Freelancers who work from home have a secret, and many of us hide it well. Like most successful freelancers, I maintain my professional identity at all times when I\u2019m dealing with my clients. Generally, we communicate by text, email, and phone during the conventional hours of business, from around 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. They can count on finding me at my desk during the business day, phone and computer at the ready, right? Well \u2014 not exactly. When it comes to communications, I make sure that I\u2019m living up to my clients\u2019 expectations of my availability. The truth, however, is that I may be far from my desk when they call.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve learned over several years of freelance practice that I do my best work at certain times of day, during those peak working hours when I feel I\u2019m at a high level of focus, attention and efficiency. I see no reason for anyone else to know that, in between those hours, I might be busy taking care of personal or household tasks, or on an errand. Or, frankly, I might be lying on the sofa, staring into space. Such activities (or inactivities!) may appear to be secondary to the actual priorities of my workday, but I don\u2019t see them as secondary at all.<\/p>\n
For me, digressions and breaks are as important a part of my day as the hours I spend at the computer. They are key to managing my energy to get the most out of my work time.<\/p>\n
When I held my last 9-to-5, full-time position as the executive editor of a magazine, I was efficient and successful at my job. I noticed, however, that I seemed to spend approximately six of my mandatory eight hours in the office focused on my work. I\u2019d make the other two hours bearable through intermittent distractions, such as coffee breaks, chatting, and taking care of personal business. That feeling of wasting time was one reason I decided to start working freelance, so that I might work my six hours and be free to leave my office, or not, as I chose. But, even as a freelancer, I carried over that vague feeling of guilt that I wasn\u2019t working my full \u201ceight hours a day.\u201d<\/p>\n
After I learned about the science of human daily rhythms, I was relieved to discover that I was, in fact, living according to the healthy, natural schedule that suits me best. Most people\u2019s natural cycles of energy and downtime don\u2019t necessarily conform to the traditional, 9-to-5 business day.<\/strong> It\u2019s physical: Our differing levels of alertness and sleepiness are regulated by our internal \u201ccircadian biological clocks.\u201d<\/p>\n Generally, it takes a few hours after waking up in the morning to reach peak alertness and energy. A \u201ccircadian dip\u201d causing sleepiness occurs from approximately 1-3 p.m., especially when people haven\u2019t slept enough the night before. When we disrupt our circadian rhythm by keeping long or irregular hours, we have greater difficulty thinking and performing well. The Sleep Foundation advises us to take our own circadian rhythms into account when planning our day, and understand that, realistically, we will be effective at some times of the day more than others.<\/p>\n Some people are \u201clarks,\u201d full of energy in the morning, while others are \u201cowls,\u201d who come alive late in the day. I examined my own habits, and I came to recognize a pattern for my own peak time. I\u2019m a lark, happy to see the morning sun. The problem was that I felt my energy lagging after the morning hours. I tracked my days for a while, and discovered that I was working at my best from morning to early afternoon. Then, I\u2019d start to feel tired and distracted for a few hours. I get new energy in late afternoon and evening hours. Depending on how much sleep and exercise I get, my capacity for work seems to vary. On some days, working six hours is my limit. On other days, I can power through assignments for 10 hours or more.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll feel good about your own performance if you take the time to observe your own daily functioning.<\/p>\n For a week or so, keep a log<\/strong>, and jot down how you\u2019re feeling and performing at different times of day:<\/p>\n You may not be aware of your own energy fluctuations, but your log will show you that not only does your energy level vary depending on the time of day, but also your performance and results. Take the time to get to understand your own daily habits, even the ones that you may think you want to overcome.<\/p>\n I firmly believe that this exercise will give you the evidence you need in order to understand that you\u2019re not lazy or undisciplined \u2014 you\u2019re just a normal human obeying your natural circadian cycles. You\u2019ll be ready to:<\/p>\n\n