Rhythm

I came across a YouTube video about productivity.

The creator was discussing the real bottlenecks to productivity — how many complicated systems are just pseudo-productivity, and the core principles that actually drive meaningful output across all types of work.

I won’t go through everything he taught, but one concept stood out to me because, despite encountering it many times before, I’ve never fully integrated it into my life.

That concept is the ultradian rhythm.

Ultradian rhythms are biological cycles that govern our physiological, mental, and hormonal fluctuations throughout the day.

In simple terms, our energy and focus naturally rise and fall in roughly 90-minute cycles: periods of peak performance followed by 20–30 minutes of recovery.

The science suggests that sustained excellence is less about managing time and more about managing energy.

As I reflected on this concept today, I began thinking about how I could apply it to my own life.

My work requires intense focus for long periods.

My patient appointments are scheduled hourly and are often booked back to back.

Without meaningful breaks, I usually begin to feel mentally foggy by the third patient.

My plan is to shorten appointments to 45 minutes of focused care.

After two consecutive patient sessions, I would take a full 20–30 minute break to mentally recover.

This structure aligns more closely with the body’s natural rhythms and, hopefully, allows me to consistently give my best to each patient.

My attention is constantly being pulled in different directions.

My team, family, relationships, and side projects — baking, woodworking, pottery, and writing — all compete for mental bandwidth.

A message from my mom, a patient booking an appointment, or a relationship concern can quickly interrupt whatever I’m working on.

These constant pings dilute my focus and consume my highest-energy periods.

My solution is to make airplane mode easier to access by placing shortcuts across multiple screens on my phone.

During my peak ultradian periods, I can turn off notifications and protect my attention.

Then, during my recovery periods, I can batch-process messages and other low-focus tasks.

I think one reason this concept never stuck with me before is that life rarely unfolds according to a perfect schedule.

Unexpected events happen all the time.

If I treat ultradian rhythms too rigidly, I’ll likely abandon the system after a day or two.

My solution is to remain adaptable and listen to my body.

If my mind starts to wander before the 90-minute mark, that may be a signal to stop.

If my focus remains strong during a scheduled recovery period, I may choose to continue for a little longer.

The key is flexibility.

The rhythm should guide me, not control me.

My ultimate goal is to produce consistently excellent work across all areas of my life.

Too often, I find myself burning out.

Perhaps this is one of the missing pieces.

A month ago, I took a quiz to determine what kind of rest I needed most.

The result was physical rest.

That finding, combined with what I learned about ultradian rhythms, makes me think that my body has been asking for a more sustainable way of working.

So I’m going to experiment with this approach and see where it leads.