Ep-022: Are you in sync? Aligning to your Natural Biological Rhythms for Effortless Efficiency


About 80-20 Productivity Deep Dives

80-20 productivity deep dives is a series on 80 20 Productivity where Anthony Sanni discusses concepts and phenomena related to the 80-20 principle and explores how these concepts can be used to help you do more by doing less.


Episode Summary

Timing is everything! In this episode of the 80/20 Productivity Podcast, we delve deep into the science and art of aligning your activities with your body's natural rhythms to amplify your productivity, health, and overall well-being. Discover how timing isn't just a concept but a fundamental aspect of enhancing your life's quality and efficiency.

Get an extra 20% off a 30-day supply of Magic Mind productivity shots. Go to https://magicmind.com/8020productivity and use CODE: PRD20

So, let's get into the details:

The Vital Few (TVF) Timestamps:

[00:00:00] - The Power of Timing
Explore why timing is critical in maximizing the benefits and performance of your actions. A brief overview of what's to come in the episode.

[00:00:40] - Working With Your Natural Rhythms
Unveil the secrets to boosting your activity performance by syncing with your body's rhythms.

[00:01:40] - Biological Rhythms Explained
Dive into what biological rhythms are, why they exist, and how they impact our daily lives.

[00:02:27] - The Best Times for Daily Activities
A caveat about finding the perfect time for activities that matter and how it's more important to just do them.

[00:03:30] - Timing, Chronos, and Kairos
Understanding the difference between Chronos (quantitative time) and Kairos (opportune time) in the context of productivity.

[00:05:12] - Evolution and Our Biological Clocks
How evolution on Earth influenced the development of our internal clocks.

[00:07:38] - Different Types of Rhythms
Introduction to circadian, diurnal, ultradian, and circa-annual rhythms.

[00:12:14] - Circadian, Diurnal, and Ultradian Rhythms in Daily Life
How these rhythms specifically influence our day-to-day activities and productivity.

[00:18:29] - The Impact of Light and Temperature
The role of light and temperature as key factors in syncing with our natural rhythms.

[00:22:32] - Crafting an Ideal Daily Routine
Step-by-step guide through an optimal daily routine from morning till night based on scientific insights.

[00:38:02] - Time-Restricted Eating and Its Benefits
Discussion on how aligning eating times with your body's clock can enhance health and productivity.

[00:47:18] - Evening Routines and Preparing for Sleep
Tips for winding down effectively, aligning evening activities with natural rhythms for better sleep quality.

[01:08:50] - Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Wrapping up the insights shared in the episode and encouraging listeners to experiment with aligning their routines with their biological rhythms.

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Notes and References

  • Biological Rhythms, Clock, Zeitgebers and Light's Influence on Biological Clocks: Merrow M (2023) Circadian clocks: It’s time for chronobiology. PLoS Biol 21(11): e3002426. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002426

  • Brown Adipose Tissue and Circadian Clocks: Maaike E. Straat, Rick Hogenboom, Mariëtte R. Boon, Patrick C.N. Rensen, Sander Kooijman, Circadian control of brown adipose tissue, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, Volume 1866, Issue 8, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2021.158961

  • Benefits of Early Time-Restricted Eating: L.S. Chow, E.N.C. Manoogian, A. Alvear, J.G. Fleischer, H. Thor, K. Dietsche, et al.

    Time-restricted eating effects on body composition and metabolic measures in humans who are overweight: a feasibility study

    Obesity (Silver Spring), 28 (5) (2020), pp. 860-869

  • Optimal Exercise Timing for Performance: Chronobiology of Exercise: Evaluating the Best Time to Exercise for Greater Cardiovascular and Metabolic Benefits Volume 12 Issue 3. July 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c210036

  • Caffeine Consumption Timing for better sleep: Carissa Gardiner, Jonathon Weakley, Louise M. Burke, Gregory D. Roach, Charli Sargent, Nirav Maniar, Andrew Townshend, Shona L. Halson, The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Sleep Medicine Reviews, Volume 69, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101764 .

  • Mental Performance Varies Throughout the Day: Schmidt C, Collette F, Cajochen C, Peigneux P. A time to think: circadian rhythms in human cognition. Cogn Neuropsychol. 2007 Oct;24(7):755-89. doi: 10.1080/02643290701754158. PMID: 18066734.

  • L-Theanine and Caffeine cognitive effects: Anas Sohail A, Ortiz F, Varghese T, Fabara SP, Batth AS, Sandesara DP, Sabir A, Khurana M, Datta S, Patel UK. The Cognitive-Enhancing Outcomes of Caffeine and L-theanine: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2021 Dec 30;13(12):e20828. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20828. PMID: 35111479; PMCID: PMC8794723

  • Work/Break Ratio for Productivity: This is an updated article. But it still maintains the benefits of working in cycles of wrok and rest. https://desktime.com/blog/52-17-updated-people-are-now-working-and-breaking-longer-than-before

  • Anthony’s Book: The Law of The Vital Few

Anthony Sanni

Anthony lives to help organizations and individual thrive! He is an author, speaker, consultant and coach specializing in personal effectiveness and productivity,

He used to be an engineer making use of tools, now he helps professionals use the right tools to make the most of themselves.

Follow Anthony on LinkedIn and subscribe to the blog to keep in touch.

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Ep-023: Why you procrastinate, and how to overcome procrastination using the Procrastination Equation

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Ep-021: You Are NOT Lazy! 5 Unexpected Reasons You Procrastinate, and How to Stop