energy levels and life recently

Since this summer is relatively unstructured - I am doing research, but do not have many specific time-tied obligations - I have been enjoying experimenting with my schedule and habits to explore better ways to stay productive, healthy, and entertained.

After a recent bout of self-improvement media consumption, I decided to track my energy levels for the next few weeks to better optimize my day. The theory is simple: everybody has a unique cycle of energy throughout the day, and it is more effective and less exhausting to schedule high-energy tasks (such as difficult work or studying) for high-energy times, leaving lower-energy tasks for lower-energy times.

To create my tracker, I used this blog post and its associated template. I hijacked it to include days of the week and a finer grain system. I also did not set a timer to remind me to fill it out, but rather fill it out whenever I pick up my phone or take a break from working (every 24 minutes). So far the results are...inconclusive. In part because my schedule is not super consistent from day to day while I experiment with what works for me. Perhaps in a few weeks, the trends will even out.

However, I have still found that simply listening to my energy level has been effective for me. I've noticed that I typically am most productive in the morning through the early afternoon, tending to crash around 1:30-2pm. I don't drink caffeine habitually, and historically I would attempt to struggle through my waning attention span and brain fog until later in the afternoon and through the early evening. More recently, I've been leaving for the gym once I feel myself hitting that early-afternoon wall, bouncing back with a nice post-workout adrenaline to continue work without feeling as though the last hour and a half or so were unproductive.

I also started listing my tasks in terms of how much energy they require instead of urgency. It is such a simple switch, but I have found it so much easier to get things done. When I am feeling inspired, I can tackle a more involved task, like reading articles, designing experiments, or baiting my entire apartment for roaches (🙃). But if I am feeling unmotivated or lazy, I can do something simple like folding the laundry, putting away the dishes, or uploading figures onto the proper slides. It has prevented me from getting overwhelmed by the to-do list and allowed me to still be productive even when I'm feeling low-energy.

I guess it turns out that listening to my body and brain keeps my brain and body happy. Who would have thought? (many people)

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