Breus pointed out that I was caffeinating way too early. Ideally, he said, if bears are going to caffeinate, they should do so at least 90 minutes after waking up. That's when levels of the stress hormone cortisol — which helps keep you alert — will start naturally decreasing.
Breus told me I'd essentially been using caffeine to stop my body's production of the sleep hormone melatonin. It'll turn off on its own around 7, he told me — no need to do it artificially.
What's more, Breus explained that caffeinated beverages are diuretics — and when we sleep we breathe out about a liter of water, meaning we already wake up dehydrated.
Immediately after waking up, Breus said, I should take five deep breaths — something that rarely happened, given that I was usually racing to turn off my alarm.
Next, he advised drinking a full glass of water while standing in front of the window so that I'm simultaneously hydrating and absorbing sunlight, which naturally curbs the production of melatonin. These directions I always followed, and it did generally help me feel more awake.
Even my hot showers had to go under Breus' new regimen. Cool showers are invigorating because they lower your body temperature, he explained. It helps, too, to listen to upbeat music while bathing — I chose Spotify's pop playlist — because it boosts your mood.
Finally, Breus advised eating a protein-rich breakfast within 60 minutes of waking; carbs tend to make you feel more sleepy. I stuck with yogurt and granola, and generally didn't eat breakfast until about two hours of waking up, when I was already settled at work.
The key here, Breus told me, is consistency. Even on weekends you should maintain the same morning routine, so as not to throw off your body.
By far the most impressive change I saw during my new daily routine was that I no longer needed that cup of black tea first thing in the morning. In fact, I barely needed caffeine at all.
Now, I drink a cup of green tea (which has considerably less caffeine) at around 9:45 a.m., at the office. Anything else makes me jittery.
And though I was at first skeptical that the green tea would help me power through the rest of the day, I'm in fact more energized than I used to be. Most notably, I don't feel the need for a second cup of black tea around 3 p.m., which I often used to.
Breus said skipping the first-thing-in-the-morning coffee (or tea) is probably the change his clients are most resistant to making. But if my experience is any indication, it's not only possible to survive the workday without it once you get accustomed to the change — it's easier.
Breus explained that bears' intellectual capabilities peak between 10 and 2. For me, that means I should work on research projects during this time, as opposed to writing or brainstorming, which require more creative juice.
As for a lunch break, Breus writes in the book that it's best for bears to walk for half an hour, then eat, and then walk for another 10 minutes.
I'll admit that I effectively botched this part of the experiment. I rarely organized my workday according to my chronorhythm, instead working on whatever was most pressing: research, writing, or a meeting. It's something I'm still experimenting with.
For bears, the remainder of the workday is best spent holding meetings, writing emails, and making phone calls. Since the majority of workers are bears, Breus writes that they're likely most agreeable during this time, which means it's a great opportunity to present new ideas to your colleagues.
Around 4 p.m., bears should have a mostly-carbs snack: I typically chose something from BI's selection of trail mix and granola bars.
Breus recommends eating about three hours before going to sleep; otherwise your body will send blood and heat to your core, which encourages the body to stay awake.
I usually ate around 8:30 p.m., right when I came back from the gym or another after-work activity.
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