Surely you’ve heard the phrases ‘early bird’ and ‘night owl’, meant to describe when you’re most alert...but how can you fit everyone in the world into such binary categories? Well, you can’t.
That’s why clinical psychologist Michael Breus delved into the topic when he guest starred on my favorite podcast, the Art of Charm (AOC). Breus identified patterns of people’s sleep cycles, and was able to analyze at what point in the day is optimal for say, creative work, working out, have sex, drink alcohol and even eat.
If someone can give me the optimal time to eat a cheeseburger (not that I need encouragement) I’m all in. Now, let’s get into the good stuff…
Apparently our sleep/wake cycle can explain a lot about our personality, and we can take advantage of this in order to optimize our productivity. While we can think of this in terms of our own individual work and endeavors, we can also draw from this information to maximize the quality and compatibility in our work environments and relationships.
What’s even cooler, is that these chronotypes are GENETIC. Now I can 100% use this as an excuse to blame my parents for making me so anal 24/7. Thanks Michael!
You can be somewhere in the spectrum of a:
- Lion
- Bear
- Wolf
- Dolphin
But before we start, where did he get these ‘crazy’ archetype names from? Brues selected animals that mimicked the personality traits of the animal and person in that category. For example, lions tend to get up early, therefore chronic early risers could be compatible with the ‘Lion’ chronotype. Pretty cool if you ask me.
*More information is available down below that I would strongly encourage checking out, including a link to Breus’s quiz, site, and AOC.
So what are you?
Lion: Lions are best described by Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and really f*ing awesome.” Oh wait, that’s not how that goes? Whoops. Well our pal Benj was clearly a lion, waking up in the wee hours of the morning and was a lot like me, falling asleep before 10 like the old woman I am. And I’m 20. Lions are the high achievers and their type A tendencies tend that drive their morning routines into success and perfection. You are my morning people.
Bear: Bears account for about 50% of the population. They have a laid back attitude, are usually solid students, are not as likely to blame others for mistakes, with an overall stable and solid life satisfaction. They are not usually particularly dramatic and are sociable. Bears typically rise and fall with the sun and have an overall friendly and approachable personality.
Wolf: Wolves are typically on the more creative side of the spectrum. They often stay up late, are less averse to risk taking, and have more difficulty waking up early. Wolves love a good party and are more on the side of extroverted when they are in a good mood. They thrive at night, making you my crazy night owl, late night people.
Dolphin: Dolphins are moreso the erratic type, usually Type A insomniacs. Like actual dolphins, their mind is always going and cannot exactly ‘turning it off’ per say. They tend to be more anxious, have more obsessive compulsive tendencies, and wake up feeling unrefreshed. However, Dolphins tend to demonstrate exceptional emotional intelligence and are usually attentive and caring partners.
So you think you know what chronotype best describes you? Put it to the test and see if you were right. Don’t pass up on a free opportunity to improve your life in a few short minutes.
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So great!
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