Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash

Circadian rhythms get more and more media coverage and for good reason.  All of animals in nature seem to be regulated when it comes to light and dark, i.e. sunrise, sunset, and moreover the change of seasons.  It dictates mating, birthing, as well as when to eat voraciously in order to protect against famine during long hard winters.  Some animals hunt during the day, while others do so at night, and of course, prey will come out in the open or hide from predators consistently to try to avoid predators.

Humans, for the vast majority of their existence have also been in sync with these natural cycles.  Monthly cycles are affected by the position of the moon (the word monthly is derived from “moon”) in relation to the earth, and affect all the water on earth as demonstrated by tides.  Living creatures are mostly water so it stands to reason that they are influenced as well.  Of course yearly seasonal changes related to the position of the earth in relation to the sun have dramatic effects and have historically determined, just to name one specific example, where greater concentrations of population as a result of climates more favourable to survival.

Modern technology has to some degree freed us from these cycles, as electric light, heating systems and air conditioning have allowed to offset darkness, cold and excessive heat, and by and large this has been a boon to human flourishing and I am about as far as being anti-technology as anyone would be.   However, as with everything there are pros and cons.

The speed of technological advancement has been more rapid than the much slower evolutionary process has allowed us to adapt to it, and so, we have seen some serious health issues as a result of being out of sync with nature’s daily, monthly and seasonal cycles.

The good news is that it is also advances in technology that have made us aware of this, and more importantly given us the information and tools to create daily habits that will allow us to have the best of both worlds, which is to say, enjoy modern technology while maintaining our health by making some intelligent adjustments.  This podcast is an excellent resource to help you create daily habits that will accomplish this.

Thanks for reading!