Ever wonder why some people are morning people and others are night owls? Although we live our lives on a twenty-four hour clock, our bodies are not all set to the same timetable. There are natural rhythms in the body that make some of us more comfortable in the morning and others in the evening. Knowing where your natural rhythm lies will aid you in improving your quality of life while going through treatment or in every day life facing an illness.

It's important not to fight the body's natural rhythm. The problem that many people face is that their natural body clock is not in sync with their real world responsibilities. If you're a night owl and you need to get your kids out in the morning for school you're in conflict. If you work first shift and you feel more awake during second shift there's a conflict. The conflict isn't harmful per se, but it doesn't give you full access to your internal energy and may limit what you can engage in while coping with illness.

There are certain clues that will provide you with the information you need to optimize your energy and create alignment with your natural body time clock. Is it difficult to wake up in the morning? Do you hit snooze over and over hoping that you could stay in bed? Do you need the alarm clock to wake up in the morning? If you answered yes to the previous questions you may not be a morning person internally, but out of habit or necessity. Ask yourself when you're at your peak during the day. Take note when you experience a slump in energy and attention during the day. Keep tabs on when you are fully present instead of simply going through the motions.

When you know when your optimal of time of day is you can schedule your activities to maximize your energy and attention. Scheduling your most important meetings or appointments with your healthcare team when you're focused is important because you're more inclined to ask better questions and be a true partner in your healthcare. You don't need as much artificial energy boosters like caffeine and sugar to get energy. Reducing the amount of artificial energy boosters will reduce the toxins in your system allow the body's natural rise and fall of hormones to carry you through your day.

There aren't any hard and fast rules about how you should expend your energy. It is clear that when your body is alignment with its internal clock you are more aware of your body, your surroundings and are able to make decisions and take action based on that alignment. There is a tendency in our culture to force the body to do things that aren't natural. Keeping your body tied closely to its biological rhythms will improve the body's efficiency and that helps improve treatment outcomes and improves your quality of life.