Understand Your Energy Pattern (and flow with it)

"The sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees." - Tao Te Ching

You’ve surely already asked yourself these kind of questions:

Why am I full of energy at 10 a.m., and completely drained by 2:30 p.m.?
Why do certain tasks feel effortless at some hours… and impossible at others?

This isn’t random, it’s your own natural timing.

Your body follows a cycle of approximately 24 hours, orchestrated by a tiny structure in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

This “master clock” coordinates the production of hormones like cortisol (which gives you energy) and melatonin (which prepares you for sleep). It also regulates body temperature, alertness, and even digestive efficiency.

According to Dr. Russell Foster, chronobiologist at Oxford, some people have internal cycles slightly shorter than 24 hours (23.5h), others slightly longer (24.5h).
That subtle difference can explain why you might naturally be out of sync with the 9–5 world.

So when you feel misaligned with your schedule — tired in meetings, creative late at night, foggy in the morning — it’s not a flaw.

In the Taoist view, wisdom begins when we stop forcing and start flowing —
not with the rhythm of your environment, but with the your own rhythm.

What Is an Energy Pattern?

Your energy pattern is the curve of your vitality, mental clarity, and mood over the course of a day. It is influenced by a number of factors:

• Your chronotype (morning or evening orientation)

• Your sleep quality

• Your Light exposure (natural and artificial)

• Your Nutrition and movement

• Your Mental load and emotional state

• Seasonal and environmental cues…

While we all follow a general circadian rhythm, our individual energy patterns can vary wildly.
That’s why no universal hack that works for everyone !

In this post, we will focus on the relation between chronotypes and circadian rythm, based on the findings of Dr. Michael Breus.

The four chronotypes and their pattern:

Over the past two decades, sleep and chronobiology expert Dr. Michael Breus has brought new clarity to how our daily rhythms actually work.

Breus introduced a nuanced model based on four chronotypes — each with its own pattern of energy, sleep, focus, and performance:

The Lark or The Lion

The Owl or The Wolf

The Bear

The Dove

Not everyone fits neatly into a single pattern. Some people — often called “Doves” or “Chameleons” — shift naturally depending on seasons, stress levels, or life phases.

If you identify as a Dove, your job is to notice the rhythm beneath the shifts — to find your recurring pattern.

Why Does this matter ?

When we fight against our natural rhythm, we expend tremendous energy while making little progress. Modern research has shown that misalignment with our natural cycles creates stress, illness, and diminished life force.

By contrast, honoring your chronotype improves:

• Sleep quality (remember: Rest is not absence of life but preparation for life !)

• Focus

• Emotional regulation

• Creativity and flow…

Respect what you observe. And with time, you’ll find yourself not just doing more — but doing it with ease, clarity, and presence.

Because when you move in rhythm with yourself, you’re in flow.

If you don’t know where to start, here is a free guide I’ve created for you to discover Your Energy Pattern and start implementing life-changing habits !

With Gratitude,