“The worst thing you can do is use your phone in bed.” Of course, if checking your email at night is non-negotiable, Barnes suggests using apps like f.lux for computers or Twilight for smartphones to shift your device’s display from more blue light to red as day turns to night. “It’s critical to avoid smartphone and tablets within an hour or two of going to bed,” says Barnes. That’s because blue light from a device’s screen suppresses the production of melatonin, the chemical that tells your brain that it’s time to go to sleep. Working on your computer or phone late into the night directly harms your energy levels the next day. Tate has a preference for instrumentals without lyrics, which she says “really helps me get through cognitive lulls.” The type of music that works best will differ from person to person: Whereas a fast-paced beat might get one person moving and energized, a laid-back beat might help someone else clear his mind and focus. Just as you use music to energize when you work out, “you can do the same thing before your 3 PM presentation,” she says. “Music is a great way to rev up or calm down,” says Tate. “Don’t make it a habit to go out for coffee at 3 o’clock,” he says. He recommends using caffeine rarely and strategically to feel energized, like ahead of a big monthly meeting or if you’ve gotten a particularly bad night of sleep. “The more dependent you are, the less the benefit you gain from using it and the more you need it just to get to your normal level,” says Barnes. And while this might work for awhile, caffeine, like any other drug, soon begins to have diminishing returns. “All it’s doing is masking the effects of your low energy,” by blocking a chemical that tells your body you are tired. “But it’s not actually giving you more energy,” says Barnes. But “five to seven deep belly breaths give us a lot more oxygen, which will give you a boost.”ĭrinking coffee often feels like it mitigates the effects of a midday dip. “It’s a restful period that lets people drop some of the anxiety that further drains their energy,” says Barnes. Research suggests that even a just a few minutes of meditation lowers stress and improves concentration and focus in a tired brain. “ Mindfulness exercises are a great way to engage in restoration” during the day, says Barnes. Ray Dalio, head of the $165 billion Bridgewater Associates hedge fund, says it makes him feel like “a ninja in a fight.” Their secret weapon? Meditation. “If you exercise regularly,” says Barnes, “then your chronic levels of energy will be higher.” And make a concerted effort to integrate exercise into your weekly schedule. Have a meeting scheduled? Take your colleague for a walk instead. The key is simply to move, which gets oxygen flowing and helps your body and mind overcome fatigue. You might take a brisk walk around the block, walk up and down the stairs, do some jumping jacks or push-ups, or even just stretch at your desk. “Do just ten minutes, and the energy and focus will be much stronger afterwards,” says Tate. “That’s when to do tasks that are like muscle memory work,” she says.Īny kind of physical movement will temporarily boost your alertness and energy levels. During the lulls, you can then turn to tasks that don’t require a great deal of focus: cleaning out your inbox, filling out expense reports, or returning phone calls. Tate recommends doing “any type of highly detailed work,” such as writing, important decision-making, or technical coding during high-energy hours. You might match your circadian rhythm to your schedule by organizing your to-do list around these peaks and valleys. Most people are at their best in the mid-morning and late afternoon.
#Best way to get rid of precious moments windows#
“There are a few optimal windows for doing your most creative and focused work,” Barnes says. “And the effects can be very detrimental to your work.” Here are strategies to feel more energized during the day. “That’s just not enough,” says Christopher Barnes, an assistant professor of management at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. Around a third of the time, Americans come to work with less than 6 hours of sleep. To make matters worse, few of us are getting adequate shut-eye. “Just as you wouldn’t expect yourself to walk at a brisk pace for eight solid hours, you shouldn’t expect yourself to be focused or think strategically for that amount of time,” says Tate.
“It’s just not realistic to expect ourselves to be on all day,” says Carson Tate, author of Work Simply: Embracing the Power of Your Personal Productivity Style. So how can you find the necessary energy to get your work done? How do you choose those precious moments when you think you’ll be feeling your best to do the most challenging work? And what’s the best way to ride out any lulls? But it’s hard to stay focused for an 8-hour stretch.
Doing your best work requires focus and energy.
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