It seems that Western science is catching up with what the Chinese have known for millennia. That there is an optimal time in our day to do things. Great news for those of us wanting to pack just that little bit more into each day!
Disruption of circadian rhythms has been linked to problems such as diabetes, depression, dementia and obesity.
When our body’s master clock can synchronise its rhythms it may just give us an edge in daily life.’
Below is what current research suggests is the best time to ‘do stuff’.
- 6am Send email messages now – they are more likely to be read.
- 8-9am Reading twitter now can start your day on a cheery note (personally, I don’t use it – I need more
- 9-11am Alertness and concentration rise with body heat – see any similarities with TCM? (kick start this with a warm shower).
- 12-4pm Ability to focus fades (this is where a high protein snack comes in handy). BUT, this fatigue may boost your creative powers. This may allow the mind to wander more freely to explore alternative solutions.
- 2-6pm Physical performance high – muscle strength, flexibility, eye-hand co-ordination, lung power up.
- 3pm-6pm Re-tweeting increases as inventiveness drops.
- 5-7pm Wandering brain leads to lateral thinking.
- 8pm This is when you get ‘liked’ on Facebook.
Is there a ‘best time’ to eat? Well, turns out there is. Two groups of mice, one group allowed to eat when awake (personally, I’ve never been one to eat in my sleep) and active during an eight hour period. The other group could eat at any time. The mice that ate only when active were 40% leaner and had lower cholesterol and blood sugar.
- 8am-6pm Weight controlled if meals taken during activity period – I don’t think that means you should eat on the treadmill though!