Habits That Improve Your Focus - 1/5 Sleep
Let's look at the key habits you'll need to develop to improve your focus
Back when I was a student, I took pride in my ability to pull off all-nighters and sustain 4-5 hours of sleep every night while still delivering the cognitively demanding tasks the next day. I thought I had a special ability, a superpower. I wish I had known better.
This habit has probably impacted me in ways I can’t fathom. I carried this habit along with me well after completing my education and into my job.
It was only in the past few years that I realized the impact sleeplessness had on my performance. My role evolved, and I could see that my sleeping habits impaired how I handled that evolution. I saw a visible dip in my output on days when I slept less than 6 hours. Even the quality of that output went for a complete toss.
The reason - Your quality and quantity of sleep directly impact your focus and concentration. It has a very straightforward correlation.
I am sure you’ve all experienced it and don’t need data to prove this but still, let me give some.
We all have an optimal sleep schedule and the number of hours that are needed (at minimum) for our brains to function really well. For me, that’s 6 hours (7hrs is the best). Find out your body’s sleep demands and adjust your lifestyle accordingly.
When you start hitting those hours regularly, you will see a significant improvement in your ability to focus and get work done.
Here are some steps that will help you hit those hours
a) Rule vs. Choice - Don’t make sleep hours a choice. Create a sleep schedule and stick with it. Don’t break it unless there’s an emergency. This is probably the most difficult part for us. When you make a rule, the decision is binary. Follow or break. However, when you have a choice, you’ll tend to take the easier way out.
b) Invest in your mattress - We spend nearly a third of our day on our beds. Please make sure that you are comfortable and your body is well rested. An investment in your mattress will never go waste.
c) Phones next to the bed - Avoid. I find this advice difficult to follow, but I at least try to keep it far enough that I have to stand up and pick it up. Need an alarm? Get one from Amazon for under $10.
d) Force yourself to sleep - If need be. I used to pick up long boring books to put myself to sleep earlier. These days, I don’t have to. Once you create a schedule and a rhythm, your body falls asleep quite easily.
e) Food - Avoid at least 1 hour before sleep. Definitely avoid anything that will irritate you.
Again - All these become easy once you create a schedule and stick with it.
Podcast episode of the week
Since we are on the topic of sleep, this Huberman Lab episode was one of my favorites. He goes in depth and provides suggestions that have solid science-based backing.
Have a focused week ahead. See you next Sunday!