Are you an early bird or a night owl?
While some people would like to believe they are an early bird or night owl by choice, it’s more complicated than that. This is determined mostly by your circadian rhythm. A circadian rhythm is a natural cycle of energy levels that is determined by both your genetics and your exposure to light. It controls the amount of energy you have at different times of day and what time you go to sleep.
If your cycle is longer, you’re more likely to burn the midnight oil. If your cycle is shorter, though, you’re more likely to get up early and attack the day.
How you deal with your circadian rhythm greatly affects your productivity. For example, just because someone is able to stay up longer doesn’t mean they will get more done. Because of this, the typical 40-hour workweek doesn’t take advantage of people’s most productive hours.
So how did the 40-hour workweek come into play then? Surprisingly, it had nothing to do with increasing productivity. Henry Ford, the owner of Ford Motors, created it. He reduced his employees’ hours from 48 hours a week to 40 hours a week to give them more time to spend their money. He hoped to spark more consumerism in America by giving people more free time to spend their salaries.
While his plan worked to increase sales in America, people still debate about the effects a set schedule has on productivity. Creativity and health thrive when people work at their peak hours. Taking frequent breathers helps, too. The key is to take un-timed breaks when you feel you need them, not when someone tells you to take one.
When are your most productive times of the day for creative work? Are there times when you feel much more productive for certain types of tasks than others? Could you better utilize those times while introducing un-timed, natural breaks into your schedule? If so, you might see big increases in your productivity and creativity.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Some people believe they are an early bird or night owl by choice, but it’s not a choice.
It is set by our circadian rhythm. This is our natural cycle of energy levels set by our genetics and light. It controls the energy you have at different times of day and what time you go to sleep.
If your cycle is longer, you’re more likely to burn the midnight oil. If your cycle is shorter, you’re more likely to get up early and attack the day.
How you deal with your circadian rhythm greatly affects your efficiency. For example, just because someone can stay up longer doesn’t mean they will get more done. The 40-hour workweek doesn’t take advantage of the time when people are most effective at work.
So, how did the 40-hour workweek come into play then? It had nothing to do with increasing efficiency. Henry Ford, the owner of Ford Motors, created it. He reduced his workers’ hours from 48 hours a week to 40 hours a week to give them more time to spend their money. He wanted to increase shopping by giving people more free time to spend their money.
His plan did increase sales in America, but people disagree about its effects on workers’ efficiency. Creativity and health thrive when people work at their peak hours. Taking many breathers helps, too. The key is to take un-timed breaks when you feel you need them, not when someone tells you to take one.
When are your most effective times of the day for creative work? Are there times when you feel much more effective for certain types of tasks than others? Could you better use those times while taking un-timed, natural breaks? If so, you might see big increases in your effectiveness and creativity.
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