Do you ever feel that it's you against the clock? From the moment your alarm goes off in the morning you're rushing to get to work early, make all your meetings, meet deadlines, find time to phone your mum and grab a healthyish lunch that you don't have to eat at your desk.
Then it's almost 6pm and you haven't finished everything and you still need to do your exercise for the day but you're supposed to be meeting a friend for dinner. Aaaaah! It's exhausting!
Unless, that is, you don't let the clock be the boss of you, and you beat time at its own game. A few small changes to your daily routine can optimize the 12-hours you're awake and make you an all round happier and more successful human being.
Here's how
Wake up at 7.22am
In winter invest in a SAD lamp, which slowly reaches a full brightness that mimics sunshine by 7.22am.As daylight hits your retinas in the morning, the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone, slows down, so you'll wake up more naturally. Meanwhile the stress hormone cortisol starts to rise, gearing you up for the day ahead. Researchers at The University of Westminster have found that setting your alarm for 7.22 exactly off sets the rise of these stress hormones. Any earlier (between 5.22am-7.21am) and you'll be more stressed out throughout the day.
Do yoga at 7.34am
PAI-1 is a substance involved in blood-clotting and it is at its peak in our bodies between 6-7am, meaning that people are most likely to have heart attacks or strokes once it has built up at 9am. A University of Glasgow study showed that a gentle workout before breakfast can control the substance and aid weight loss.
Eat breakfast at 8am
A study published last year found that people's blood sugar stabalised when breakfast was consumed at 8am. Eat something with slow release energy such as porridge with berries.
Schedule that work pitch or presentation for 11.05am
You are at your peak in the late morning when your body temperature is at its highest (it rises gradually from the moment you wake up). Various studies have indicated that an increased core body temperature is associated with heightened mental awareness, ie – you'll nail it.
Lift weights at 1.15pm
Studies show that your muscles' strength output is highest at midday so a lunchtime gym sesh will leave you feeling pretty powerful. Testosterone in women drops throughout the day so midday is the best time to pump that iron
Have your first coffee at 2.52pm
So imagine all that cortisol cavorting through your body due to the trauma of waking up, now add caffeine to the mix. It'll make you feel jittery and stressed before you've even left the house. A study by the University of Sheffield has proven once and for all that a double espresso will have a less negative effect later in the afternoon and can actually provide an energy boost.
Go for a run at 5pm
Apparently between 3pm – 6pm is the best time to do an endurance workout. A college in New York studied 4,756 patients and found that their lung function was most efficient at 5pm. Plus our receptiveness to pain is lower in the afternoon so you can power through a tough workout.
Drink a Martini (or giant glass of wine) at 6.30pm
Clear alcohol is the healthiest (we think!) so fix yourself a cold stiff drink before dinner. The earlier you drink the less of an effect it has on your cognitive ability. Your body needs an hour to process booze before bedtime without it disrupting your sleep so have your favourite tipple early then stick to soft drinks in the hours before you turn in.
Eat dinner at 7pm
Stomach acid peaks between 10am-2pm so that's when it's best to eat your largest meals of the day. A light evening meal should really be completed by 7.30, which granted is somewhat antisocial. But if you're worried about high levels of glucose in the blood the earlier you can eat dinner the better.
Turn out the lights at 11pm
Your body temperature starts to drop at 9pm – this is your body telling you it's time for bed and as you start producing that sleep-inducing melatonin again between 9-11pm this is the optimum time to call it a day.
