menstrual changes that happen while traveling come down to your circadian rhythm—the internal clock in charge of physical, mental, and behavioral changes the body goes through over a 24-hour period, largely driven by exposure to light and darkness. “It sets the tempo and tone for your body,” Dr. Chambers says.

That includes determining when different hormones should be released, like melatonin to make you feel sleepy. It also regulates hormones in charge of ovulation—like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, according to March 2010 research in the International Journal of Endocrinology.

Your internal clock is synced to the rhythm of your original time zone. So when you fly to a new one, that clock temporarily gets thrown off, explains the Mayo Clinic. That can lead to small, but measurable, changes to your ovulatory hormones, especially if the travel causes your sleep to get disrupted. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep, for instance, can decrease follicle-stimulating hormone secretions by around 20 percent, the International Journal of Endocrinology study noted.

Jet lag (and the sleep disruptions that come with it) also tends to leave you feeling groggy in general. Pair brain fog with being in a new place, and you have a recipe for heightened levels of stress, which can also throw off your period, Dr. Chambers notes.

Birth control can factor in, too. If you take the pill, missing just one dose (which can definitely happen amidst travel chaos!) can shift your cycle, according to Planned Parenthood. You may also take it at different times from what your body’s used to, which can throw off your cycle. (More on this later.)

How long does jet lag delay your period?

Because everyone’s body and menstrual cycle is so different, it’s hard to say for sure how long you can expect a delay. The more time zones you hop through, however, the more intense your jet lag will likely be, per the Mayo Clinic.

As for how exactly that’ll affect your period? “Because the menstrual cycle is influenced by hormonal rhythms that can be disrupted by circadian misalignment, it is reasonable to expect that menstrual irregularities may begin to resolve as circadian rhythms stabilize,” Dr. Chambers says.

In other words, your period-regulating hormones should start to adjust in line with your sleep. Depending how long that takes, it could take a month or two for your cycle to totally get back to normal, Dr. Chambers adds.

Birth control timing while traveling to different time zones

We talked about how changes to your usual birth control routine can lead to changes with your period. To keep your cycle consistent and make sure you’re continuing to reap the benefits of the pill, “it is critical to minimize disruptions to the dosing schedule,” Dr. Chambers says.

Here’s her advice for how to do that:

• For short trips or trips where the time change is just an hour or two: Keep the same schedule you use at home and don’t adjust for the new time. For example, if you normally take your pill at 9 p.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s an hour behind, take it at 8 p.m. local time (which is still 9 p.m. home time).
• For longer trips or trips where the time change is three hours or more: Adjust your dosing schedule by 1 to 2 hours per day until it aligns with the new time zone. If you normally take your pill at 8 a.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, take it at 11 a.m. local time the first day (which is still 8 a.m. home time), 10 a.m. local time the second day, 9 a.m. local time the third day, and 8 a.m. local time the fourth day. (Keep in mind, you may still experience some breakthrough bleeding or a delay in your period with this method.)

A few other things to keep in mind that may help:

• Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to take your pill, even if you don’t do that at home. It’s easier to forget to take birth control on vacation because you’re off your usual routine.
• Bring along an extra pack of pills in your carry-on in case you run into any travel delays or your checked bag gets lost.
• If you miss a dose or take it late, use back-up contraception for seven days to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy.

Tips for managing your period while traveling

While it may be a bit annoying, traveling with your period is totally doable. In fact, there are a few extra steps you can take to help you feel your best on your trip. This includes:

• Staying hydrated. Bring along your refillable water bottle and sip throughout the day. Drinking enough H2O reduces bloating and boosts your energy, per the Mayo Clinic.
• Reaching for wholesome foods as much as you can. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. And we know it’s hard while on vacation, but reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, and fatty foods can help cut down on PMS symptoms, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• Not letting sleep fall by the wayside. Trying to get back on a quality sleep schedule can keep fatigue and moodiness in check, while helping you cope with any travel-related stress.
• Getting some movement every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes every day, the ACOG recommends. While on vacation, this can look taking a walking tour, exploring a new neighborhood on foot or on a bike, or going for a swim at the beach or pool.
• Bringing along a supplement. Magnesium‘s a great one for managing bloating, moodiness, and breast tenderness, the ACOG notes. Dr. Chambers is a fan of Midol Peace Out PMS, which uses chasteberry extract, ginger, and valerian extract—all of which are thought to help reduce PMS symptoms.

Midol Peace Out PMS — $25.99

Shop now

The bottom line

Jet lag can do a number on your body while traveling (even though it’s so worth it for Euro summer vacations!). This includes changes and delays in your menstrual cycle, especially when you’re in a different time zone.

Fortunately, period delays from jet lag are harmless and your body should acclimate within a couple days. Just make sure you’re staying on a consistent schedule with your BC pills (if you do take them) to avoid period changes and get the best protection against pregnancy.

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For most people who menstruate, getting your period on vacation is bound to happen at some point. You may prep by packing just the right amount of tampons and pads, but then end up getting it a few days later than expected. What gives? Well, if you’ve traveled across time zones, your internal “menstrual clock” can actually get thrown off. But how long jet lag can delay your period? That’s a whole other question.

You may be thinking: How is this even a thing?! But it’s true. Any significant disruption to your usual daily rhythm can lead to changes in your cycle, explains Charis Chambers, MD, an OB/GYN and Midol partner also known as “The Period Doctor.” And as far as your body is concerned, flying off to a different time zone *definitely* counts as a disruption.

Read on to learn how late your period can be from jet lag, plus other tips for traveling while menstruating—including when to take your birth control.

Why jet lag and travel can delay your period

A lot of the menstrual changes that happen while traveling come down to your circadian rhythm—the internal clock in charge of physical, mental, and behavioral changes the body goes through over a 24-hour period, largely driven by exposure to light and darkness. “It sets the tempo and tone for your body,” Dr. Chambers says.

That includes determining when different hormones should be released, like melatonin to make you feel sleepy. It also regulates hormones in charge of ovulation—like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, according to March 2010 research in the International Journal of Endocrinology.

Your internal clock is synced to the rhythm of your original time zone. So when you fly to a new one, that clock temporarily gets thrown off, explains the Mayo Clinic. That can lead to small, but measurable, changes to your ovulatory hormones, especially if the travel causes your sleep to get disrupted. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep, for instance, can decrease follicle-stimulating hormone secretions by around 20 percent, the International Journal of Endocrinology study noted.

Jet lag (and the sleep disruptions that come with it) also tends to leave you feeling groggy in general. Pair brain fog with being in a new place, and you have a recipe for heightened levels of stress, which can also throw off your period, Dr. Chambers notes.

Birth control can factor in, too. If you take the pill, missing just one dose (which can definitely happen amidst travel chaos!) can shift your cycle, according to Planned Parenthood. You may also take it at different times from what your body’s used to, which can throw off your cycle. (More on this later.)

How long does jet lag delay your period?

Because everyone’s body and menstrual cycle is so different, it’s hard to say for sure how long you can expect a delay. The more time zones you hop through, however, the more intense your jet lag will likely be, per the Mayo Clinic.

As for how exactly that’ll affect your period? “Because the menstrual cycle is influenced by hormonal rhythms that can be disrupted by circadian misalignment, it is reasonable to expect that menstrual irregularities may begin to resolve as circadian rhythms stabilize,” Dr. Chambers says.

In other words, your period-regulating hormones should start to adjust in line with your sleep. Depending how long that takes, it could take a month or two for your cycle to totally get back to normal, Dr. Chambers adds.

