Night Owl or Early Bird? The Science Behind Your Rhythm | Praise Podcast

This episode is about something that shapes your mood, your energy, your motivation, and even your self‑esteem — yet, most people don’t realize it’s a factor: your chronotype. Tune in for more! 🎧

https://momo634.com/p/night-owl-early-bird-chronotype-neuroscience

#bible, #inspiration, #motivation, #motivational, #inspirational, #MentalHealth, #faith, #anxiety, #neurodivergence, #neuroscience, #neurodiversity, #stress, #cortisol, #chronotype, #emotionalregulation, #circadianrhythm, #podcast

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00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Your brain has a built-in timing system that dictates when you

00:00:04 --> 00:00:05 focus best,

00:00:05 --> 00:00:06 when you fade,

00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 and when your creativity is at peak performance.

00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 It's why some people leap out of bed ready to go in the morning,

00:00:14 --> 00:00:18 and why others need caffeine and silence before their brain breaks.

00:00:18 --> 00:00:19 comes online.

00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 That rhythm has a name,

00:00:23 --> 00:00:23 chronotype,

00:00:24 --> 00:00:29 and understanding it can change the way you move through your day.

00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 Tune in for more.

00:00:34 --> 00:00:34 Hello,

00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 and welcome to Momo 634,

00:00:37 --> 00:00:41 a bite-sized podcast that's chock-full of inspiration,

00:00:41 --> 00:00:42 motivation,

00:00:43 --> 00:00:43 and positivity,

00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 straight from the intersection of faith and mental wellness.

00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 Please like, share, and subscribe.

00:00:51 --> 00:00:56 Momo 634, motivational moments just for today.

00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 Today we're talking about something that shapes your mood,

00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 your energy,

00:01:10 --> 00:01:11 your motivation,

00:01:12 --> 00:01:13 and your self-esteem.

00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 Yet most people don't even realize it's a factor.

00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 It's your chronotype.

00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 A chronotype is your brain's natural timing preference.

00:01:23 --> 00:01:27 It's the internal rhythm that determines when you feel alert,

00:01:28 --> 00:01:29 when you feel foggy,

00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 and when your creativity actually wakes up.

00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 And here's the part that surprises most people.

00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 Your chronotype is largely genetic.

00:01:41 --> 00:01:42 It's not a moral issue.

00:01:43 --> 00:01:44 It's not a discipline issue.

00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 It's not even something you can shame yourself into changing.

00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 It puts me in mind of the old James Brown song,

00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 This is a Man's World,

00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 because in so many ways,

00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 it seems the world is skewed toward morning people.

00:02:00 --> 00:02:01 I'm a night owl who,

00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 for decades,

00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 forced myself to fit into a diurnal worldview.

00:02:07 --> 00:02:08 An 8 a.m.

00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 class in one of my last semesters of college.

00:02:11 --> 00:02:15 The professor probably saw me a handful of times, if that.

00:02:16 --> 00:02:17 Morning staff meetings,

00:02:18 --> 00:02:23 work that required me to be there and alert at 8 or 9 a.m.

00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 And for many of those years,

00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 after an hour or so of navigating public transportation,

00:02:31 --> 00:02:35 Already challenged by living in a world that ran opposite of my

00:02:35 --> 00:02:35 chronotype,

00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 I had the additional burden of OCD,

00:02:39 --> 00:02:40 depression,

00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 and emotional dysregulation,

00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 all exacerbated by lack of adequate sleep.

00:02:48 --> 00:02:48 Additionally,

00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 I struggled with the neurodivergent communication issues

00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 outlined in the episode

00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 Understanding the Double Empathy Problem.

00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 Not excuses, but

00:02:58 --> 00:03:05 but certainly context, framework, and some self-grace decades overdue.

00:03:06 --> 00:03:06 Like me,

00:03:07 --> 00:03:11 perhaps you've spent years feeling like you're always behind,

00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 always struggling,

00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 always trying to force yourself into a schedule that's

00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 misaligned when your

00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 chronotype is out of sync with the majority.

00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 And that mismatch, that constant self-correction,

00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 can take a toll on your mental health.

00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 So let's reframe and reclaim this.

00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 Your chronotype isn't something to fix.

00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 It's something to honor.

00:03:39 --> 00:03:44 When you work within your natural rhythm, everything becomes easier.

00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 Focus takes less effort.

00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 Creativity flows more freely.

00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 Your mood stabilizes.

00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 Your body feels less tense.

00:03:55 --> 00:04:00 You stop fighting yourself and start partnering with your own biology.

00:04:01 --> 00:04:05 You may be asking, how do you figure out what your chronotype is?

00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 Start by noticing your natural peaks.

00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 When do you feel most alert?

00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 When do ideas come most easily?

00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 When does your body feel the calmest?

00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 When does your mind feel foggy?

00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 These patterns are clues.

00:04:23 --> 00:04:27 And once you see them, you can build tiny rituals around them.

00:04:28 --> 00:04:32 If you're morning peak, protect your first hours.

00:04:32 --> 00:04:37 If you're afternoon steady, schedule your deep work for after lunch.

00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 If you're night peak,

00:04:39 --> 00:04:43 give yourself permission to create after dark without guilt.

00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 You don't have to overhaul your whole life.

00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 Just stop fighting your wiring.

00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 Your brain isn't wrong.

00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 Your timing isn't wrong.

00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 You're not behind and you're not broken.

00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 You're timed.

00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 And when you honor that timing,

00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 even in small ways,

00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 your whole day feels different.

00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 Your whole sense of self feels different.

00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 Given all the changes in our culture post-pandemic,

00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 working autonomously and remotely,

00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 and all of the technological innovation that supports it,

00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 you can create systems that work for you.

00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 Check out some of my episodes on calendaring,

00:05:30 --> 00:05:31 scheduling,

00:05:31 --> 00:05:36 and getting things done using schedule send emails and similar

00:05:36 --> 00:05:37 productivity hacks.

00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 Like the James Brown song,

00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 though skewed toward morning peak people,

00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 the world needs all of us,

00:05:45 --> 00:05:50 including the creatives who do their best work on the night shift.

00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 Give yourself permission to notice your rhythm,

00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 to trust it,

00:05:55 --> 00:05:56 to work with it,

00:05:57 --> 00:06:01 to let your brain be exactly who it is.

00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 Because you're allowed to thrive on your own clock.

00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 Though Ecclesiastes is discussing seasons,

00:06:11 --> 00:06:15 it does remind us that there is a timing to everything.

00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 Honor it within yourself as well.

00:06:19 --> 00:06:20 What's your chronotype?

00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 What are its benefits, its challenges?

00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 Any tips you can share with us?

00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 Chime in below in the comments.

00:06:31 --> 00:06:32 Thanks for listening.

00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 To receive bonus perks and support this podcast,

00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 please become a premium Substack subscriber.

00:06:39 --> 00:06:43 Additionally, check out the shop button at momo634.com.

00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 Have a blessed day.