11 Productivity Hacks for Night Owls to Stay Healthy and Get Things Done

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It’s been said that you’re either a morning bird or a night owl, with a lot of people falling somewhere in the middle or changing from morning bird to night owl or vice versa during their life.

If you are currently in the night owl phase, you’ll probably agree that the world is made for early birds with early starts, meetings, and calls. Staying awake in the morning and getting through a to-do list can be tough especially when you’ve been working most of the night.

Luckily there are some handy hacks we can do that will help us stay awake, keep fresh and get our to-do list done.

Hack #1: Create a to-do list

Arriving at work and trying to figure out what needs to be done is tough especially if you’ve been up the night before. Instead of aimlessly wandering around the office in a haze, create a to-do list the day before.

This will give you structure for the morning and reduce stress and anxiety levels. It will also help increase your work productivity and help you achieve those KPIs.

Hack #2: Create a morning routine

Routines may sound awful and tedious but they can be effective in helping to create structure during your day.

If we have a routine we are less likely to procrastinate and waste time, this will help us to focus and increase our productivity.

Hack #3: Support your body

Our bodies need fuel, if we don’t have any we are not going to be productive. Our fuel is in the form of nutrients which include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats as well as micronutrients.

Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals and are involved in bodily processes such as energy production, memory, and concentration.

For night owls, our energy may take a dip in the morning, vitamins such as the B vitamins can help combat this by boosting our energy levels.

So when you are having your morning coffee, consider taking a vitamin pack in the morning preferably one that contains the B vitamins.

Hack #4: Don’t skip meals

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When life gets busy it’s tempting to skip meals, unfortunately, instead of helping you, this can hinder your productivity not to mention it can make your colleagues and friends scared of the hangry human you’ve become. Take one for the team and eat.

It’s recommended to eat small frequent meals such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a snack between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner. Small, frequent meals give us the energy we need to do our everyday tasks.

Hack #5: Work with your productivity

Whilst some people are productive in the mornings, night owls aren’t generally. Instead of trying to conform to the early bird’s way, work with your productivity hours instead.

This may mean doing mundane tasks in the morning that doesn’t require much thought and then doing the important tasks that require focus later when you are more productive.

It may require doing some work at home, however doing it when you’re most productive will improve the quality of your work and it may take you less time than if you were doing it in the morning and struggling to concentrate.

Hack #6: Get enough sleep

Sleep and night owls don’t generally go well together since it’s when you work best, however, sleep is important for our general health.

It is recommended to get around 7-9 hours of sleep, this helps to support bodily functions such as our immune systems, energy levels, and metabolism. It also helps increase productivity and improves concentration so we can function at our best.

Getting enough sleep doesn’t mean sleeping when you’re the most productive, it means making sure you do get rest.

This can be done through a nap in the late afternoon/early evening before you start working or it could be waking up a little later in the morning so you can get some shut-eye.

Hack #7: Exercise

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Exercise may be the last thing on your to-do list but incorporating exercise into your routine helps with energy levels, mental health, and productivity.

Research has found that regular exercise can help increase productivity by stimulating the body cells to produce more ATP and helps prolong the life of brain cells.

Exercise can be in any form, from running, and cycling to gym sessions. Finding an exercise you like and being consistent with it will help you achieve this goal.

Hack #8: Drink your water

Water is crucial for our bodies to function as it is a component in many bodily processes. During our busy days, we lose water through sweating and bodily processes.

Keeping adequately hydrated can help us sleep better, reduce stress and anxiety, keeps us energized, prevents headaches, and helps us to think more clearly.

Hack #9: Breathe

Breathing may seem like the most obvious thing as we all do it naturally, however, our breathing can change when we are stressed, anxious, or even tired.

Practicing breathwork in the form of meditation or exercises can help you breathe optimally. This will help provide your body with the optimal amount of oxygen, can help to reduce your stress levels, clear your mind, and keep you energized and focused on what needs to get done.

Hack #10: Clean your space

Working in a clustered environment can cause unnecessary stress and increase procrastination levels.

Set a daily reminder to clean your workspace, this will help you start the day in a calmer mindset and will help you not have to worry about where everything is hidden under the nest you’ve created for yourself.

Hack #11: Limit social media

The average human spends up to 147 minutes per day on social media, that’s 147 minutes you’ve lost that you could have used to achieve your deadlines and spend time with loved ones.

Social media can be addictive and hard to limit. If you struggle to limit it, it may be worth setting yourself a limit each day.

Luckily for us, there is a range of apps such as In Moment, Offtime, and StayOn Task that can help us with this.

Final Thoughts

Being a night owl can be tough in a world that seems to favor the morning bird, however, there are a range of techniques that can be practiced to help keep you productive and thriving in the morning bird world.

References:

1. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/sleep-needs-get-the-sleep-you-need.htm#:~:text=While%20sleep%20requirements%20vary%20slightly,least%20seven%20hours%20of%20sleep.

2. https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/exercise-increases-productivity/

3. https://thinkproductive.co.uk/why-drinking-water-is-good-for-productivity/#:~:text=By%20staying%20hydrated%2C%20you%20can,system%20means%20less%20sick%20days.

4. https://incafrica.com/peter-economy/breathe-better-right-now-to-fix-your-focus-and-boost-your-productivity.html#:~:text=For%20one%20minute%2C%20inhale%20for,order%20to%20sharpen%20your%20focus.

5. https://www.statista.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/