Birth control timing while traveling to different time zones

We talked about how changes to your usual birth control routine can lead to changes with your period. To keep your cycle consistent and make sure you’re continuing to reap the benefits of the pill, “it is critical to minimize disruptions to the dosing schedule,” Dr. Chambers says.

Here’s her advice for how to do that:

• For short trips or trips where the time change is just an hour or two: Keep the same schedule you use at home and don’t adjust for the new time. For example, if you normally take your pill at 9 p.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s an hour behind, take it at 8 p.m. local time (which is still 9 p.m. home time).
• For longer trips or trips where the time change is three hours or more: Adjust your dosing schedule by 1 to 2 hours per day until it aligns with the new time zone. If you normally take your pill at 8 a.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, take it at 11 a.m. local time the first day (which is still 8 a.m. home time), 10 a.m. local time the second day, 9 a.m. local time the third day, and 8 a.m. local time the fourth day. (Keep in mind, you may still experience some breakthrough bleeding or a delay in your period with this method.)

A few other things to keep in mind that may help:

• Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to take your pill, even if you don’t do that at home. It’s easier to forget to take birth control on vacation because you’re off your usual routine.
• Bring along an extra pack of pills in your carry-on in case you run into any travel delays or your checked bag gets lost.
• If you miss a dose or take it late, use back-up contraception for seven days to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy.

Tips for managing your period while traveling

While it may be a bit annoying, traveling with your period is totally doable. In fact, there are a few extra steps you can take to help you feel your best on your trip. This includes:

• Staying hydrated. Bring along your refillable water bottle and sip throughout the day. Drinking enough H2O reduces bloating and boosts your energy, per the Mayo Clinic.
• Reaching for wholesome foods as much as you can. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. And we know it’s hard while on vacation, but reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, and fatty foods can help cut down on PMS symptoms, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• Not letting sleep fall by the wayside. Trying to get back on a quality sleep schedule can keep fatigue and moodiness in check, while helping you cope with any travel-related stress.
• Getting some movement every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes every day, the ACOG recommends. While on vacation, this can look taking a walking tour, exploring a new neighborhood on foot or on a bike, or going for a swim at the beach or pool.
• Bringing along a supplement. Magnesium‘s a great one for managing bloating, moodiness, and breast tenderness, the ACOG notes. Dr. Chambers is a fan of Midol Peace Out PMS, which uses chasteberry extract, ginger, and valerian extract—all of which are thought to help reduce PMS symptoms.

Midol Peace Out PMS — $25.99

Shop now

The bottom line

Jet lag can do a number on your body while traveling (even though it’s so worth it for Euro summer vacations!). This includes changes and delays in your menstrual cycle, especially when you’re in a different time zone.

Fortunately, period delays from jet lag are harmless and your body should acclimate within a couple days. Just make sure you’re staying on a consistent schedule with your BC pills (if you do take them) to avoid period changes and get the best protection against pregnancy.

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For most people who menstruate, getting your period on vacation is bound to happen at some point. You may prep by packing just the right amount of tampons and pads, but then end up getting it a few days later than expected. What gives? Well, if you’ve traveled across time zones, your internal “menstrual clock” can actually get thrown off. But how long jet lag can delay your period? That’s a whole other question.

You may be thinking: How is this even a thing?! But it’s true. Any significant disruption to your usual daily rhythm can lead to changes in your cycle, explains Charis Chambers, MD, an OB/GYN and Midol partner also known as “The Period Doctor.” And as far as your body is concerned, flying off to a different time zone *definitely* counts as a disruption.

Read on to learn how late your period can be from jet lag, plus other tips for traveling while menstruating—including when to take your birth control.

Why jet lag and travel can delay your period

A lot of the menstrual changes that happen while traveling come down to your circadian rhythm—the internal clock in charge of physical, mental, and behavioral changes the body goes through over a 24-hour period, largely driven by exposure to light and darkness. “It sets the tempo and tone for your body,” Dr. Chambers says.

That includes determining when different hormones should be released, like melatonin to make you feel sleepy. It also regulates hormones in charge of ovulation—like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, according to March 2010 research in the International Journal of Endocrinology.

Your internal clock is synced to the rhythm of your original time zone. So when you fly to a new one, that clock temporarily gets thrown off, explains the Mayo Clinic. That can lead to small, but measurable, changes to your ovulatory hormones, especially if the travel causes your sleep to get disrupted. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep, for instance, can decrease follicle-stimulating hormone secretions by around 20 percent, the International Journal of Endocrinology study noted.

Jet lag (and the sleep disruptions that come with it) also tends to leave you feeling groggy in general. Pair brain fog with being in a new place, and you have a recipe for heightened levels of stress, which can also throw off your period, Dr. Chambers notes.

Birth control can factor in, too. If you take the pill, missing just one dose (which can definitely happen amidst travel chaos!) can shift your cycle, according to Planned Parenthood. You may also take it at different times from what your body’s used to, which can throw off your cycle. (More on this later.)

How long does jet lag delay your period?

Because everyone’s body and menstrual cycle is so different, it’s hard to say for sure how long you can expect a delay. The more time zones you hop through, however, the more intense your jet lag will likely be, per the Mayo Clinic.

As for how exactly that’ll affect your period? “Because the menstrual cycle is influenced by hormonal rhythms that can be disrupted by circadian misalignment, it is reasonable to expect that menstrual irregularities may begin to resolve as circadian rhythms stabilize,” Dr. Chambers says.

In other words, your period-regulating hormones should start to adjust in line with your sleep. Depending how long that takes, it could take a month or two for your cycle to totally get back to normal, Dr. Chambers adds.

Birth control timing while traveling to different time zones

We talked about how changes to your usual birth control routine can lead to changes with your period. To keep your cycle consistent and make sure you’re continuing to reap the benefits of the pill, “it is critical to minimize disruptions to the dosing schedule,” Dr. Chambers says.

Here’s her advice for how to do that:

• For short trips or trips where the time change is just an hour or two: Keep the same schedule you use at home and don’t adjust for the new time. For example, if you normally take your pill at 9 p.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s an hour behind, take it at 8 p.m. local time (which is still 9 p.m. home time).
• For longer trips or trips where the time change is three hours or more: Adjust your dosing schedule by 1 to 2 hours per day until it aligns with the new time zone. If you normally take your pill at 8 a.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, take it at 11 a.m. local time the first day (which is still 8 a.m. home time), 10 a.m. local time the second day, 9 a.m. local time the third day, and 8 a.m. local time the fourth day. (Keep in mind, you may still experience some breakthrough bleeding or a delay in your period with this method.)

A few other things to keep in mind that may help:

• Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to take your pill, even if you don’t do that at home. It’s easier to forget to take birth control on vacation because you’re off your usual routine.
• Bring along an extra pack of pills in your carry-on in case you run into any travel delays or your checked bag gets lost.
• If you miss a dose or take it late, use back-up contraception for seven days to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy.

Tips for managing your period while traveling

While it may be a bit annoying, traveling with your period is totally doable. In fact, there are a few extra steps you can take to help you feel your best on your trip. This includes:

• Staying hydrated. Bring along your refillable water bottle and sip throughout the day. Drinking enough H2O reduces bloating and boosts your energy, per the Mayo Clinic.
• Reaching for wholesome foods as much as you can. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. And we know it’s hard while on vacation, but reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, and fatty foods can help cut down on PMS symptoms, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• Not letting sleep fall by the wayside. Trying to get back on a quality sleep schedule can keep fatigue and moodiness in check, while helping you cope with any travel-related stress.
• Getting some movement every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes every day, the ACOG recommends. While on vacation, this can look taking a walking tour, exploring a new neighborhood on foot or on a bike, or going for a swim at the beach or pool.
• Bringing along a supplement. Magnesium‘s a great one for managing bloating, moodiness, and breast tenderness, the ACOG notes. Dr. Chambers is a fan of Midol Peace Out PMS, which uses chasteberry extract, ginger, and valerian extract—all of which are thought to help reduce PMS symptoms.

