Working With Your Internal Rhythms

Get the best of yourself

Who knows more about you than you? As such, the person who knows best about what will keep your spirits high and stress in check, is you. As often as possible, you want to work with your internal rhythm so that you get the best of yourself, while minimizing the wear and tear while on the job. For example, any time you've been seated at your desk for twenty minutes or so, it's best to get up and stretch, even if for a few seconds. Your veins need this, so does your heart. 

Any time you're at your desk and you feel the urge to stand up, I recommend that you do it. Physiologically speaking, your body will give you the cues you need at precisely the right moment. It's actually stress inducing to ignore your body's message to you that it's time to stand up, time to stretch, time to take a drink, or what have you.

Time Warps

In my book, Breathing Space: Living and Working at a Comfortable Pace in a Sped up Society, I introduce the concept of time warps. Time warps, in the context that I use them, means that you sell so effectively, or get so much accomplished, or what transpires flows so freely, that seemingly many more hours have past than actually have.

Time warps occur when you are not conscious of your output or responsiveness in relationship to fixed time intervals, such as an hour. You can increase the likelihood of experiencing a favorable time warp effect by removing yourself from the time measured environment such as hiding the clock. This is why jotting notes while sitting on a park bench, in an airplane, or on your back porch, often yields greater output than anticipated or accomplished during the same interval while at a desk in a traditional office. One hour of uncluttered thought can yield more benefits than days of common mental toil.

Other people have other names that they use for what I call time warps. Some people call it being in the zone. Regardless of what you call it, would it be useful for you to know how to get into a time warp on a more consistent basis? You bet it would! Here's a simple exercise you can undertake to help create that environment in which you can sell at your best:

Creating an Environment Where You Work Best

1. Think back to when you were highly productive:

• Where were you?
• What time of day was it?
• Was anyone else around?
• What was the temperature?
• How was the lighting?
• What resources were available?

2. Think about yourself at that time:

• What were you wearing?
• What did you consume the night before?
• How long did you sleep the night before?
• How did you feel?
• What was your level of fitness? 
• What did you eat that morning?

3. Think about the time of day and week:

• What time of day was it?            
• What day of the week was it?
• What had transpired earlier?        
• What was forthcoming?

4. Think about the tools available:

• Were you using a computer, a tablet, or smartphone?        
• Were you using other equipment?
• Did you have a pen or pencil?      
• Did you have a blank pad?
• Were you online?              
• Were other resources available?
• Were periodicals, books, or directories present?

5. Consider other factors that were present:

• Did you have a view?            
• Were you in a comfortable chair?
• Were you at a desk or at a table?
• Were you in a moving vehicle, i.e., a plane or a train?
• Was there quiet or soothing background noise?
• What were the colors of the walls surrounding you?
• Were you in a room with rugs?
• Could you hear others?
• Was water nearby?
• Were you near the bathrooms?
• Were you near the coffee machine?

As you recall the situation when you were in a time warp, circle each item above that was present or was a factor at this time. Perhaps some insights will emerge. If you can, recall a second time in which you achieved a time warp and run through each of the questions above once again. What items have now been marked or circled twice?

As you guessed, if you can recall a third or fourth time in which you were highly productive and run through the questions again, a strong pattern may emerge. You'll actually have the specifics as to what factors were present at those times you seemed to be highly productive. Your goal is now to emulate the scenario to increase your probability of achieving similarly pleasing results.

I've used this technique to isolate those factors that are present when I give dynamite, rousing keynote presentations – the kind that the audience members remember forever! To the best of my ability, I seek to ensure that future speaking engagements have all of the key factors present. And you know what? A large percentage of the time, it works.

The Common Denominator to it All

All of the techniques above require you to take charge of your immediate environment to the degree that you can, as often as needed. You may find that stress comes largely from the feeling of not being in control. When you creatively carve out sanctuaries for yourself, it gives you the opportunity ultimately to be at your most persuasive self and serves as a reminder that you're in charge of your career. 
 

Author Bio

Jeff Davidson is "The Work-Life Balance Expert®" and is the premier thought leader on work-life balance issues. He works with organizations that want to enhance their productivity by improving the work-life balance of their people. He wrote "Breathing Space," "Simpler Living,"and the "Dial it Down, Live it Up." Visit www.BreathingSpace.com  Connect Jeff Davidson Follow @JeffDavidson