We’re all a little different. We all have our unique ways of thinking and operating. And nowhere is that more prevalent than in the rhythm of our days.
Part of being a human is being subject to biological rhythms. In the field that studies such rhythms—chronobiology—there are 3 types of rhythms:
- Circadian rhythms – a cycle that repeats every 24 hours.
- Ultradian rhythms – a cycle that repeats several times during a day.
- Infradian rhythms – a cycle that repeats over periods longer than a day.
While our respective rhythms share a lot of common features with each other, there’s still a lot of variation from person to person. And that’s where productivity practices come in.
You can only ask so much of your body before you become inefficient. The more you can learn to time when you do certain things, the better you will be at getting things done, and staying sane while doing it.
Pay attention to your energy levels throughout the day. Pay attention to when you feel best waking up, how many hours of sleep you got, what you did the day before, what you ate, and so on. Be conscious of how much stress you’re under, how fit you are, and so on.
The more you can set up your tasks for the day armed with a knowledge of where you are in your own chronobiological cycles, the better your chances of doing what you set out to do. Remember, you’re going through these cycles, whether you want to or not. So don’t make your productivity contingent upon overthrowing your body’s biological clocks. Work with your body, not against it.
