Nine to five is not for everyone. That’s not good or bad. Just a fact. But being aware of when and how you function best is important, not only from a professional productivity point of view, but for your own physical and emotional wellbeing. Your work-life schedule matters.
Maintaining inner balance starts at a basic level. Yes, you need to ensure you’re getting the right mix of mental and physical exertion on a daily basis. But when you really dig into the detail, it may also be a question of “when” you do what you do rather than merely what you do.
It’s so easy to burn, burn, burn, have all the right ingredients on paper and wonder why on earth you feel tired or low in spirits. Sure, you could be doing too much of everything, burning the candle at both ends, but have you actually tried experimenting with timing?
Sometimes, we might feel we have limited or no choice in the matter, both professionally and personally. Sometimes we might wish we’d made alternative choices. But consider what you ARE able to choose and change, simply by listening to your own body.
Factoring in the time of day for certain tasks and activities can be a real gamechanger. Some of us are natural larks, whilst others are night owls and get a rush of second wind after sundown, rarely kickstarting into action before midday. Some are a mix of the two. We’re all different. Work-life schedule is an individual matter.
But this basic need to feel rested and alert affects everything we do, from our mood and state to how well we function. Just think about it: How much better would you feel and how much better would you perform, if you reshuffled your schedule to match your personal energy levels and sleep pattern?
Imagine for a moment you did actually have the choice and were able to change the way you live, work and rest:
- What would you do differently and how could this impact positively on your life, as well as those around you? And how could you create that choice?
- What if you could start work three hours earlier or later, or looked for a position that embraced this kind of flexibility?
- What if going for a run in the morning or at lunchtime gave you more of an energy boost and chance to recharge than in the evening after work?
- What if you used your evening to relax or socialise more, cook a wholesome meal, listen to music or just allow yourself space to reflect on the day?
- Or equally vice versa because you work better after hours when the kids are in bed?
A good friend of mine has always maintained that he just cannot knuckle down to work properly before noon and yet works quite happily well into the night when the world is silent. For him, there’s just too much distraction earlier in the day and he also needs a good dose of sleep to be productive in his line of work.
But the point is: he knows this about himself. He’s aware. He doesn’t try to compare himself to others or force himself to into a work regime that exhausts his reserves and clarity of mind just because most people do according to the norms decided for us. Society prescribes that we work 9-5 because it benefits the system, how it harnesses and profits from our movements, activities and earnings.
You’re more than a cog though. You tick differently to your neighbours, friends, colleagues, partner, children and parents. And making conscious changes to your work-life schedule according to your natural body clock is not a selfish act. On the contrary. After all, you’re no good sick to those dependent on you staying mentally, physically and emotionally healthy!
At the end of the day, only you live inside your body. So, only you can know which conditions your body needs to function at its best, enrich your quality of living and enable you to thrive.
Are you struggling to make your physical and emotional health a priority? Get in touch with me at Freeflow Coaching to talk more.