Midol Peace Out PMS — $25.99

Shop now

The bottom line

Jet lag can do a number on your body while traveling (even though it’s so worth it for Euro summer vacations!). This includes changes and delays in your menstrual cycle, especially when you’re in a different time zone.

Fortunately, period delays from jet lag are harmless and your body should acclimate within a couple days. Just make sure you’re staying on a consistent schedule with your BC pills (if you do take them) to avoid period changes and get the best protection against pregnancy.

Yep, Jet Lag Can Delay Your Period. Here’s When to Expect Your Cycle to Adjust

Plus when to take your BC while traversing time zones.

For most people who menstruate, getting your period on vacation is bound to happen at some point. You may prep by packing just the right amount of tampons and pads, but then end up getting it a few days later than expected. What gives? Well, if you’ve traveled across time zones, your internal “menstrual clock” can actually get thrown off. But how long jet lag can delay your period? That’s a whole other question.

You may be thinking: How is this even a thing?! But it’s true. Any significant disruption to your usual daily rhythm can lead to changes in your cycle, explains Charis Chambers, MD, an OB/GYN and Midol partner also known as “The Period Doctor.” And as far as your body is concerned, flying off to a different time zone *definitely* counts as a disruption.

Read on to learn how late your period can be from jet lag, plus other tips for traveling while menstruating—including when to take your birth control.

Why jet lag and travel can delay your period

A lot of the menstrual changes that happen while traveling come down to your circadian rhythm—the internal clock in charge of physical, mental, and behavioral changes the body goes through over a 24-hour period, largely driven by exposure to light and darkness. “It sets the tempo and tone for your body,” Dr. Chambers says.

That includes determining when different hormones should be released, like melatonin to make you feel sleepy. It also regulates hormones in charge of ovulation—like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, according to March 2010 research in the International Journal of Endocrinology.

Your internal clock is synced to the rhythm of your original time zone. So when you fly to a new one, that clock temporarily gets thrown off, explains the Mayo Clinic. That can lead to small, but measurable, changes to your ovulatory hormones, especially if the travel causes your sleep to get disrupted. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep, for instance, can decrease follicle-stimulating hormone secretions by around 20 percent, the International Journal of Endocrinology study noted.

Jet lag (and the sleep disruptions that come with it) also tends to leave you feeling groggy in general. Pair brain fog with being in a new place, and you have a recipe for heightened levels of stress, which can also throw off your period, Dr. Chambers notes.

Birth control can factor in, too. If you take the pill, missing just one dose (which can definitely happen amidst travel chaos!) can shift your cycle, according to Planned Parenthood. You may also take it at different times from what your body’s used to, which can throw off your cycle. (More on this later.)

How long does jet lag delay your period?

Because everyone’s body and menstrual cycle is so different, it’s hard to say for sure how long you can expect a delay. The more time zones you hop through, however, the more intense your jet lag will likely be, per the Mayo Clinic.

As for how exactly that’ll affect your period? “Because the menstrual cycle is influenced by hormonal rhythms that can be disrupted by circadian misalignment, it is reasonable to expect that menstrual irregularities may begin to resolve as circadian rhythms stabilize,” Dr. Chambers says.

In other words, your period-regulating hormones should start to adjust in line with your sleep. Depending how long that takes, it could take a month or two for your cycle to totally get back to normal, Dr. Chambers adds.

Birth control timing while traveling to different time zones

We talked about how changes to your usual birth control routine can lead to changes with your period. To keep your cycle consistent and make sure you’re continuing to reap the benefits of the pill, “it is critical to minimize disruptions to the dosing schedule,” Dr. Chambers says.

Here’s her advice for how to do that:

• For short trips or trips where the time change is just an hour or two: Keep the same schedule you use at home and don’t adjust for the new time. For example, if you normally take your pill at 9 p.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s an hour behind, take it at 8 p.m. local time (which is still 9 p.m. home time).
• For longer trips or trips where the time change is three hours or more: Adjust your dosing schedule by 1 to 2 hours per day until it aligns with the new time zone. If you normally take your pill at 8 a.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, take it at 11 a.m. local time the first day (which is still 8 a.m. home time), 10 a.m. local time the second day, 9 a.m. local time the third day, and 8 a.m. local time the fourth day. (Keep in mind, you may still experience some breakthrough bleeding or a delay in your period with this method.)

A few other things to keep in mind that may help:

• Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to take your pill, even if you don’t do that at home. It’s easier to forget to take birth control on vacation because you’re off your usual routine.
• Bring along an extra pack of pills in your carry-on in case you run into any travel delays or your checked bag gets lost.
• If you miss a dose or take it late, use back-up contraception for seven days to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy.

Tips for managing your period while traveling

While it may be a bit annoying, traveling with your period is totally doable. In fact, there are a few extra steps you can take to help you feel your best on your trip. This includes:

• Staying hydrated. Bring along your refillable water bottle and sip throughout the day. Drinking enough H2O reduces bloating and boosts your energy, per the Mayo Clinic.
• Reaching for wholesome foods as much as you can. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. And we know it’s hard while on vacation, but reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, and fatty foods can help cut down on PMS symptoms, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• Not letting sleep fall by the wayside. Trying to get back on a quality sleep schedule can keep fatigue and moodiness in check, while helping you cope with any travel-related stress.
• Getting some movement every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes every day, the ACOG recommends. While on vacation, this can look taking a walking tour, exploring a new neighborhood on foot or on a bike, or going for a swim at the beach or pool.
• Bringing along a supplement. Magnesium‘s a great one for managing bloating, moodiness, and breast tenderness, the ACOG notes. Dr. Chambers is a fan of Midol Peace Out PMS, which uses chasteberry extract, ginger, and valerian extract—all of which are thought to help reduce PMS symptoms.

Midol Peace Out PMS — $25.99

Shop now

The bottom line

Jet lag can do a number on your body while traveling (even though it’s so worth it for Euro summer vacations!). This includes changes and delays in your menstrual cycle, especially when you’re in a different time zone.

Fortunately, period delays from jet lag are harmless and your body should acclimate within a couple days. Just make sure you’re staying on a consistent schedule with your BC pills (if you do take them) to avoid period changes and get the best protection against pregnancy.

Alexi Pappas, the ‘Fairy Godsister’ of Olympians, Is Launching a Podcast All About the Power of Mentorship

“Mentors are the one consistent through line in the lives of all accomplished people.”

For most people who menstruate, getting your period on vacation is bound to happen at some point. You may prep by packing just the right amount of tampons and pads, but then end up getting it a few days later than expected. What gives? Well, if you’ve traveled across time zones, your internal “menstrual clock” can actually get thrown off. But how long jet lag can delay your period? That’s a whole other question.

You may be thinking: How is this even a thing?! But it’s true. Any significant disruption to your usual daily rhythm can lead to changes in your cycle, explains Charis Chambers, MD, an OB/GYN and Midol partner also known as “The Period Doctor.” And as far as your body is concerned, flying off to a different time zone *definitely* counts as a disruption.

Read on to learn how late your period can be from jet lag, plus other tips for traveling while menstruating—including when to take your birth control.

