I recently heard someone rant about how it’s impossible to get anything done while working night shifts. He went on about a home project that “forced” him to stay awake all day, before going back to work on zero sleep.
Although this may be an extreme example, forgoing sleep in order to “get things done” is all too common among shift workers.
Acute and chronic sleep loss is not only detrimental to our health, it also undermines our productivity – not good if the goal is getting things done.
Yet it’s easy to understand why we sacrifice sleep. Our culture is built around a scarcity mindset. We’re constantly striving for more, and better. We need more money, more happiness, better relationships, better health, more achievements and more stuff.
Of course, striving for such things isn’t bad in and of itself. The problem is that we equate getting more, with doing more. And sleep is often the first thing to suffer as we add more items to our ever-increasing to-do lists.
Although the issue of sleep loss is rather obvious, it’s not the only problem with this approach to productivity. It’s possible we could accomplish more by actually doing less.
Our mental energy is a finite resource. When we jam too many things into our already busy schedules, our focus suffers and we are less present.
Many items on our to-do list simply make us feel busy, without getting us more of what we truly want. We need to identify such items and remove them – leaving us more time and energy for the items with impact.
One challenge shift workers struggle with is balancing family responsibilities with work schedules. How many of the tasks and activities we do in this area help us attain our goal of, say, being a good parent.
Kate Northrup, author of Do Less, gives us the examples of making your child’s lunch and serving on the parent-teacher association (PTA). We may view both as good parenting, but does either help us connect with our child?
“Maybe instead of serving on the PTA, you can just attend the occasional meeting – or follow up with another parent who regularly attends.” “On the other hand, if you discover that making lunch with your preteen provided that opportunity for them to initiate a heart-to-heart, maybe that’s something you’d like to keep on your list.”
Now this specific example may not apply to you, but the framework can be applied to everything. Are all the tasks and projects you take on getting you results? Or are some simply keeping you busy while adding undue stress?
Close inspection should reveal much that can be delayed, delegated/outsourced, or simply scrapped altogether, freeing us to concentrate on the items that truly matter…
such as sleep.
Want to be More Productive? Try Doing Less. | Harvard Business Review
Another reason to soak up some sunlight
We talked about Vitamin D and its role in immunity a couple weeks ago. But Vitamin D isn’t the only reason to get out in the sun. Recent studies suggest that sunlight may lower blood pressure in ways that have nothing to do with Vitamin D. So take advantage of easing restrictions and get outside (while maintaining social distancing of course).
There’s New Evidence on the Benefits of Sun Exposure | Outside
Mood to the Rhythm
When we hear about the benefits of a healthy circadian rhythm, we usually think about sleep and metabolism. However our sleep and wake cycles also have a big impact on our mood. Not only are night-shift workers 40% more likely to develop depression than daytime workers, but the symptoms get worse the more our rhythms are disrupted.
Why your sleep and wake cycles affect your mood | Harvard Health
Coffee Aerobica
A new study suggests that moderate aerobic activity is as effective as coffee at boosting cognition. It can even reduce caffeine withdrawal symptoms. If you regularly resort to coffee to fight that afternoon slump, you may want to consider a brisk walk during your lunch break instead.
Eliminating the afternoon coffee will also improve the quality of your upcoming sleep – particularly important if your “afternoon” is at 3 a.m.
Could You Replace Caffeine With Exercise For The Same Boost? Here’s The Science | Science Alert
Personal Finance in the Age of COVID
Whether you’ve lost income or not, now is not the time for complacency. At some point, we will all be financially impacted by the economic ripple effects of the global pandemic. For those of us still working, now is a good time to cut back on spending and create a plan for financially downsizing should the need arise.
Traditional Financial Advice Is No Longer Relevant | The Simple Dollar
Stay healthy-
Jason Glenn