Hacking Your Chronotype to boost your productivity
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Your Chronotype Knows How
In the last post, we talked about the chronotype, and as promised, let us now put that knowledge to use. Being a lark, pigeon or an owl has its own strengths and weaknesses. Once we know our best performance time, we can plan our schedule around it and get more things done in less time. Also, knowing your best time to take a break and recharge will further your efficiency.
A typical day comprises of few works that require critical thinking and engagememt (the tasks labelled as important, and I need to do this today) and several easier to dos that will take less time and minimum critical thinking or as I like to call them mechanical jobs. Let us work out a schedule based on your chronotype to maximize your productivity.
Larks
Larks or the morning chronotypes usually sleep early and wake up bright and fresh in the morning. Hence, morning is your time to conquer the world and get most done. If you fall into this group, get your exercise, heavy breakfast in the morning hours and schedule your “most important” tasks in the early hours. Try and avoid big meetings in the late afternoon (if possible). Keep your late afternoons to strike off easier to dos.
Have more relaxed evenings, eat light dinner and may be a slow walk (15-20 minutes, this helps you sleep better). According to a recent study, larks should avoid exercise later in the day as it can create a mismatches between your internal clock and the environmental clock [1,2].
A full nights of sleep should be a priority for those in this group, along with a dedicated bed time routine.
Pigeons
The neither types or pigeons wake up slow, show a peak activity during the day and then dive slowly into the night. Best recommendation for this group is to conquer one task at a time. Easing into the day with a few simple tasks can help warm up the brain to get it ready for more intense thinking. Among pigeons, some lean slightly toward mornings, others toward evenings. Ask yourself: Would you rather schedule an important meeting at 11 AM or 4 PM? That’s your clue." So plan your important task based on your feel best times.
For a pigeon, creative sparks can hit randomly throughout the day and it’s important to take advantage of them. Keep some open windows in your schedule for such times. Another important recommendation is that this chronotype can be easily distracted, so when it’s time for bed, this type should unwind and avoid distractions that could keep them from getting shut-eye.
Owls
Owls are those who could not sleep till 2AM in the night and wish they could sleep for longer in the morning. This chronotype should try to avoid scheduling creative tasks and other important meetings in the morning while the usual easier tasks can be placed before lunch time. As you attain your peak later in the day, consider finishing your demanding tasks in evening or may be after dinner.
However, I see that this is not always possible, but breaking up the day is important for an owl. Quick walks in between tasks can be helpful in recharging the activity.
Understanding your chronotype is not just interesting — it is your roadmap to build a better routines that suit you. Start small, adjust where possible, and build from there.
Stay tuned for more…
References
Malin, S.K. Exercise time of day and blood pressure: Considering chronotype for precision health. J Hum Hypertens 38, 580–581 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-024-00929-y
Thomas JM, Kern PA, Bush HM, McQuerry KJ, Scott Black W, Clasey JL, et al. Circadian rhythm phase shifts caused by timed exercise vary with chronotype. JCI Insight. 2020;5:e134270.