Why jet lag and travel can delay your period

A lot of the menstrual changes that happen while traveling come down to your circadian rhythm—the internal clock in charge of physical, mental, and behavioral changes the body goes through over a 24-hour period, largely driven by exposure to light and darkness. “It sets the tempo and tone for your body,” Dr. Chambers says.

That includes determining when different hormones should be released, like melatonin to make you feel sleepy. It also regulates hormones in charge of ovulation—like luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, according to March 2010 research in the International Journal of Endocrinology.

Your internal clock is synced to the rhythm of your original time zone. So when you fly to a new one, that clock temporarily gets thrown off, explains the Mayo Clinic. That can lead to small, but measurable, changes to your ovulatory hormones, especially if the travel causes your sleep to get disrupted. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep, for instance, can decrease follicle-stimulating hormone secretions by around 20 percent, the International Journal of Endocrinology study noted.

Jet lag (and the sleep disruptions that come with it) also tends to leave you feeling groggy in general. Pair brain fog with being in a new place, and you have a recipe for heightened levels of stress, which can also throw off your period, Dr. Chambers notes.

Birth control can factor in, too. If you take the pill, missing just one dose (which can definitely happen amidst travel chaos!) can shift your cycle, according to Planned Parenthood. You may also take it at different times from what your body’s used to, which can throw off your cycle. (More on this later.)

How long does jet lag delay your period?

Because everyone’s body and menstrual cycle is so different, it’s hard to say for sure how long you can expect a delay. The more time zones you hop through, however, the more intense your jet lag will likely be, per the Mayo Clinic.

As for how exactly that’ll affect your period? “Because the menstrual cycle is influenced by hormonal rhythms that can be disrupted by circadian misalignment, it is reasonable to expect that menstrual irregularities may begin to resolve as circadian rhythms stabilize,” Dr. Chambers says.

In other words, your period-regulating hormones should start to adjust in line with your sleep. Depending how long that takes, it could take a month or two for your cycle to totally get back to normal, Dr. Chambers adds.

Birth control timing while traveling to different time zones

We talked about how changes to your usual birth control routine can lead to changes with your period. To keep your cycle consistent and make sure you’re continuing to reap the benefits of the pill, “it is critical to minimize disruptions to the dosing schedule,” Dr. Chambers says.

Here’s her advice for how to do that:

• For short trips or trips where the time change is just an hour or two: Keep the same schedule you use at home and don’t adjust for the new time. For example, if you normally take your pill at 9 p.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s an hour behind, take it at 8 p.m. local time (which is still 9 p.m. home time).
• For longer trips or trips where the time change is three hours or more: Adjust your dosing schedule by 1 to 2 hours per day until it aligns with the new time zone. If you normally take your pill at 8 a.m. and you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, take it at 11 a.m. local time the first day (which is still 8 a.m. home time), 10 a.m. local time the second day, 9 a.m. local time the third day, and 8 a.m. local time the fourth day. (Keep in mind, you may still experience some breakthrough bleeding or a delay in your period with this method.)

A few other things to keep in mind that may help:

• Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to take your pill, even if you don’t do that at home. It’s easier to forget to take birth control on vacation because you’re off your usual routine.
• Bring along an extra pack of pills in your carry-on in case you run into any travel delays or your checked bag gets lost.
• If you miss a dose or take it late, use back-up contraception for seven days to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy.

Tips for managing your period while traveling

While it may be a bit annoying, traveling with your period is totally doable. In fact, there are a few extra steps you can take to help you feel your best on your trip. This includes:

• Staying hydrated. Bring along your refillable water bottle and sip throughout the day. Drinking enough H2O reduces bloating and boosts your energy, per the Mayo Clinic.
• Reaching for wholesome foods as much as you can. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. And we know it’s hard while on vacation, but reducing alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, and fatty foods can help cut down on PMS symptoms, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• Not letting sleep fall by the wayside. Trying to get back on a quality sleep schedule can keep fatigue and moodiness in check, while helping you cope with any travel-related stress.
• Getting some movement every day. Aim for at least 30 minutes every day, the ACOG recommends. While on vacation, this can look taking a walking tour, exploring a new neighborhood on foot or on a bike, or going for a swim at the beach or pool.
• Bringing along a supplement. Magnesium‘s a great one for managing bloating, moodiness, and breast tenderness, the ACOG notes. Dr. Chambers is a fan of Midol Peace Out PMS, which uses chasteberry extract, ginger, and valerian extract—all of which are thought to help reduce PMS symptoms.

Midol Peace Out PMS — $25.99

Shop now

The bottom line

Jet lag can do a number on your body while traveling (even though it’s so worth it for Euro summer vacations!). This includes changes and delays in your menstrual cycle, especially when you’re in a different time zone.

Fortunately, period delays from jet lag are harmless and your body should acclimate within a couple days. Just make sure you’re staying on a consistent schedule with your BC pills (if you do take them) to avoid period changes and get the best protection against pregnancy.

Designers, (Re)define Success First

About two and a half years ago, I introduced the idea of daily ethical design. It was born out of my frustration with the many obstacles to achieving design that’s usable and equitable; protects people’s privacy, agency, and focus; benefits society; and restores nature. I argued that we need to overcome the inconveniences that prevent us from acting ethically and that we need to elevate design ethics to a more practical level by structurally integrating it into our daily work, processes, and tools.

Unfortunately, we’re still very far from this ideal. 

At the time, I didn’t know yet how to structurally integrate ethics. Yes, I had found some tools that had worked for me in previous projects, such as using checklists, assumption tracking, and “dark reality” sessions, but I didn’t manage to apply those in every project. I was still struggling for time and support, and at best I had only partially achieved a higher (moral) quality of design—which is far from my definition of structurally integrated.

I decided to dig deeper for the root causes in business that prevent us from practicing daily ethical design. Now, after much research and experimentation, I believe that I’ve found the key that will let us structurally integrate ethics. And it’s surprisingly simple! But first we need to zoom out to get a better understanding of what we’re up against.

Influence the system

Sadly, we’re trapped in a capitalistic system that reinforces consumerism and inequality, and it’s obsessed with the fantasy of endless growth. Sea levels, temperatures, and our demand for energy continue to rise unchallenged, while the gap between rich and poor continues to widen. Shareholders expect ever-higher returns on their investments, and companies feel forced to set short-term objectives that reflect this. Over the last decades, those objectives have twisted our well-intended human-centered mindset into a powerful machine that promotes ever-higher levels of consumption. When we’re working for an organization that pursues “double-digit growth” or “aggressive sales targets” (which is 99 percent of us), that’s very hard to resist while remaining human friendly. Even with our best intentions, and even though we like to say that we create solutions for people, we’re a part of the problem.

What can we do to change this?

