In The Dead Of The Afternoon
One of the joys of how God created woman is that we're pretty in-tune with our bodies. We quickly learn what foods give us energy, when the best times to get up and go to bed are, and how to exercise to reach our full potential.
We should all become familiar with how our body rhythms affect our day. It's not new-age mumbo jumbo - it's simply understanding when you are at your most productive. If you pay attention for a few days, you'll clearly see the patterns of energy and mood in your own body.
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I don't function well early in the morning, so I wait until later to write or craft. Instead, I will do laundry and clean - things I can do without too much thinking. I also know that I need a high-protein breakfast or I will fade quickly. It doesn't make much sense to try and push my mind and body to go beyond what they're capable of. Instead I can wait for a better time when my body rhythms are more suited for thinking and activity.
Later in the morning my mind engages more and I have much more energy, probably because my eggs have kicked in. At this point I can make cards for my etsy site and do my writing for the day. From mid-morning until lunchtime I know I can accomplish quite a bit. When you find the high points of your body rhythms you can exceed what you thought you were capable of.
But first thing in the afternoon I either need a nap, a walk around the block or something to do outside the house. I get sleepy and very unproductive, which means I'm more susceptible to depression and anxiety. In order to keep those horrible, negative thoughts at bay, I'll often plan my day so I have something sedentary but thought-provoking to do. I'll get a pile of magazines together and mark articles and scrapbook designs I'd like to try. Or I'll sort recipes and write my favorites in my personal cookbook. By choosing productive, yet not-too-taxing, activities in the times that my body would prefer to shut down, I can keep my spirits and my mood up.
By later in the afternoon I can kick it back into gear. Danny will be coming home soon so I'll get supper put together and finish picking up the house. If there is church or some other activity planned for the evening I get things gathered to go. Once we're in for the night I can finally relax and enjoy some couple time. I've also found that I function better in the morning the earlier I go to bed, so we're generally on the way by 9:00 or so. Keeping a regular schedule works for me better than any coffee or soda ever could.
Do you know your body's scheduled rhythms during the day? Could you get more accomplished and feel better about the way you spend your time if you did? Pay attention to your ups and downs for a few days and decipher what your body's been trying to tell you.
We should all become familiar with how our body rhythms affect our day. It's not new-age mumbo jumbo - it's simply understanding when you are at your most productive. If you pay attention for a few days, you'll clearly see the patterns of energy and mood in your own body.
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I don't function well early in the morning, so I wait until later to write or craft. Instead, I will do laundry and clean - things I can do without too much thinking. I also know that I need a high-protein breakfast or I will fade quickly. It doesn't make much sense to try and push my mind and body to go beyond what they're capable of. Instead I can wait for a better time when my body rhythms are more suited for thinking and activity.
Later in the morning my mind engages more and I have much more energy, probably because my eggs have kicked in. At this point I can make cards for my etsy site and do my writing for the day. From mid-morning until lunchtime I know I can accomplish quite a bit. When you find the high points of your body rhythms you can exceed what you thought you were capable of.
But first thing in the afternoon I either need a nap, a walk around the block or something to do outside the house. I get sleepy and very unproductive, which means I'm more susceptible to depression and anxiety. In order to keep those horrible, negative thoughts at bay, I'll often plan my day so I have something sedentary but thought-provoking to do. I'll get a pile of magazines together and mark articles and scrapbook designs I'd like to try. Or I'll sort recipes and write my favorites in my personal cookbook. By choosing productive, yet not-too-taxing, activities in the times that my body would prefer to shut down, I can keep my spirits and my mood up.
By later in the afternoon I can kick it back into gear. Danny will be coming home soon so I'll get supper put together and finish picking up the house. If there is church or some other activity planned for the evening I get things gathered to go. Once we're in for the night I can finally relax and enjoy some couple time. I've also found that I function better in the morning the earlier I go to bed, so we're generally on the way by 9:00 or so. Keeping a regular schedule works for me better than any coffee or soda ever could.
Do you know your body's scheduled rhythms during the day? Could you get more accomplished and feel better about the way you spend your time if you did? Pay attention to your ups and downs for a few days and decipher what your body's been trying to tell you.
Hi, Laura. I've also noticed that I go through longer energy "waves," with a few days of higher energy and then a few days of lower. Sometimes it has to do with the weather or my schedule, but more often it is just the way my body works! I've learned to not get too upset with myself if I don't accomplish much on those low energy days. I just make it up a bit when I go on an upswing.
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