D Is For... "The Dip"

Wait...

Hit That "Blurgh" Time Again? Don't Fret, Says Dan Pink, It's Part Of Your Daily Cycle

There is actually a perfect time of day to do utterly meaningless tasks...
or, even better, to do nothing at all.

So, you wake up, feel motivated, feel on point - today is the day. And for a few hours you are on fire, you feel like you're really getting somewhere.

And then you hit that slump. Suddenly all that optimism you had has gone out the window and a different self emerges: one who could not give a sh*t. About anything, least of all the stuff that got you out of bed this morning.

It's the dreaded Afternoon Slump and while we might not pay it too much attention, Dan Pink advises learning more about your rhythms to make them easier to handle.

Pink says our mood, motivation and productivity levels follow pretty regular patterns throughout the day, every day.

"We move through the day in three stages - a peak, a trough, a recovery, " says Pink.

Watch What Dan Pink
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"Up, down and up again. Now in order to figure out when to do the right thing you have to ask what your "type" is. Are you an early riser? Are you a late riser?"

If you are an early riser, you will get a "peak" in the morning, then hit a "trough" or dip and finally will "rebound" or enter a recovery period later in the day (unless you are a night owl).

Pink says we typically hit our "dip" around seven hours after we wake up.

In terms of getting stuff done, the peak time is evidently where you will feel - and be - the most productive. For insights and ideas, that can come later in the day says Pink, as he points out that the recovery time is when you are likely to be more creative.

The key is what do you do when you hit that slump? Pink says not very much - at most do things which aren't particularly challenging.

The trick is to get to know your cycle, to make the most out of the peak and recovery periods - and to not beat yourself if you can't deliver during the "dip".  Make the most of it. Take that nap.

Perhaps the Spanish are on to something, Siesta, anyone?

Find Out More About Timing  Here:

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