We can start by acting on the right level of the system. Donella H. Meadows, a system thinker, once listed ways to influence a system in order of effectiveness. When you apply these to design, you get:

• At the lowest level of effectiveness, you can affect numbers such as usability scores or the number of design critiques. But none of that will change the direction of a company.
• Similarly, affecting buffers (such as team budgets), stocks (such as the number of designers), flows (such as the number of new hires), and delays (such as the time that it takes to hear about the effect of design) won’t significantly affect a company.
• Focusing instead on feedback loops such as management control, employee recognition, or design-system investments can help a company become better at achieving its objectives. But that doesn’t change the objectives themselves, which means that the organization will still work against your ethical-design ideals.
• The next level, information flows, is what most ethical-design initiatives focus on now: the exchange of ethical methods, toolkits, articles, conferences, workshops, and so on. This is also where ethical design has remained mostly theoretical. We’ve been focusing on the wrong level of the system all this time.
• Take rules, for example—they beat knowledge every time. There can be widely accepted rules, such as how finance works, or a scrum team’s definition of done. But ethical design can also be smothered by unofficial rules meant to maintain profits, often revealed through comments such as “the client didn’t ask for it” or “don’t make it too big.”
• Changing the rules without holding official power is very hard. That’s why the next level is so influential: self-organization. Experimentation, bottom-up initiatives, passion projects, self-steering teams—all of these are examples of self-organization that improve the resilience and creativity of a company. It’s exactly this diversity of viewpoints that’s needed to structurally tackle big systemic issues like consumerism, wealth inequality, and climate change.
• Yet even stronger than self-organization are objectives and metrics. Our companies want to make more money, which means that everything and everyone in the company does their best to… make the company more money. And once I realized that profit is nothing more than a measurement, I understood how crucial a very specific, defined metric can be toward pushing a company in a certain direction.

The takeaway? If we truly want to incorporate ethics into our daily design practice, we must first change the measurable objectives of the company we work for, from the bottom up.

Redefine success

Traditionally, we consider a product or service successful if it’s desirable to humans, technologically feasible, and financially viable. You tend to see these represented as equals; if you type the three words in a search engine, you’ll find diagrams of three equally sized, evenly arranged circles.

But in our hearts, we all know that the three dimensions aren’t equally weighted: it’s viability that ultimately controls whether a product will go live. So a more realistic representation might look like this:

Desirability and feasibility are the means; viability is the goal. Companies—outside of nonprofits and charities—exist to make money.

A genuinely purpose-driven company would try to reverse this dynamic: it would recognize finance for what it was intended for: a means. So both feasibility and viability are means to achieve what the company set out to achieve. It makes intuitive sense: to achieve most anything, you need resources, people, and money. (Fun fact: the Italian language knows no difference between feasibility and viability; both are simply fattibilità.)

But simply swapping viable for desirable isn’t enough to achieve an ethical outcome. Desirability is still linked to consumerism because the associated activities aim to identify what people want—whether it’s good for them or not. Desirability objectives, such as user satisfaction or conversion, don’t consider whether a product is healthy for people. They don’t prevent us from creating products that distract or manipulate people or stop us from contributing to society’s wealth inequality. They’re unsuitable for establishing a healthy balance with nature.

There’s a fourth dimension of success that’s missing: our designs also need to be ethical in the effect that they have on the world.

This is hardly a new idea. Many similar models exist, some calling the fourth dimension accountability, integrity, or responsibility. What I’ve never seen before, however, is the necessary step that comes after: to influence the system as designers and to make ethical design more practical, we must create objectives for ethical design that are achievable and inspirational. There’s no one way to do this because it highly depends on your culture, values, and industry. But I’ll give you the version that I developed with a group of colleagues at a design agency. Consider it a template to get started.

Pursue well-being, equity, and sustainability

We created objectives that address design’s effect on three levels: individual, societal, and global.

An objective on the individual level tells us what success is beyond the typical focus of usability and satisfaction—instead considering matters such as how much time and attention is required from users. We pursued well-being:

We create products and services that allow for people’s health and happiness. Our solutions are calm, transparent, nonaddictive, and nonmisleading. We respect our users’ time, attention, and privacy, and help them make healthy and respectful choices.

An objective on the societal level forces us to consider our impact beyond just the user, widening our attention to the economy, communities, and other indirect stakeholders. We called this objective equity:

We create products and services that have a positive social impact. We consider economic equality, racial justice, and the inclusivity and diversity of people as teams, users, and customer segments. We listen to local culture, communities, and those we affect.

Finally, the objective on the global level aims to ensure that we remain in balance with the only home we have as humanity. Referring to it simply as sustainability, our definition was:

We create products and services that reward sufficiency and reusability. Our solutions support the circular economy: we create value from waste, repurpose products, and prioritize sustainable choices. We deliver functionality instead of ownership, and we limit energy use.

In short, ethical design (to us) meant achieving wellbeing for each user and an equitable value distribution within society through a design that can be sustained by our living planet. When we introduced these objectives in the company, for many colleagues, design ethics and responsible design suddenly became tangible and achievable through practical—and even familiar—actions.

Measure impact 

But defining these objectives still isn’t enough. What truly caught the attention of senior management was the fact that we created a way to measure every design project’s well-being, equity, and sustainability.

This overview lists example metrics that you can use as you pursue well-being, equity, and sustainability:

There’s a lot of power in measurement. As the saying goes, what gets measured gets done. Donella Meadows once shared this example:

“If the desired system state is national security, and that is defined as the amount of money spent on the military, the system will produce military spending. It may or may not produce national security.”

This phenomenon explains why desirability is a poor indicator of success: it’s typically defined as the increase in customer satisfaction, session length, frequency of use, conversion rate, churn rate, download rate, and so on. But none of these metrics increase the health of people, communities, or ecosystems. What if instead we measured success through metrics for (digital) well-being, such as (reduced) screen time or software energy consumption?

There’s another important message here. Even if we set an objective to build a calm interface, if we were to choose the wrong metric for calmness—say, the number of interface elements—we could still end up with a screen that induces anxiety. Choosing the wrong metric can completely undo good intentions. 

Additionally, choosing the right metric is enormously helpful in focusing the design team. Once you go through the exercise of choosing metrics for our objectives, you’re forced to consider what success looks like concretely and how you can prove that you’ve reached your ethical objectives. It also forces you to consider what we as designers have control over: what can I include in my design or change in my process that will lead to the right type of success? The answer to this question brings a lot of clarity and focus.

And finally, it’s good to remember that traditional businesses run on measurements, and managers love to spend much time discussing charts (ideally hockey-stick shaped)—especially if they concern profit, the one-above-all of metrics. For good or ill, to improve the system, to have a serious discussion about ethical design with managers, we’ll need to speak that business language.

Practice daily ethical design

Once you’ve defined your objectives and you have a reasonable idea of the potential metrics for your design project, only then do you have a chance to structurally practice ethical design. It “simply” becomes a matter of using your creativity and choosing from all the knowledge and toolkits already available to you.

I think this is quite exciting! It opens a whole new set of challenges and considerations for the design process. Should you go with that energy-consuming video or would a simple illustration be enough? Which typeface is the most calm and inclusive? Which new tools and methods do you use? When is the website’s end of life? How can you provide the same service while requiring less attention from users? How do you make sure that those who are affected by decisions are there when those decisions are made? How can you measure our effects?

The redefinition of success will completely change what it means to do good design.

There is, however, a final piece of the puzzle that’s missing: convincing your client, product owner, or manager to be mindful of well-being, equity, and sustainability. For this, it’s essential to engage stakeholders in a dedicated kickoff session.

Kick it off or fall back to status quo

The kickoff is the most important meeting that can be so easy to forget to include. It consists of two major phases: 1) the alignment of expectations, and 2) the definition of success.

In the first phase, the entire (design) team goes over the project brief and meets with all the relevant stakeholders. Everyone gets to know one another and express their expectations on the outcome and their contributions to achieving it. Assumptions are raised and discussed. The aim is to get on the same level of understanding and to in turn avoid preventable miscommunications and surprises later in the project.

For example, for a recent freelance project that aimed to design a digital platform that facilitates US student advisors’ documentation and communication, we conducted an online kickoff with the client, a subject-matter expert, and two other designers. We used a combination of canvases on Miro: one with questions from “Manual of Me” (to get to know each other), a Team Canvas (to express expectations), and a version of the Project Canvas to align on scope, timeline, and other practical matters.

