The rhythm of life’s behaviors

Life is full of rhythms and depends on the synchronicity. The simplest of which to understand is our circadian rhythm. Everyone knows that if they break their habit or rhythm of getting up and going to bed at certain times that their life feels out of balance. But have you considered how many other rhythms are present in life? There is the timing of eating, hydrating, activity, socialization and light exposure just to name a few. When you consider how many rhythms are present in our lives you soon realize that life is not like a single spinning top but instead like a troop of acrobats spinning plates while doing tricks. One plate starting to wobble can drive catastrophic consequences as the others begin to wobble consequently. This is indeed a metaphor for life. We need to keep many spinning plates in balance and if we do not, we wobble. This comparison is powerful when we consider the potential to model behaviors, habits and motivations that drive health. The frequency and magnitude of our actions keep the spinning and inertia of life going and can are profound as we examine and intervene to drive better health.