Ask anyone who's looked into microdosing what schedule to follow and you'll hear two names: Fadiman and Stamets. Both protocols have been followed by thousands of people, both have real reasoning behind them, and both were designed as if every body runs on a fixed calendar. Here's how they work, who they suit, and what to consider before picking one.
The Fadiman protocol: one day on, two days off
Psychologist James Fadiman, whose research surveys helped bring microdosing into the mainstream conversation, proposed the simplest possible rhythm: one practice day, then two days off, repeating. The reasoning is about observation as much as anything. The off days let you compare how you feel on, after, and between practice days, which turns your own month into a small experiment. It's the protocol most guides recommend for beginners precisely because the built-in contrast teaches you to notice.
Who it suits: first-timers, careful observers, anyone who wants the clearest read on what the practice is actually doing for them.
The Stamets protocol: five on, two off
Mycologist Paul Stamets approaches it differently: five consecutive practice days, then two days of rest, usually run in month-long cycles with a longer reset between them. The Stamets approach is also famous for stacking, pairing the practice with lion's mane mushroom and niacin. Lion's mane is the part of that stack with published human research behind it: it's studied for supporting focus, memory, and the brain's natural capacity to form new connections (nerve growth factor), which is why it also anchors the follicular phase of our own Cycle Stack and our Morning Glory blend.
Who it suits: people who prefer a weekly rhythm (five on, two off maps neatly onto a work week), and those drawn to the stacking philosophy.
Custom schedules
Plenty of experienced practitioners land somewhere in between: every third day, weekends only, or intuition-led with minimum rest days between practice days. The rest days aren't optional in any serious version of this. Every protocol builds them in, because the practice is meant to stay subtle, and the off days are where you integrate and observe.
What all three miss
Every one of these protocols runs on the calendar. The calendar is not the body. If you have a menstrual cycle, your energy, mood, focus, and sensitivity shift week to week in a pattern the Fadiman and Stamets schedules simply can't see. A practice day that lands well in your follicular week can land very differently in your late luteal week, and a fixed protocol will keep scheduling it anyway. We've written a full guide to what each phase looks like and how to adjust for it.
And in perimenopause, when the cycle itself stops being predictable, calendar protocols lose their anchor entirely. That's a different problem with a different answer, state-syncing, which we've also covered in depth.
Track it, whatever you choose
The one piece of advice every protocol agrees on: journal daily, and follow your schedule consistently rather than improvising. That's exactly what our apps are built for. Classic Microdose Companion handles the traditional protocols, Fadiman, Stamets, or your own custom schedule, with daily reminders and check-ins. Women's Microdose Companion goes further and adapts the whole protocol to your cycle, or to your daily state in perimenopause and beyond. Both are free.
Whichever schedule you choose, the protocol only teaches you something if you show up and write it down, because you are the best judge of you.
This article is for educational purposes and isn't medical advice, and nothing here encourages the use of any substance where it is illegal. NFTP products are dietary supplements, contain no psilocybin or scheduled substances, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your healthcare provider about what's right for you.