Unleash Your VitalityYour Guide To Natural Health, Personal Fitness & Lifestyle Freedom

You know those times where you just feel more tired and run down in the late afternoon? What if you started studying the clock of your own personal energy? If you knew when you’d naturally be at your peak energy levels and when you’d be feeling less optimistic? There’s a lot to be said for understanding your body’s energy clock – and taking full advantage of it!

According to Robert E. Thayer, Ph.D., an active mood scientist and professor of psychology at California State University, Long Beach, the cycle looks something like this: we wake up relatively low on energy, peak in the late morning (11-1pm), drop off in the afternoon (3-5pm), come back up in the evening (6-7pm), and finally drop off around 11pm (if not earlier). Have you seen these cycles at work in your daily life? Reading Thayer’s work was a real eye-opener for me, because I commonly hear people complain about low energy levels in the afternoon, and have certainly experienced less energy there than at other peak points throughout the day. But the truth is, the science of personal energy remains a looming mystery for most of the population…but not you! By exploring personal energy together, we’re bringing in more life and more vitality to really build the foundation for living out our dream lifestyles – whatever shape that may take for you personally.

Really think back over the last few days, or even just over today. Did you feel that high energy running through you somewhere close to 11-1pm? Did you feel a drop off at some point in the afternoon? Seeing the big picture about how our days might look in terms of energy gives us a lot of leverage. Have you ever thought of planning out activities according to your energy levels? According to Thayer, these lower energy levels lead to increased tension and anxiety at these key times of day. “Problems look more serious, people think in more negative terms. We’ve seen this in studies where people’s feelings about exactly the same problem varied widely depending on the time of day.”, says Thayer. My personal take on this is that if you know lower energy is coming, you can be prepared and deal with it masterfullly, rather than being at its mercy!

Some practical applications would include getting done the most challenging, high-level tasks or goals earlier in the day. If you tackle the big report early in the day, you’ll have a clearer mind and more energy to really get it done effectively and efficiently. The late evening may also be a good time to get other important things done, again depending on how your personal energy clock plays out. What about the weekend, when most of us are home or traveling? You could plan projects and challenging yard work at these key energy highs throughout the day. The same goes for exercise – I’ve noticed that I have a lot more energy at certain times of the day when I workout than at other times. It makes a huge difference over time, since your energy levels determine how much strength and endurance you’ll have in each workout!

I hope this post has given you some insight into your natural energy clock, and that you’ll use this information to take all of your actions to the next level. Plan those important, challenging events for your energy highs, and easier, less stressing events for the times when you won’t have quite as much to draw on. By doing so, you’ll reap dramatic rewards in terms of personal energy, peace of mind and clarity about your day.

Unleash Your Vitality,

John Brackett