Do you ever feel like your body was not built for a 9-to-5? Well, chances are it wasn't.
Our bodies all run on their own unique internal clock, which is dictated by both our genetics and our environment. And because our body clocks depend on this combination of internal and external factors, they all run slightly differently. For example, while some people tend to feel more awake first thing in the morning, others prefer a later start and later finish. You may have heard of this in the context of "early birds" and "night owls."
Scientifically, this biological preference is called your chronotype, and it can have a significant impact on your productivity throughout the day. For example, while early birds might benefit from an 8 a.m. start, night owls tend to work better later at night. Unfortunately, the rigid schedule of many office jobs means that all chronotypes are forced to adhere to the same schedule, which can be detrimental for our overall productivity.
Newsweek spoke with sleep posture expert James Leinhardt, founder of mattress technology company Levitex, about what happens when you work out of sync with your natural body clock.
"You won't hit your most productive hours," Leinhardt told Newsweek. "Tasks will take longer, you're likely to feel more tired and your creativity might flatline."
In a recent TikTok, Leinhardt explains how his team at Levitex all work different hours depending on when they are most productive: "Karolina (colleague) doesn't get a phone call before 1 p.m. because I know that she could be working until 3 a.m. and that's ok because as long she gets the hours of work for her and her creative juices are flowing when they are, I don't care.
"Some of my gang work at 8 a.m. in the morning, they are (up) bright and early because they have got young kids. Some of them don't want to be called until lunch time."
Aligning your working day with your internal clock has been dubbed "chronoworking." However, not all bosses are this flexible. So what should you do to maximize your productivity within your 9-to-5?
"If you're lucky enough to have your productive hours fall somewhere within the work time, try to optimize that," Leinhardt said. "A good idea may be to schedule low brain energy tasks for when we're not feeling productive, to really maximize that time when we feel at our best. Some people will also find that their best time will change from day to day—it's important to follow your body's lead if that's you."
Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about chronotypes? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
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