Stop Working Against Your Body’s Natural Rhythm

Your productivity is influenced by your energy levels. Those levels rise and fall based on your body’s natural rhythm. Accommodate that rhythm and you’ll be able to work faster with fewer errors. Ignore it and you’ll end up spinning your wheels and making little progress on your to-do list. There are two types of natural body rhythms. The first type is known as a circadian rhythm. It defines the body’s 24-hour cycle. Specifically, it explains the effect of light and darkness in the natural environment on our brain wave activity, physiology and behavior. Put simply, it’s our biological “clock.” The circadian rhythm influences your energy levels, and thus determines when you’re likely to be most and least productive during a given 24-hour cycle. As such, you can optimize your productivity by scheduling certain types of tasks during certain times of the day. For example, work on difficult tasks when your energy level is high and simple tasks when your energy level is low. The second type of natural body rhythm is known as an ultradian rhythm. During a single circadian day (24 hours), your body goes through a series of shorter cycles. Each one lasts between 90 and 120 minutes. Your level of alertness changes during these cycles. Have you ever wondered why you experience a mental lull after 90 minutes of focused work? The lull is due to your ultradian rhythm. Most people ignore their bodies’ rhythms. They blast through their work when their energy levels are high and press on when their energy levels are low. It’s a noble attempt to get as much done as possible. But it’s one that ultimately does more harm than good. Their productivity suffers from the law of diminishing marginal returns. The longer they press on, the less effective and efficient they become. Your goal should be to identify when your energy levels are at their peak and at their minimum, and schedule your day accordingly. Monotonous tasks like email can be done when your energy is low. Creative tasks like writing an article for publication should be done when your energy is high. It’s not easy to align your workflow with your circadian and ultradian rhythms. But doing so is definitely worth the effort. Ignoring your body’s natural cycles can cripple your ability to get things done in a reasonable time frame.

How This Bad Habit Hurts Your Productivity 

Working against your natural rhythms is a bad idea for five reasons. First, you’ll end up wasting peak-alertness time on mundane tasks. Consequently, you’ll be left to address complex tasks when your mental resources are on the wane. For example, suppose normally you respond to emails between 10:00 a.m. and noon, a period during which you feel energized and alert. That’s a waste of mental energy. Email doesn’t require significant cognitive resources. It can be done effectively when your energy level is low, such as the hour immediately following lunch. A second consequence of ignoring your body’s rhythms is that you’ll end up spending too much time working on complex tasks. Because you’ll often be addressing such tasks when your energy level is low, you’ll be less able to focus on them. That will hamper your ability to work efficiently. Third, your motivation will suffer a blow. As you force yourself to work through periods of low energy, you’ll feel as if you’re progressing at a snail’s pace. You’ll sense that your output isn’t commensurate with your effort. Fourth, you’ll find it increasingly difficult to concentrate on difficult tasks. As your energy and alertness decline, your ability to focus will deteriorate. Fifth, disregarding your circadian and ultradian rhythms makes you more vulnerable to distractions. The less you’re able to concentrate on your work, the more inclined you’ll be to look for diversions. Let’s work on getting your day back on track. Here are six action steps that will help you to leverage your energy levels and thereby boost your productivity.

Action Steps

 1. Track your energy levels and ability to focus for two weeks. Assign both aspects a value between one and ten. A value of one signifies low energy or an inability to concentrate. A value of ten signifies high energy or sharp focus. Monitor both on an hourly basis. Write the values down or enter them into a spreadsheet so you can review them later. It’s a good idea to limit the amount of caffeine and other stimulants you use to boost your energy and level of alertness. Doing so will allow you to track fluctuations in both with a higher degree of accuracy.

 2. Create a list of tasks you perform on a regular basis. Separate them into three groups according to their level of complexity. For example, sending emails, returning calls and inputting data should be placed in the “simple tasks” group. Writing articles, analyzing data and creating marketing campaigns should be categorized as “complex” tasks. They require considerable thought. Other activities, such as negotiating terms with vendors or creating goals for the coming year, fall somewhere in the middle. They should be designated “medium complexity” tasks.

3. Pinpoint the time of day during which you typically have the most energy. That’s when you should tackle your most complex assignments. This step is an extension of Action Step #1. After tracking changes in your energy levels and ability to concentrate for two weeks, you’ll see noticeable trends. You’ll observe the times during which you’re able to work at peak productivity. Leverage that part of your day to work on high-value tasks that require your concentration.

4. Identify your lowest-energy time of day. That’s when you should work on tedious, low-value tasks. Or take a 30-minute nap. When you awake, you’ll feel refreshed and be able to take full advantage of your next ultradian rhythm.

5. Note how your diet affects your energy level. How do you feel after eating a nutritious breakfast? Is your energy level high or low? Do you feel invigorated or lethargic? Likewise, how do you feel after eating junk food (ice cream, candy bars, etc.)? Does the sugar rush give you a burst of energy that quickly evaporates and leaves you feeling sluggish? Track how your mind and body react to the foods you eat. Then, adjust your diet to optimize your ability to focus and get things done.

6. Leverage the two hours before lunch. That’s when you’re likely to be at peak alertness. If you’re like most people, that will be the best time to address your most complex assignments. But track your energy levels and ability to focus for at least two weeks to make certain.