The above is the traditional purpose of a kickoff. But just as important as expressing expectations is agreeing on what success means for the project—in terms of desirability, viability, feasibility, and ethics. What are the objectives in each dimension?

Agreement on what success means at such an early stage is crucial because you can rely on it for the remainder of the project. If, for example, the design team wants to build an inclusive app for a diverse user group, they can raise diversity as a specific success criterion during the kickoff. If the client agrees, the team can refer back to that promise throughout the project. “As we agreed in our first meeting, having a diverse user group that includes A and B is necessary to build a successful product. So we do activity X and follow research process Y.” Compare those odds to a situation in which the team didn’t agree to that beforehand and had to ask for permission halfway through the project. The client might argue that that came on top of the agreed scope—and she’d be right.

In the case of this freelance project, to define success I prepared a round canvas that I call the Wheel of Success. It consists of an inner ring, meant to capture ideas for objectives, and a set of outer rings, meant to capture ideas on how to measure those objectives. The rings are divided into five dimensions of successful design: healthy, equitable, sustainable, desirable, feasible, and viable.

We went through each dimension, writing down ideas on digital sticky notes. Then we discussed our ideas and verbally agreed on the most important ones. For example, our client agreed that sustainability and progressive enhancement are important success criteria for the platform. And the subject-matter expert emphasized the importance of including students from low-income and disadvantaged groups in the design process.

After the kickoff, we summarized our ideas and shared understanding in a project brief that captured these aspects:

• the project’s origin and purpose: why are we doing this project?
• the problem definition: what do we want to solve?
• the concrete goals and metrics for each success dimension: what do we want to achieve?
• the scope, process, and role descriptions: how will we achieve it?

With such a brief in place, you can use the agreed-upon objectives and concrete metrics as a checklist of success, and your design team will be ready to pursue the right objective—using the tools, methods, and metrics at their disposal to achieve ethical outcomes.

Conclusion

Over the past year, quite a few colleagues have asked me, “Where do I start with ethical design?” My answer has always been the same: organize a session with your stakeholders to (re)define success. Even though you might not always be 100 percent successful in agreeing on goals that cover all responsibility objectives, that beats the alternative (the status quo) every time. If you want to be an ethical, responsible designer, there’s no skipping this step.

To be even more specific: if you consider yourself a strategic designer, your challenge is to define ethical objectives, set the right metrics, and conduct those kick-off sessions. If you consider yourself a system designer, your starting point is to understand how your industry contributes to consumerism and inequality, understand how finance drives business, and brainstorm which levers are available to influence the system on the highest level. Then redefine success to create the space to exercise those levers.

And for those who consider themselves service designers or UX designers or UI designers: if you truly want to have a positive, meaningful impact, stay away from the toolkits and meetups and conferences for a while. Instead, gather your colleagues and define goals for well-being, equity, and sustainability through design. Engage your stakeholders in a workshop and challenge them to think of ways to achieve and measure those ethical goals. Take their input, make it concrete and visible, ask for their agreement, and hold them to it.

Otherwise, I’m genuinely sorry to say, you’re wasting your precious time and creative energy.

Of course, engaging your stakeholders in this way can be uncomfortable. Many of my colleagues expressed doubts such as “What will the client think of this?,” “Will they take me seriously?,” and “Can’t we just do it within the design team instead?” In fact, a product manager once asked me why ethics couldn’t just be a structured part of the design process—to just do it without spending the effort to define ethical objectives. It’s a tempting idea, right? We wouldn’t have to have difficult discussions with stakeholders about what values or which key-performance indicators to pursue. It would let us focus on what we like and do best: designing.

But as systems theory tells us, that’s not enough. For those of us who aren’t from marginalized groups and have the privilege to be able to speak up and be heard, that uncomfortable space is exactly where we need to be if we truly want to make a difference. We can’t remain within the design-for-designers bubble, enjoying our privileged working-from-home situation, disconnected from the real world out there. For those of us who have the possibility to speak up and be heard: if we solely keep talking about ethical design and it remains at the level of articles and toolkits—we’re not designing ethically. It’s just theory. We need to actively engage our colleagues and clients by challenging them to redefine success in business.

With a bit of courage, determination, and focus, we can break out of this cage that finance and business-as-usual have built around us and become facilitators of a new type of business that can see beyond financial value. We just need to agree on the right objectives at the start of each design project, find the right metrics, and realize that we already have everything that we need to get started. That’s what it means to do daily ethical design.

For their inspiration and support over the years, I would like to thank Emanuela Cozzi Schettini, José Gallegos, Annegret Bönemann, Ian Dorr, Vera Rademaker, Virginia Rispoli, Cecilia Scolaro, Rouzbeh Amini, and many others.

Mobile-First CSS: Is It Time for a Rethink?

The mobile-first design methodology is great—it focuses on what really matters to the user, it’s well-practiced, and it’s been a common design pattern for years. So developing your CSS mobile-first should also be great, too…right? 

Well, not necessarily. Classic mobile-first CSS development is based on the principle of overwriting style declarations: you begin your CSS with default style declarations, and overwrite and/or add new styles as you add breakpoints with min-width media queries for larger viewports (for a good overview see “What is Mobile First CSS and Why Does It Rock?”). But all those exceptions create complexity and inefficiency, which in turn can lead to an increased testing effort and a code base that’s harder to maintain. Admit it—how many of us willingly want that?

On your own projects, mobile-first CSS may yet be the best tool for the job, but first you need to evaluate just how appropriate it is in light of the visual design and user interactions you’re working on. To help you get started, here’s how I go about tackling the factors you need to watch for, and I’ll discuss some alternate solutions if mobile-first doesn’t seem to suit your project.

Advantages of mobile-first

Some of the things to like with mobile-first CSS development—and why it’s been the de facto development methodology for so long—make a lot of sense:

Development hierarchy. One thing you undoubtedly get from mobile-first is a nice development hierarchy—you just focus on the mobile view and get developing. 

Tried and tested. It’s a tried and tested methodology that’s worked for years for a reason: it solves a problem really well.

Prioritizes the mobile view. The mobile view is the simplest and arguably the most important, as it encompasses all the key user journeys, and often accounts for a higher proportion of user visits (depending on the project). 

Prevents desktop-centric development. As development is done using desktop computers, it can be tempting to initially focus on the desktop view. But thinking about mobile from the start prevents us from getting stuck later on; no one wants to spend their time retrofitting a desktop-centric site to work on mobile devices!

Disadvantages of mobile-first

Setting style declarations and then overwriting them at higher breakpoints can lead to undesirable ramifications:

More complexity. The farther up the breakpoint hierarchy you go, the more unnecessary code you inherit from lower breakpoints. 

Higher CSS specificity. Styles that have been reverted to their browser default value in a class name declaration now have a higher specificity. This can be a headache on large projects when you want to keep the CSS selectors as simple as possible.

Requires more regression testing. Changes to the CSS at a lower view (like adding a new style) requires all higher breakpoints to be regression tested.

The browser can’t prioritize CSS downloads. At wider breakpoints, classic mobile-first min-width media queries don’t leverage the browser’s capability to download CSS files in priority order.

The problem of property value overrides

There is nothing inherently wrong with overwriting values; CSS was designed to do just that. Still, inheriting incorrect values is unhelpful and can be burdensome and inefficient. It can also lead to increased style specificity when you have to overwrite styles to reset them back to their defaults, something that may cause issues later on, especially if you are using a combination of bespoke CSS and utility classes. We won’t be able to use a utility class for a style that has been reset with a higher specificity.

