Time Intervalls in our Bodies
We sleep enough, we eat “normally,” we follow the schedules society gives us but so many of us feel exhausted, unfocused, and heavier than we want to be. The problem necessarily isn’t a lack of discipline or motivation. It’s that most of our daily routines run against the timing of our own biology.
We live in a world structured by clock time, yet very liTtle of it reflects the biological timing of the human body.
We eat when the lunch break begins, not when hunger naturally rises.
We wake because an alarm insists, not because our body has completed its cycle of rest.
We go to bed when the day finally allows it, not when our internal rhythm signals the need for recovery.
This mismatch is not a minor inconvenience but a fundamental disconnect between biological time and social time. Chronobiologists such as Till Roenneberg from LMU Munich have shown that a large portion of the population lives in what he calls “social jetlag,” a chronic misalignment between internal clocks and external obligations (Roenneberg et al., Current Biology, 2007).
The body actually contains an entire architecture of internal timekeepers that are precise, layered, and constantly active. A few examples illustrate how deeply time is embedded in our physiology:
- The circadian rhythm regulates sleep, hormones, digestion, and temperature across roughly 24 hours.
- Ultradian rhythms shape our focus and energy in cycles of about 90 minutes.
- The “perceptual present,” our immediate sense of now, lasts only about three seconds, as shown in studies from the University of Glasgow.
These intervals are biological processes influenced by light, food timing, movement, and emotional states. And yet modern life routinely overrides them.
Why is this so bad?
Late meals disrupt glucose regulation; research from Harvard Medical School demonstrates that identical meals are metabolized far less efficiently in the evening than in the morning (Scheer et al., PNAS, 2009). Irregular sleep schedules destabilize hormonal rhythms and impair cognitive performance. Shift work increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and depression (Wang et al., Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2011). We push through fatigue, override hunger, ignore natural fluctuations in concentration, and then wonder why we feel exhausted, unfocused, or strangely out of sync with ourselves.
Health improves noticeably when we begin to realign with these internal rhythms. Morning light anchors the circadian clock and improves sleep quality. Earlier meals support metabolic stability. Consistent sleep and wake times strengthen hormonal balance. Breaks that follow natural attention cycles reduce stress and improve cognitive endurance. People who live closer to their internal timing patterns report better mood, steadier energy, and a more grounded sense of presence. The body becomes less reactive, digestion steadier, sleep deeper, and the mind clearer.
Ultimately, this about reconnection. Rediscovering a rhythm that has always been there, quietly working underneath the noice of our schedules.
Our short film MetaMoreFire seeks to draw attention to exactly this. We are hoping that we can inspire to come closer to ourselves again, closer to nature (including our own), and act less due to external pressure but more in inner alignment.
Practical tips to live closer to your inner clock:
- Get natural morning light as soon as possible to anchor your circadian rhythm.
- Reduce artificial light in the evening so melatonin can rise naturally.
- Eat your largest meal earlier in the day, when metabolism is most efficient.
- Avoid heavy or late dinners, as they disrupt digestion and sleep quality.
- Keep your sleep and wake times consistent throughout the week.
- Take short breaks every 90 minutes to follow your natural ultradian focus cycles.
- Move your body regularly to lower stress hormones and support internal rhythms.
- Notice hunger and fatigue cues instead of overriding them with caffeine or distraction.
- Use simple breathing exercises to calm the nervous system and reset your internal pace.
- Spend time outdoors, since natural environments synchronize the body more effectively than artificial ones.