Licnobio: A Person Who Performs Better At Night - Spanish
Early birds, night owls, and rituals, plus an announcement
I am a morning person. I get upset when I don't get up early in the morning because I miss the best hours of the day. Morning is new and fresh. Whatever there is in life has already slept a whole night, rested, decluttered its mind, and turned into another one of itself.
A new day brings a new form of existence. The sun, the trees, the roads, the clouds, the children—everything awakens in its most fresh form and greets the world.
Some people perform their best at night, like owls. They want to stay awake when all is quiet and hidden under the cover of night and sleep. A night owl can steal these hours from life, which would have been wasted sleeping, and enjoy them.
Chronotype: this is how people are divided when it comes to sleep. Early birds, such as myself, are morning people, and night owls, also known as licnobios in Spanish, are the best at night.
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When I decided to quit my job and immerse myself in writing and literature, I faced a big problem. Even though I was lucky to enjoy a time-flexible work model, I had to manage my own time.
Only those who have had to manage their time can understand that it is one of the most difficult tasks in life! The devil reveals a plethora of fun things you can do instead of writing or studying, and the best thing you can rely on is an applicable schedule or ritual. This is a firsthand experience.
I wanted to determine, "What are the best hours to write? What kind of schedule should a writer have?"
I read everything I could find, the most memorable of which was Mason Currey's Daily Rituals. Currey described the daily work rituals and creative processes of famous writers and artists ranging from Kafka to Mark Twain.
The result was intriguing.
I had always imagined and feared that writers were grumpy people who always wrote late at night, in stuffy places filled with cigarette smoke. Maybe I preferred to avoid literature for a long time, aside from being a reader, because I didn't feel like I fit this persona; who knows?
Luckily I was wrong.
Writers did not have a specific working schedule pattern. Some worked at night, others during the day. Some had their own room while others worked in less isolated places. Some were accompanied by a cup of coffee, while others used alcohol or drugs to keep creating. Creating is hard work. But on the other hand, I learned that everyone has to adopt a method that suits their own spirit, and that's what I was going to do.
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I've also discovered that whether you're a licnobio or not has little to do with genetics, despite what scientists claim. My husband and I are both early risers, but our son has been a night owl since birth. We, as his teachers and parents, have had to accept him as a night owl because nothing we do collectively can change this. As long as he does not exceed his assigned limits.
Our chronotype is a part of our nature—remember that our differences are our richness. It would be great to honor both of them, early birds and night owls, in a life order that leaves room and respects differences.
Notes & Reads:
Since I mentioned it so much, I shouldn’t miss Daily Rituals by
. I would recommend it to everyone. Even if you don’t have time to physically read it, listen to it while walking like me or as an accompaniment to your morning coffee.Currey also publishes a bi-weekly newsletter called
. I enjoy reading it; just check it out.Extreme night owls: ‘I can't tell anyone what time I go to bed’ is an article in the Guardian's The Observer-Sleep column, with lots of insights and experiences about the existence of night owls in our daytime spinning world.
So, You're A Night Owl: Is That Bad?, an article by Houston Methodist Medicine, offers little tips for those who want to behave as a morning person in a world that demands almost everyone get up early in the morning. For those who want to change, of course.
This week, I enjoyed writing about a word that I easily felt emphatic about. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
We'll be flying over Europe again next week, but with a much different concept that will fit into anyone’s life, I can foresee.
Have a great week and weekend.
— Gulsun
Announcement:
This week, on the anniversary of the launch of Words of the World, I took a step toward something I had been considering for a while but couldn't decide on. It felt strange to me, as it does to any writer or artist, to make a profit from the product I create even though I spend hours researching and writing.
As I received some pledge offers, I’ve decided to open the Words of the World to paid subscription. You won’t have to pay to read the normal weekly articles. I will still send the weekly issue to all subscribers every Friday, some occasional issues will be delivered paying subscribers.
So, if you want to support me as a writer, you can upgrade to a paid subscription, which would truly encourage me.
If you enjoyed the post, you can support WoW by sharing it or subscribing to receive weekly newsletters. You can also simply click the heart which shows your enjoyment, and that would mean a lot to me.
Such a useful term! Thanks, Gulsun.
I am a licnobio, but I wake up in the early hours when I travel. I can't contain the excitement that I end up with fewer hours of sleep. I also wake up diligently if I have committed to some activity with friends like group workout classes. But otherwise, my creativity - whatever meager portion I have, emerges in the night. Although I wish I had changed my habit to rise with the sun, I end up giving excuses. This word made me introspect. :) can't wait for next week's word. Cheers!