With this in mind, I’m developing CSS with a focus on the default values much more these days. Since there’s no specific order, and no chains of specific values to keep track of, this frees me to develop breakpoints simultaneously. I concentrate on finding common styles and isolating the specific exceptions in closed media query ranges (that is, any range with a max-width set). 

This approach opens up some opportunities, as you can look at each breakpoint as a clean slate. If a component’s layout looks like it should be based on Flexbox at all breakpoints, it’s fine and can be coded in the default style sheet. But if it looks like Grid would be much better for large screens and Flexbox for mobile, these can both be done entirely independently when the CSS is put into closed media query ranges. Also, developing simultaneously requires you to have a good understanding of any given component in all breakpoints up front. This can help surface issues in the design earlier in the development process. We don’t want to get stuck down a rabbit hole building a complex component for mobile, and then get the designs for desktop and find they are equally complex and incompatible with the HTML we created for the mobile view! 

Though this approach isn’t going to suit everyone, I encourage you to give it a try. There are plenty of tools out there to help with concurrent development, such as Responsively App, Blisk, and many others. 

Having said that, I don’t feel the order itself is particularly relevant. If you are comfortable with focusing on the mobile view, have a good understanding of the requirements for other breakpoints, and prefer to work on one device at a time, then by all means stick with the classic development order. The important thing is to identify common styles and exceptions so you can put them in the relevant stylesheet—a sort of manual tree-shaking process! Personally, I find this a little easier when working on a component across breakpoints, but that’s by no means a requirement.

Closed media query ranges in practice 

In classic mobile-first CSS we overwrite the styles, but we can avoid this by using media query ranges. To illustrate the difference (I’m using SCSS for brevity), let’s assume there are three visual designs: 

• smaller than 768
• from 768 to below 1024
• 1024 and anything larger 

Take a simple example where a block-level element has a default padding of “20px,” which is overwritten at tablet to be “40px” and set back to “20px” on desktop.

.my-block {
  padding: 20px;
  @media (min-width: 768px) {
    padding: 40px;
  }
  @media (min-width: 1024px) {
    padding: 20px;
  }
}

.my-block {
  padding: 20px;
  @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023.98px) {
    padding: 40px;
  }
}

The subtle difference is that the mobile-first example sets the default padding to “20px” and then overwrites it at each breakpoint, setting it three times in total. In contrast, the second example sets the default padding to “20px” and only overrides it at the relevant breakpoint where it isn’t the default value (in this instance, tablet is the exception).

The goal is to: 

• Only set styles when needed. 
• Not set them with the expectation of overwriting them later on, again and again. 

To this end, closed media query ranges are our best friend. If we need to make a change to any given view, we make it in the CSS media query range that applies to the specific breakpoint. We’ll be much less likely to introduce unwanted alterations, and our regression testing only needs to focus on the breakpoint we have actually edited. 

Taking the above example, if we find that .my-block spacing on desktop is already accounted for by the margin at that breakpoint, and since we want to remove the padding altogether, we could do this by setting the mobile padding in a closed media query range.

.my-block {
  @media (max-width: 767.98px) {
    padding: 20px;
  }
  @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023.98px) {
    padding: 40px;
  }
}

The browser default padding for our block is “0,” so instead of adding a desktop media query and using unset or “0” for the padding value (which we would need with mobile-first), we can wrap the mobile padding in a closed media query (since it is now also an exception) so it won’t get picked up at wider breakpoints. At the desktop breakpoint, we won’t need to set any padding style, as we want the browser default value.

Bundling versus separating the CSS

Back in the day, keeping the number of requests to a minimum was very important due to the browser’s limit of concurrent requests (typically around six). As a consequence, the use of image sprites and CSS bundling was the norm, with all the CSS being downloaded in one go, as one stylesheet with highest priority. 

With HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 now on the scene, the number of requests is no longer the big deal it used to be. This allows us to separate the CSS into multiple files by media query. The clear benefit of this is the browser can now request the CSS it currently needs with a higher priority than the CSS it doesn’t. This is more performant and can reduce the overall time page rendering is blocked.

Which HTTP version are you using?

To determine which version of HTTP you’re using, go to your website and open your browser’s dev tools. Next, select the Network tab and make sure the Protocol column is visible. If “h2” is listed under Protocol, it means HTTP/2 is being used. 

Note: to view the Protocol in your browser’s dev tools, go to the Network tab, reload your page, right-click any column header (e.g., Name), and check the Protocol column.

Also, if your site is still using HTTP/1...WHY?!! What are you waiting for? There is excellent user support for HTTP/2.

Splitting the CSS

Separating the CSS into individual files is a worthwhile task. Linking the separate CSS files using the relevant media attribute allows the browser to identify which files are needed immediately (because they’re render-blocking) and which can be deferred. Based on this, it allocates each file an appropriate priority.

In the following example of a website visited on a mobile breakpoint, we can see the mobile and default CSS are loaded with “Highest” priority, as they are currently needed to render the page. The remaining CSS files (print, tablet, and desktop) are still downloaded in case they’ll be needed later, but with “Lowest” priority. 

With bundled CSS, the browser will have to download the CSS file and parse it before rendering can start.

While, as noted, with the CSS separated into different files linked and marked up with the relevant media attribute, the browser can prioritize the files it currently needs. Using closed media query ranges allows the browser to do this at all widths, as opposed to classic mobile-first min-width queries, where the desktop browser would have to download all the CSS with Highest priority. We can’t assume that desktop users always have a fast connection. For instance, in many rural areas, internet connection speeds are still slow. 

The media queries and number of separate CSS files will vary from project to project based on project requirements, but might look similar to the example below.

Depending on the project’s deployment strategy, a change to one file (mobile.css, for example) would only require the QA team to regression test on devices in that specific media query range. Compare that to the prospect of deploying the single bundled site.css file, an approach that would normally trigger a full regression test.

Moving on

The uptake of mobile-first CSS was a really important milestone in web development; it has helped front-end developers focus on mobile web applications, rather than developing sites on desktop and then attempting to retrofit them to work on other devices.

I don’t think anyone wants to return to that development model again, but it’s important we don’t lose sight of the issue it highlighted: that things can easily get convoluted and less efficient if we prioritize one particular device—any device—over others. For this reason, focusing on the CSS in its own right, always mindful of what is the default setting and what’s an exception, seems like the natural next step. I’ve started noticing small simplifications in my own CSS, as well as other developers’, and that testing and maintenance work is also a bit more simplified and productive. 

In general, simplifying CSS rule creation whenever we can is ultimately a cleaner approach than going around in circles of overrides. But whichever methodology you choose, it needs to suit the project. Mobile-first may—or may not—turn out to be the best choice for what’s involved, but first you need to solidly understand the trade-offs you’re stepping into.

Personalization Pyramid: A Framework for Designing with User Data

As a UX professional in today’s data-driven landscape, it’s increasingly likely that you’ve been asked to design a personalized digital experience, whether it’s a public website, user portal, or native application. Yet while there continues to be no shortage of marketing hype around personalization platforms, we still have very few standardized approaches for implementing personalized UX.

That’s where we come in. After completing dozens of personalization projects over the past few years, we gave ourselves a goal: could you create a holistic personalization framework specifically for UX practitioners? The Personalization Pyramid is a designer-centric model for standing up human-centered personalization programs, spanning data, segmentation, content delivery, and overall goals. By using this approach, you will be able to understand the core components of a contemporary, UX-driven personalization program (or at the very least know enough to get started). 

