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Oct 24 • Physical Health 💪
⏱️ The Ultradian Rhythm: Your Body’s Natural Energy Cycles
Her post reminded me of the ebbs and flows of our energy throughout the day which reminded me of a cool piece of information that I learned while completing an Integrative Nutrition Certification a few years ago (humble brag I guess, but what good is learning something if it's not being used? ha, a post for another day). Anyways....
Have you ever noticed that you can focus deeply for a while, then suddenly your energy dips and you feel the need to pause or shift gears (or take a nap)? That pattern is not random but rather it's a part of your body’s ULTRADIAN rhythm-a built-in cycle of peaks and troughs of alertness, focus, and recovery.
❓What is it
The ultradian rhythm refers to biological cycles that repeat multiple times during a 24-hour period (not just once). These rhythms often last between about 90 to 120 minutes for full cycles of high activity followed by lower-activity or rest phases. They influence our brainwave activity, hormone secretion, digestion, and sleep stages and some other things (but don't ask me because I don't remember).
🧠 Why It Matters for Your Daily Life
When we ignore our ultradian rhythm and try to push through when we’re naturally in a trough, we risk fatigue, burnout, loss of focus, and emotional stress. Many of us have been encouraged to "power through" the slumps. We end up having caffeine (guilty!), junk food (also guilty) and try to force the focus which just causes inner friction. When we align with these rhythms (working during peaks and resting during troughs) we can boost productivity, enhance well-being, and support nervous system regulation. For people in therapy or recovery, tuning into ultradian rhythms can help regulate body and mind , increasing self-awareness, reducing overwhelm, and improving rest.
🔑 How to Work With Your Ultradian Rhythm
-First, take some time to observe the ebbs and flows of your energy throughout the day--write down when these happen so that you can have a sense of predictability for future days
-Break your day into blocks of focused activity (about 90 minutes), followed by short rest or transition periods (about 20-30 minutes). I recognize that this can be a challenging ask for many individuals given the demands of our work/lives.
-Use micro-breaks to check in with the body: stretch, breathe, stand, hydrate, let your nervous system reset; if you're going to snack,consider having a snack that willl support this process (think a mix of protein, fiber and complex carb combo!)
- Recognize the “end of a cycle” cues: your posture shifts, you feel restless, your thoughts wander — these are your body’s signals
-Avoid forcing productivity when your body is signaling a downturn. Instead, shift tasks, take a restorative pause, or change modality
-At night, know that your sleep pattern/cycle is also built on ultradian rhythms (cycles of REM and non-REM sleep about every 90 minutes)
Therapist Insight
Our modern culture often values constant output and minimized rest. (BOOOO! :( ) But biologically, our systems expect cyclic rhythm.When we honor the ultradian rhythm, we are not being lazy, we’re repairing the natural communication between brain, body, and environment.This kind of rhythm-respect supports emotional regulation, cognitive clarity, and long-term resilience. :)
🌸Question to ponder:
What does your body tell you when you’ve completed one cycle of focus and are ready for a rest?
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⏱️ The Ultradian Rhythm: Your Body’s Natural Energy Cycles
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