Remember when you were a kid and you had to eat lunch at noon because it was "lunch time?" Or how about when you had a young family and your days were structured around your children's nap times or when they were in school?
Welcome to midlife! Guess what? You can follow your own rhythms now. Even with teenagers living in my house, I get up early and write before they are awake (it's summer so they're not in school). I may have a piece of fruit early in the morning, but I don't get really hungry until about 10am when I stop and take a break from my writing to eat a "real" breakfast. Then I'm on a roll again and often work right through lunch, not taking another break until mid-afternoon. By then, I'm ready for some exercise! I will frequently go rollerblading, or work out at the gym, or simply take a half-hour walk around my neighborhood. After working up an appetite, I come home and eat "lunch" even though it's much later in the day.
Some people work late into the evening and couldn't imagine going to bed before midnight. That's okay...they're following their own internal clock. If you are self-employed or have flexible work hours, you know the benefits of being able to follow your own natural rhythms. My husband also works from home and his summer afternoons are frequently spent with buddies on the golf course. It's okay because he works well into the night to compensate for his afternoon leisure time.
How about you? How often do you find yourself working late on a project, even when the clock says it's "quitting time?" Do you frequently skip meals because you're on a roll with your work? Don't let a mechanical clock tell you what to do. You're not in kindergarten anymore. If your body is crying for a nap, take one. If you have a creative urge in the middle of the night, don't squelch it. Give into it! Midlife is the time in your life when you get to work according to the inner promptings of your body and spirit. Go with the flow and find the illusive life balance you've been searching for!
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