A Bear🐻, Lion🦁, Wolf🐺 or Dolphin🐬.
No, this isn’t some weird adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm – these are the most common representations of the four chronotypes, coined by Dr. Michael Breus.
It will basically determine when your circadian sleep-wake cycle starts running. Much of it goes back to our prehistoric ancestors, when some members of the tribes had to stay awake throughout different times of the night to be on the look-out for danger in the dark. So really, it isn’t your fault you snooze 5x in the morning, it’s just your chronotype...
On a serious note, positioning yourself within the chronotype spectrum allows you to finetune what works best (and at what time of the day) for yourself. and elevate your productivity. Scroll through the post to get some tips.
As the majority of people fall somewhere within the Bear type, society’s classic 9 to 5 rhythm is rather tailored towards bear types.
Wolves tend to have a hard time as they’re forced to shift their natural sleeping tendencies towards this ‘acceptable’ (employer) schedule and are even seen as lazy for staying in bed longer in the morning. Lions on the other hand are often praised as superior as our society has come to value early risers more than night owls.
Fun fact about Dolphins: the actual animal sleeps with half their brain awake to stay aware of surroundings. Much like that, Dolphin chronotypes have a hard time winding down and falling asleep and are the most likely to suffer from insomnia. It’s important for these types to be able to rest when their body calls for it.
Working from home and (geographically) flexible work is all the hype, but there’s definitely a conversation to be had about flexibility concerning personal rhythm and timing. Due to our stringent 9 to 5 office hours a lot of productivity is lost in the process (and a lot of evening-oriented types end up chronically sleep deprived).
On a more actionable note: prioritizing your rest and having an enjoyable wind-down routine is an important start for your personal wellbeing – whatever your chronotype.
Bear:
Lion:
Wolf:
Dolphin:
