Ultradian Cycles and Ultradian Rhythm

Feb 9, 2018

Smart time management was highlighted as vital to productivity last week. This week, we’ll explore “ultradian” cycles and rhythm. If you’re ultra-confused about what those are, keep reading to find out more:

So, here is the deal — we run on a 24-hour internal clock or “circadian day.”

Within that 24-hour circadian day, we cycle through periods of 90-minute blocks of productivity and heightened focus.

Those blocks of premiere productivity time are known as “ultradian cycles,” and the manner in which we cycle in and out of them is called our “ultradian rhythm.” The start of each ultradian cycle is where your brain is most energetic and focused.

Eventually, your energy slowly depletes. At the end of each ultradian cycle, you can keep working, but you simply won’t be as effective. Your brain needs downtime.

When you find your peak productivity times — your personal ultradian rhythm — that’s when it’s prime time to tackle projects involving creative strategizing, problem-solving, and critical decisions. Hit the hard, challenging, out-of-the-box stuff during these peak phases.

You can save more routine tasks, less complex problem-solving, and other less brain- and creativity-intensive work for your naturally-occurring ultradian valleys.

That’s not all from the Evernote blog. Next week’s edition will explore how to gather data on your ultradian rhythm.