Every year, Daylight Savings Time is observed and with it comes the dark side. What we are talking about is the fact that daylight savings time can take away one hour of your sleeping time during the weekend. You have probably noticed this, but most people simply brush it off saying, "Don't worry about it, it will eventually even out in the long run."
By the way, if you are wondering if that slump you are feeling is just in your head, then you'd be pleased to know that science is on your side. There's an actual study that showed Daylight Savings Time can indeed negatively impact your productivity. Depending on the individual, the productivity slump may last a few days to a week following the time change.
Christopher Barnes, a professor at the University of Washington, recently discovered that most individuals have the tendency to lose 40 minutes of shut-eye after the implementation of Daylight Savings Time. Furthermore, those lost 40 minutes will usually lead to a 20% decline in productivity, especially on the Monday after the time change. Twenty percent is a serious blow to anyone's productivity, and it's all because we agreed to turn back the clock for an hour.
For some, this is great news. You have the proof to help you explain why your productivity is suffering after the recent time change. However, there's just one big problem.
Knowing that Daylight Savings Time can negatively impact your productivity does not mean your "to-do" list will magically disappear. The truth is, knowing about the effects of the time change can only help you prepare. And honestly, who hasn't experienced losing a couple of hours of sleep, right? The last time we checked, the universe didn't end because of it. Hence, your next best option is to change your game to help you plow through the tasks ahead.
It's important to know your limitations. After all, your options are limited if all your body wants to do is re-visit the bed. What you can do is to optimize and adjust to accommodate the upcoming slump.
Here are a few suggestions:
- First thing you should do is to take a good look at your "to-do" list.
- For any meetings that you can move to the later days of the week, do so.
- During this time, it's critical that you keep the lines of communication open with your team. Also, try to negotiate if it's possible to push back upcoming deadlines.
- Breakdown your to-do list into "time blocks." This is a good way of pacing your focus and energy.
- During those designated time blocks, force yourself to solely focus on the task at hand. This may mean temporarily cutting off from social media and your phone.
Also, don't be too hard on yourself if the coming days aren't the most productive time for you. Just do your best on the hand you've been dealt with. Things will normalize in a couple of days once your body re-adjusts.