Getting Started

For the sake of this article, we’ll assume you’re already familiar with the basics of digital personalization. A good overview can be found here: Website Personalization Planning. While UX projects in this area can take on many different forms, they often stem from similar starting points.      

Common scenarios for starting a personalization project:

• Your organization or client purchased a content management system (CMS) or marketing automation platform (MAP) or related technology that supports personalization
• The CMO, CDO, or CIO has identified personalization as a goal
• Customer data is disjointed or ambiguous
• You are running some isolated targeting campaigns or A/B testing
• Stakeholders disagree on personalization approach
• Mandate of customer privacy rules (e.g. GDPR) requires revisiting existing user targeting practices

Regardless of where you begin, a successful personalization program will require the same core building blocks. We’ve captured these as the “levels” on the pyramid. Whether you are a UX designer, researcher, or strategist, understanding the core components can help make your contribution successful.  

From top to bottom, the levels include:

1. North Star: What larger strategic objective is driving the personalization program? 
2. Goals: What are the specific, measurable outcomes of the program? 
3. Touchpoints: Where will the personalized experience be served?
4. Contexts and Campaigns: What personalization content will the user see?
5. User Segments: What constitutes a unique, usable audience? 
6. Actionable Data: What reliable and authoritative data is captured by our technical platform to drive personalization?  
7. Raw Data: What wider set of data is conceivably available (already in our setting) allowing you to personalize?

We’ll go through each of these levels in turn. To help make this actionable, we created an accompanying deck of cards to illustrate specific examples from each level. We’ve found them helpful in personalization brainstorming sessions, and will include examples for you here.

Starting at the Top

The components of the pyramid are as follows:

North Star

A north star is what you are aiming for overall with your personalization program (big or small). The North Star defines the (one) overall mission of the personalization program. What do you wish to accomplish? North Stars cast a shadow. The bigger the star, the bigger the shadow. Example of North Starts might include: 

1. Function: Personalize based on basic user inputs. Examples: “Raw” notifications, basic search results, system user settings and configuration options, general customization, basic optimizations
2. Feature: Self-contained personalization componentry. Examples: “Cooked” notifications, advanced optimizations (geolocation), basic dynamic messaging, customized modules, automations, recommenders
3. Experience: Personalized user experiences across multiple interactions and user flows. Examples: Email campaigns, landing pages, advanced messaging (i.e. C2C chat) or conversational interfaces, larger user flows and content-intensive optimizations (localization).
4. Product: Highly differentiating personalized product experiences. Examples: Standalone, branded experiences with personalization at their core, like the “algotorial” playlists by Spotify such as Discover Weekly.

Goals

As in any good UX design, personalization can help accelerate designing with customer intentions. Goals are the tactical and measurable metrics that will prove the overall program is successful. A good place to start is with your current analytics and measurement program and metrics you can benchmark against. In some cases, new goals may be appropriate. The key thing to remember is that personalization itself is not a goal, rather it is a means to an end. Common goals include:

• Conversion
• Time on task
• Net promoter score (NPS)
• Customer satisfaction 

Touchpoints

Touchpoints are where the personalization happens. As a UX designer, this will be one of your largest areas of responsibility. The touchpoints available to you will depend on how your personalization and associated technology capabilities are instrumented, and should be rooted in improving a user’s experience at a particular point in the journey. Touchpoints can be multi-device (mobile, in-store, website) but also more granular (web banner, web pop-up etc.). Here are some examples:

Channel-level Touchpoints

• Email: Role
• Email: Time of open
• In-store display (JSON endpoint)
• Native app
• Search

Wireframe-level Touchpoints

• Web overlay
• Web alert bar
• Web banner
• Web content block
• Web menu

If you’re designing for web interfaces, for example, you will likely need to include personalized “zones” in your wireframes. The content for these can be presented programmatically in touchpoints based on our next step, contexts and campaigns.

Contexts and Campaigns

Once you’ve outlined some touchpoints, you can consider the actual personalized content a user will receive. Many personalization tools will refer to these as “campaigns” (so, for example, a campaign on a web banner for new visitors to the website). These will programmatically be shown at certain touchpoints to certain user segments, as defined by user data. At this stage, we find it helpful to consider two separate models: a context model and a content model. The context helps you consider the level of engagement of the user at the personalization moment, for example a user casually browsing information vs. doing a deep-dive. Think of it in terms of information retrieval behaviors. The content model can then help you determine what type of personalization to serve based on the context (for example, an “Enrich” campaign that shows related articles may be a suitable supplement to extant content).

Personalization Context Model:

1. Browse
2. Skim
3. Nudge
4. Feast

Personalization Content Model:

1. Alert
2. Make Easier
3. Cross-Sell
4. Enrich

We’ve written extensively about each of these models elsewhere, so if you’d like to read more you can check out Colin’s Personalization Content Model and Jeff’s Personalization Context Model. 

User Segments

User segments can be created prescriptively or adaptively, based on user research (e.g. via rules and logic tied to set user behaviors or via A/B testing). At a minimum you will likely need to consider how to treat the unknown or first-time visitor, the guest or returning visitor for whom you may have a stateful cookie (or equivalent post-cookie identifier), or the authenticated visitor who is logged in. Here are some examples from the personalization pyramid:

• Unknown
• Guest
• Authenticated
• Default
• Referred
• Role
• Cohort
• Unique ID

Actionable Data

Every organization with any digital presence has data. It’s a matter of asking what data you can ethically collect on users, its inherent reliability and value, as to how can you use it (sometimes known as “data activation.”) Fortunately, the tide is turning to first-party data: a recent study by Twilio estimates some 80% of businesses are using at least some type of first-party data to personalize the customer experience. 

First-party data represents multiple advantages on the UX front, including being relatively simple to collect, more likely to be accurate, and less susceptible to the “creep factor” of third-party data. So a key part of your UX strategy should be to determine what the best form of data collection is on your audiences. Here are some examples:

There is a progression of profiling when it comes to recognizing and making decisioning about different audiences and their signals. It tends to move towards more granular constructs about smaller and smaller cohorts of users as time and confidence and data volume grow.

While some combination of implicit / explicit data is generally a prerequisite for any implementation (more commonly referred to as first party and third-party data) ML efforts are typically not cost-effective directly out of the box. This is because a strong data backbone and content repository is a prerequisite for optimization. But these approaches should be considered as part of the larger roadmap and may indeed help accelerate the organization’s overall progress. Typically at this point you will partner with key stakeholders and product owners to design a profiling model. The profiling model includes defining approach to configuring profiles, profile keys, profile cards and pattern cards. A multi-faceted approach to profiling which makes it scalable.

Pulling it Together

While the cards comprise the starting point to an inventory of sorts (we provide blanks for you to tailor your own), a set of potential levers and motivations for the style of personalization activities you aspire to deliver, they are more valuable when thought of in a grouping. 

In assembling a card “hand”, one can begin to trace the entire trajectory from leadership focus down through a strategic and tactical execution. It is also at the heart of the way both co-authors have conducted workshops in assembling a program backlog—which is a fine subject for another article.

In the meantime, what is important to note is that each colored class of card is helpful to survey in understanding the range of choices potentially at your disposal, it is threading through and making concrete decisions about for whom this decisioning will be made: where, when, and how.

Lay Down Your Cards

Any sustainable personalization strategy must consider near, mid and long-term goals. Even with the leading CMS platforms like Sitecore and Adobe or the most exciting composable CMS DXP out there, there is simply no “easy button” wherein a personalization program can be stood up and immediately view meaningful results. That said, there is a common grammar to all personalization activities, just like every sentence has nouns and verbs. These cards attempt to map that territory.