HIGH LIFE A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Picking Time When You Are Sharpest

Good health means good timing--from when you rise and shine to when you eat, work and exercise. You can stay in step with your body clock by knowing a little about its natural peaks and troughs.

The following describes the best time of day to engage in various mental and physical activities.

The Best Time. . . .

* To rise and shine: The moment you wake up. Don’t linger in bed, as you may use this time to dwell on unpleasant thoughts and start the day tense and anxious.

* To made decisions: Early morning, 8 to 8:30 a.m., when anxiety and depression are at their lowest. The worst time is 2 to 7 p.m., when anxiety and depression are highest. Neutral hours are 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

* To study for a final: In the evening, before going to bed. The shorter the delay between study and bedtime, the more likely you are to retain the knowledge. Falling asleep to taped information improves retention even more, because the subconscious mind is open to suggestion.

* To count to 10: The three half-hours before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hunger pangs and low blood sugar can make you more irritable and likely to lose your cool during these three “hot spots,” so start counting when tempers flare.

Mater Dei High School’s cheerleading squad, which finished second in the 10th annual National High School Cheerleading Championships held in Orlando, Fla., in late February, can be seen on a 1-hour special covering the championships on cable’s ESPN, beginning April 29 at 2 p.m.

“Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes.”

--Henry David Thoreau (1817-62)