Wellness Tip:

Thrive As a Night Owl

Hands up if early mornings just aren’t for you..? ✋ We hear you! If you’re naturally a night owl, there’s no need to force a 5am wake-up  (though research suggests you can shift your chronotype if you want to!).

Interestingly, some research has found that evening people have superior cognitive function. So, instead of feeling pressured to become a morning person, focus on maximizing your night owl superpowers. 

This video offers some helpful hints, like:

• Make mornings less mentally taxing by removing decisions and prepping at night.
• Don’t “eat the frog” in the mornings. Do low-effort, repetitive tasks and save your energy for the afternoon.
• Work out your peak performance times (e.g., 6-9pm) and think about the best ways to use that time.
• Get sunlight during the day to boost energy and get through any slumps.

Check out the full video for more tips. Are you a night owl? How do you manage your days?

Routine Breakdown

Denise Lewis OBE, Former Athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist

An Olympian’s Grounding Morning Routine

Denise Lewis, former athlete and Olympic gold medalist, believes in a set of non-negotiable morning habits that keep her feeling grounded. Here’s how she starts her mornings:

The Routine:

• Takes a shot of a water-based probiotic (she takes Symprove) before getting her son ready for school. 
• Has a morning cup of matcha blended with almond milk.
• Gets some exercise. She works with a personal trainer online.
• Hydrates. “I just like to make sure I rehydrate myself, so my body feels tip-top.”
• Starts ticking things off her to-do lists, which she makes on Monday and works on during the week. “I’m not inherently a morning person, I’m quite nocturnal but as I’m getting older, I just try to switch that up a little bit and put some morning goals in place.”

Why it works:

• Studies support the probiotic’s effectiveness in decreasing intestinal inflammation and reducing gut pathogens.  
• Matcha tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Just remember it contains caffeine, so drink in moderation and look for certified organic varieties to reduce the risk of impurities.
• Exercise is important as we age—it literally keeps your brain and body younger!
• Denise knows her chronotype and experiments with what works for her as she goes through different phases of life. As we said above, it’s fine to embrace being a night owl, but you can also shift to being more of a morning person if you choose.

Denise says her non-negotiables are what gets her through tough times. “When I feel like things are spiraling out of control, I break it down into what can I do in this moment to make me feel like I’ve got all the strings in my hands,” she says. What are your non-negotiables?