Take control of your internal body clock

Miranda gets back to her apartment after a long day at work and she has every intention of getting her running shoes on and going out for a jog. But the minute she walks through the door she changes her mind. Instead, she settles down on the sofa with a coffee and a doughnut and watches some television. Then she starts cooking her family’s evening meal.

By 9pm, after she has tidied the kitchen, helped the children with their homework and phoned her best friend, she tries to talk to her husband Sam about their plans for a holiday in a few months’ time, but they’re both so tired, they disagree on the destination. They end up not making a decision and drift off to do other things. Miranda gets out a report she has brought home from work to finish and Sam checks his emails. By the time they fall into bed, they’re feeling fraught with each other, but they’re too exhausted to discuss it.

According to experts, Miranda could get so much more out of her body and mind if she understood how they work at different times of the day. By recognising our body clock, we can plan our activities for the optimum time when our bodies are geared up for them. That way, we perform to the best of our ability and we save so much time and energy. We also avoid all the feelings of guilt, confusion and inadequacy that come with doing the wrong things at the wrong time.

Well-being therapist Mary-Lou Harris, who works with clients all over the world, says our bodies haven’t evolved much beyond the days when we were hunter gatherers, living in caves and fighting off wild animals. We’re on high alert in the mornings when we go out to hunt for food, but by the time we return to our caves, we’re less capable of dealing with stress. By midnight our bodies expect us to be in our caves sleeping.

“As cave people, our bodies were set up to deal with stressful situations and survival in the mornings,” says Mary-Lou. “Our stress hormone, cortisol, starts rising at dawn, and by 7am it’s very high. Our brains are on high alert and our bodies are primed to be able to cope with whatever life throws at us. Studies have shown that it’s better to get up early and do our work or study for an exam than to do it late at night when our brains are winding down.”

Mary-Lou recommends a good-quality breakfast to set us up for the day. Eggs are the perfect breakfast, whether they’re scrambled, poached, boiled or made into an omelette. Other options are raisin-free muesli, porridge and nuts and seeds. She advises against sugary cereals because they are difficult to digest.

With cortisol high, mornings are best for doing detailed work like accounts and writing. If you’re dreading something, make it the first thing you do when you get to work. Morning is also the time for making big decisions.

Joanna Pieters, director of time-management company Time Wizard, agrees that key decisions must be made early in the day. “To help your home run smoothly, have a breakfast meeting once a week with your partner,” she suggests. “Sort out then when you’re going to take your annual holiday and what you’re going to do about a health issue that’s worrying you. Look at the options you have on big things like your children’s secondary school, but also look at the smaller things – who’s going to cook each evening, who’s going to pick the children up from nursery, who’s going to do the food shopping and when are you going to visit your in-laws? When details like these have been decided, our brains don’t feel overwhelmed and we feel we can cope with most things.

“When we leave a decision until later in the day the brain is too tired, and that’s when our emotions take over and we make poor decisions, which we often regret.”

Exercise is also best done early. Fitness specialist Peter Bell, who is based at the UK’s five-star spa Rockliffe Hall, recommends we make the most of our high cortisol and adrenaline in the morning and exercise then.

“Our lung function peaks in the morning, which makes aerobic exercise the most effective at this time of the day,” says Peter. “We also need to be aware that our body temperature is cooler and blood vessels thinner, so a good warm-up is vital prior to increasing exercise intensity.”"

Mary-Lou agrees. “Your body is expecting to have to run away from wild animals, so you’ll have energy for aerobic exercise like running,” she says. “You could include a walk or cycle ride to work. You’ll also be at your strongest, so morning is a good time to lift weights and do strength training. If you can’t exercise in the morning, go to the gym or go for a walk at lunchtime.”

After lunch and by mid-afternoon our cortisol is dropping, and our energy levels are on the decline too.

“A cup of coffee around lunch can help our brains to function to their optimum, but the body regards caffeine in tea and coffee as a stressor – akin to a tiger in the caveman world – so too much of either can make us stressed,” says Mary-Lou. “Stick to herbal tea in the afternoon and evening.”

Eating protein such as a good oily fish, turkey, chicken or steak for lunch will get us through the afternoon without the urge to snooze. “Avoid carbohydrates such as a jacket potato or burger and chips for lunch,” advises Mary-Lou. “Your energy levels will hit the floor. Instead try rice or oatcakes, or some wholemeal bread.”

By the time we finish work, we’re ready for relaxation. Mary-Lou recommends a clean break between work and home. “Try not to take work home with you to do in the evening,” she says. “Your brain is winding down. The last thing it wants to do is work.

“If you work from home, close the door of your office when you have finished, and don’t keep returning to do work jobs. Your brain has had enough of work by now.”

Your evening meal should be made up of a quarter protein, a quarter carbohydrate and half good-quality vegetables or salad.

“Once the household jobs are done, have a warm shower or, better still, a bath,” says Mary-Lou. “Optimise your bath time by using scented candles and play some music to put your body into a lighter state. Put some salts in the bath to prepare you for a good night’s sleep. Spend at least five minutes just lying there relaxing.

“Then do some gentle activities such as reading, or watching something relaxing and fun on television (not the news!) or meditate. If you’re hungry, pumpkin seeds are a great evening snack because they contain minerals that relax you.

“By 11.30pm you should be in your cave – your body is unable to fight tigers by now. If you go out partying, the flashing lights will prompt your adrenal glands to put out cortisol and you will fatigue your adrenals.

“If you have an active social life, make sure you’re not out partying every night. Temper your evenings out with a good night’s sleep the following day.”