Changing the Circadian Rhythm

 

I love feeling as well as I can - who doesn't?  I do have to take medication, but there are many other things I can do to help myself. We only get one life and it makes sense to feel as good as we can, doesn't it?

I eat a really healthy diet these days, I take exercise as much as I can and I avoid alcohol, meat and dairy.     These have been personal choices for a good few years now.  

So I've looked at my 'circadian rhythm'.  (This is worth a look at:  yours, not mine!!)

The circadian rhythm is the 24-hour body clock, tied to the light/dark natural light cycle. Our bodies are strongest for different things at different times of the day, and respond better when we follow this light/dark cycle.

I've always known that I feel better when I go to bed earlier rather than later, (although as a kid I hated going to bed when it was still light...) and get up earlier; and at school I always felt better when I hadn't fallen out of bed late and rushed to school still half-asleep as a teacher as well as a pupil..

So I've made a few actual changes to life over the last few weeks, and I thought I'd share my "scientific" results here with you.  

This is what I changed:

I have set myself a bedtime of 9.30 pm.  At 8.30 my laptop and phone screens change to black and white and are dimmed; this is set to happen automatically.

My morning alarm goes off at 6.30 am

I drink caffeinated tea before midday and change to decaf after (for years Man Wonderful has only drunk coffee before midday - nothing deliberately to do with a circadian rhythm).

I make sure to spend at least 30 minutes outside getting vitamin D  - with or without rain..

This is what I have noticed:

I feel far less tired.

I feel as if I have more emotional energy.

I have a little 'reserve' of energy I can tap into.

Have you tried this?

Have you looked at your circadian rhythm?

Tell me about it?

Tracey xx