At work, we often plan our day per the clock on the wall. A staff meeting at 9, a conference call at 11, lunch at noon and so on. But have you ever thought about scheduling your day’s tasks based on your body clock?
A Wall Street Journal article reports that a number of researchers suggest that paying attention to the body clock, and its effects on energy and alertness, can help identify the times of day when most of us perform our best at certain tasks. While line staff may not have the luxury of setting their schedule, organizational leaders often do, allowing them to build a schedule that facilitates maximum output.
As challenging as it may be to align work schedules with the body clock, though, it could be worth a try because of potential health benefits. According to Steve Kay, a professor of molecular and computational biology at the University of Southern California, disruption of natural rhythms has been linked to health problems like diabetes, depression and obesity.
Kay recommends doing cognitive work in the morning beginning around 10 a.m. when the body temperature is increasing, and working memory, alertness and concentration are strong. The earlier hours are also a good time for sending emails, as well as posting on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Why? Because people tend to be in an energetic mood earlier in the day and are more likely to send positive messages and upbeat tweets versus angry, more critical ones. On the flip side, social networking is also better done later in the day when many people lack energy to share their own tweets and turn to relaying others’—like yours—instead.
Between 3 to 6 p.m. is best for more physical work when eye-hand coordination and physical strength and alertness are still high. This is also a good time to fit in some exercise if possible.
Surprisingly, fatigue may boost creative powers in adults. According to a study in the journal Thinking & Reasoning, problems that require open-ended thinking are often best tackled in the evening after work and dinner when the mind is more open to offbeat ideas and solutions.
Of course, everyone’s body clock is different, but it’s an interesting concept to consider incorporating into your lifestyle to stay healthy and be successful at work.
Have you tried different schedules to boost your productivity? What has worked for you?