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

Apr 7, 2024

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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.

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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

Circadian Rhythms Affect Metabolism: Circadian rhythms significantly impact human metabolism, suggesting optimal meal timing can improve health.

Brown Adipose Tissue Activity: 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: Exercise performance can vary by time of day, influenced by body temperature and hormone levels.

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 work and rest. https://desktime.com/blog/52-17-updated-people-are-now-working-and-breaking-longer-than-before

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