There’s something oddly clarifying about high-stakes, high-focus seasons, like studying for the bar exam after 50.

For me, bar prep became an unexpected laboratory for self-awareness. In the middle of intense reading, memorization and simulated exams, I stumbled upon something that felt surprisingly… peaceful.

I found my natural rhythm.

It didn’t happen through planning. It happened through noticing.

I started to pay attention to how I felt in different parts of the day. Not just mentally but physically, emotionally and energetically. I began to listen to the subtle signals my nervous system had been sending for years, but I was too busy being “productive” to hear them.

Mornings are not for pushing

The old version of me would’ve rolled out of bed, cracked open the laptop and launched into the day like a rocket.

But this time? I started differently.

Walks. Watering plants. Slow stretches. A little writing. Letting the early hours be about me, not my to-do list. Letting my system settle before asking it to perform.

What happened next was striking. I became clearer, calmer and more focused not less. By the time noon arrived, my body and brain were ready to work.

Not from adrenaline. But from alignment.

My productivity window: 12pm – 6pm (or 7)

I realized I had a powerful work window in the middle of the day. That’s when I could fully drop in, without dragging, without overextending, without caffeine-fueled overcompensation.

This six-to-seven-hour block turned out to be not only my most productive time, it was also my most creative, most regulated and most enjoyable.

As J.P. Morgan once said:

"I can get 12 months work done in 9 months, but not in 12."

That hit home. Pushing beyond our natural rhythm doesn’t create more productivity. It just depletes the system faster.

What's changing going forward

When I return to work, I’ll be honoring this new awareness.

Mornings are for nervous system regulation and nature

My working hours will be between 12pm – 6/7pm

Online sessions, speaking events and coaching will happen within this aligned window

This isn’t about rigidity, it’s about respecting the wisdom of the body. When we work with our natural design, not against it, we serve better, think more clearly and lead more ethically.

This change isn’t just good for me, it’s good for my clients too. Because a regulated practitioner creates safer, more effective space for transformation.

So if you notice me saying "no" to a 9am Zoom, know that I’m saying "yes" to a more calibrated, connected version of myself and to better outcomes for everyone I serve.

By Ruth Pearce

Keywords: Coaching, Mental Health

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