Since I’ve moved to the forest, it is much easier to honor my ‘natural rhythm’ in all things. I’m not tied to other clocks and naturally reverted to what is healthiest for me. But, now that I have done this, I realize how incredibly powerful this is! I function better in health, happiness, peace, rest, creativity, & productivity. My self-esteem & relationships are better too.

Why didn’t anyone teach us this?

It’s obviously important; like using the right gas in your car or not eating foods that hurt your body. And it’s a basic principal: Honor your natural rhythms.

Here’s a few suggestions on how to do just that:

Are you tired?

You probably know how many hours you’d like to sleep. But to you sleep that much? Demands can push and pull us until we feel we’ll break and they absolutely will if we let them. Getting enough rest is essential to feeling good. So if you have to get up early, go to bed early. Get the rest you need.

Pay attention to how you feel after you eat. Are you bloated, tired, get a headache, brain fog? Are you hungry shortly after eating. The food you put in your body affects you body. Not just your waist but your brain too. And if you’re hungry before it’s time for the next meal, you may not be getting what you need nutritionally from your food. I know I need protein in the morning. I work better and don’t get as hungry so quickly.

Know your brain.

What time of the day are you the most mentally sharp? For me, It’s in the morning. I do my hardest brain work first thing in the morning. I’m at my best physically in the afternoon and I’m creative in the evening.

So my day looks like this: Wake up, drink a glass of water, get my coffee and head straight to my office. I work until late morning when I take my dog for a walk. When we come back, I have a protein rich breakfast and go back to work for another 3 hours doing my busy (not brain) work. In the afternoon I engage in the physical part of life; clean house, laundry, run errands, meet clients or friends, etc. Before or after dinner I may read or engage in some conversation, art, or music. Honestly, if I try and create in the morning, it doesn’t work. Just as if I try and work on technical problems in the afternoon I feel like I’m fighting a battle. My body and mind feel so uncomfortable I feel compelled to do something else…anything else.

This can go deeper and deeper. Hate your job? Then It’s probably not the right one for you. Unless it’s a person at your work. Then it could be a great relief to find the same kind of job with different people. We don’t fall in love with the first person we date & we may not even like them. Why would we thing it would be different with a career?

Knowing AND HONORING our natural rhythms can do a lot to make our lives better.