As time goes by, it’s been understood that productivity can’t be shaped on the same timetable for people in general. Despite the term of 9 to 5, a lot of companies nowadays acknowledged this matter and has adapted their policy to meet the employees’ needs, to acquire the optimum productivity of their workers.
Basically, we experience energy and creativity peaks and valleys, which is our brain & body’s way of telling that we need a break. And, as not one person is the same to one another, it’s only natural that each person might feel productive at different times during the day. What’s interesting about this, it’s not that productivity times are based on solely our habit.
The Scientific Proof
Our body is really smart when it comes to managing our physical as well as mental state to meet our daily needs. As latter expressed in the article of sleep needs, our body is run by something called circadian rhythm that tells us what time it is synchronised to what our body needs. So, what does it have to do with productivity?
Within the 24-hour circadian rhythm, we cycle through periods of 90-minute blocks of productivity & heightened focus. This cycle is called the Ultradian Rhythm. What happens during this time is that at the start of each ultradian cycle is where our brain is most energetic and focused. At the end of each ultradian cycle, we can keep working but simply won’t be as effective. Just keep in mind that our brain needs downtime.
The ultradian cycle is a scientific reason of working too much kills productivity. Our brain can handle focus for 90 to 120 minutes, and at which point it needs a short break before launching into the next period of focus. With that being said, knowing this cycle means we can possibly optimalised our work goals by synchronising to the peak productivity times.
Finding Out Your Cycle
In order to maximise productivity, the first thing we need to do is to learn our own rhythm. Finding out our ultradian cycle can be done by paying close attention to daily habits, as well as energy & focus level. So, gather up data on yourself and work out a plan that fits best between the data and your needs.
When gathering data, consider a more systematic approach by recording your level of focus, enthusiasm, and energy. Take notes of every occurrence and score on how you feel throughout the day at roughly hourly interval. Also, note anything which may be affecting the scores. Do that for a couple of weeks to know your peak of productivity times, and optimise them for spans of uninterrupted time to work.
Distraction cannot be denied, especially the ones that come from external factors, and might stop you from having the full focus on your work. To avoid interruption during your “on fire” moment, try to do some prep work ahead of time before you reach the peak cycle. As much as you can, clear environment of outside interruptions & unnecessary distractions.
Besides external distraction, your productivity to work might be interrupted by an internal factor. What this means is that not everyone hits their ultradian cycles in the exact centre of a typical workday. There are people who feel productive in the wee hours of the morning, during lunchtime, or even at night. It’s different for some people, again, you may need to figure out creative ways to make the best of your ultradian cycles.
Why Does Knowing Productivity Times Important?
Everyone goes through productivity slumps during the workday and yet they still try to power through and keep working, even if it means substandard output. This often leads to work evenings and weekends to make up for their less-than-productive workday hours. Generally speaking, trying to get work done once you’ve hit more than 50 hours in a work-week would be a bad idea. Working for that much amount of time would be considered as non-productive due to brain fatigue. In a sense, logging more hours doesn’t necessarily add up to productivity.
Recent survey done by The Alternative Board (TAB) reveals that 84% of business owners put in well above 40 hours of work per week. Among them, 1 in 10 admitted that they feel continuously overwhelmed by their workload. By discovering when you experience peak productivity times and then using those times most efficiently. Furthermore, you get to experience needed and necessary downtime without the nagging sense of guilt about whether you should or could be doing more.
The Takeaway
Finding out when we work best at peak productivity is only half the battle. All you can do is figure out when ultradian cycles happen and try to schedule the day so that you can hit that sweet spot where interruptions will be lowest, intersecting with your highest energy cycle.
Lastly, work smarter by being more productive is the main contributor during peak times, and downshifting when you’re not going to be as efficient. Good luck!