Rhythms are recognized in all living things, from the fungi growing under the trees in the woods, in all plants, animals, and us humans. These rhythms are referred to as circadian rhythms, and are an important aspect of life. Each human is unique, and although we are almost all wired to sleep at night (ask anyone working the night shift about this), and work during the day, each of us has unique aspects to our individual rhythm.
Rarely do we control our own life, or at least we may not think we can. (One area we can't control, is the imposed change in our clocks twice a year by Daylight Savings Time.) What I have found, is that by utilizing careful observation, realizing gains in self awareness, and flexibility in our planning, we can help organize our days to take advantage of our natural rhythm. Or we can fight it, and feel like we are not living right.
Over the years, I've learned some basic things about myself. My bed time varies, as do my daily activities, but I do always get up at 5:00 AM on weekdays. I find the morning to be a very productive time. A "me" time that is part of what I consider a very fulfilling life. My mornings are spent writing this blog, reading the news, carrying out the compost, and consuming coffee. I will sometimes exercise in the morning, but this is generally a seasonal change in my rhythm.
I know I am best at tackling my tough issues between around 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Knowing this, I tend to schedule the meetings I facilitate during this time period. I find that a meeting tackling tough issues too late in the day, or too early, will make it difficult for me to exercise the patience required to stay totally engaged in it. There are times I can overcome my late day sluggishness with caffeine, but this is like borrowing time. It is only good for so long.
My mornings at work are generally focused on short term plans (1-2 days) for initiatives I manage, and organizing my day. My late afternoons are a continuation of the morning, with more administrivia - such as replying to e-mails, and looking at my longer term calendar. If I bike commute, my ride home usually has me arriving in our driveway ready to dig in the dirt, or split wood. I love to eat dinner with my honey, followed by a good solid workout, and then evening tea while reconnecting with my honey for a couple of hours. The period at the end of the day is usually perfect for reading a book, followed by sleep. If the book is good, I may extend my awake time. And the next day the rhythm starts again.
There's a certain comfort I find in rhythm. There may be a certain amount of chaos all around me I can't control, but what I can control is how I react to the chaos. Acknowledging our rhythms affirms our strengths. These are not weaknesses; no one can be all things to all people - or to all issues. Our rhythm is our strength, and I see many people fight their rhythm as they appear to slowly degrade.
Do you acknowledge your rhythms, and leverage the strengths of them? Do you have a favorite time of day to do certain things? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
If you like this post, please share with your social network using the buttons below. And then go live your rhythm!
____________
For me, I
Rarely do we control our own life, or at least we may not think we can. (One area we can't control, is the imposed change in our clocks twice a year by Daylight Savings Time.) What I have found, is that by utilizing careful observation, realizing gains in self awareness, and flexibility in our planning, we can help organize our days to take advantage of our natural rhythm. Or we can fight it, and feel like we are not living right.
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| Click the link "circadian rhythms" in the first paragraph to explore this graphic |
I know I am best at tackling my tough issues between around 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Knowing this, I tend to schedule the meetings I facilitate during this time period. I find that a meeting tackling tough issues too late in the day, or too early, will make it difficult for me to exercise the patience required to stay totally engaged in it. There are times I can overcome my late day sluggishness with caffeine, but this is like borrowing time. It is only good for so long.
My mornings at work are generally focused on short term plans (1-2 days) for initiatives I manage, and organizing my day. My late afternoons are a continuation of the morning, with more administrivia - such as replying to e-mails, and looking at my longer term calendar. If I bike commute, my ride home usually has me arriving in our driveway ready to dig in the dirt, or split wood. I love to eat dinner with my honey, followed by a good solid workout, and then evening tea while reconnecting with my honey for a couple of hours. The period at the end of the day is usually perfect for reading a book, followed by sleep. If the book is good, I may extend my awake time. And the next day the rhythm starts again.
There's a certain comfort I find in rhythm. There may be a certain amount of chaos all around me I can't control, but what I can control is how I react to the chaos. Acknowledging our rhythms affirms our strengths. These are not weaknesses; no one can be all things to all people - or to all issues. Our rhythm is our strength, and I see many people fight their rhythm as they appear to slowly degrade.
Do you acknowledge your rhythms, and leverage the strengths of them? Do you have a favorite time of day to do certain things? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
If you like this post, please share with your social network using the buttons below. And then go live your rhythm!
____________
For me, I
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