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Careers
Feel motivated to work at ‘odd’ hours of the day? Here’s why (and how to make it work for you)
2 years ago
7 min read
Wanting to work at night or over the weekend makes more sense than you might realise – and when done right, it has benefits.
As many of us know all too well, the typical workday runs from around 8 or 9am to 5pm. Basically, the mornings and afternoons between Monday and Friday are reserved for answering emails, attending meetings (that probably should’ve been an email) and whatever else your job requires.
But have you ever found yourself sitting at home outside those hours – maybe on the couch after dinner or while you’re relaxing on a Sunday – wanting to get stuff done? You feel a burst of motivation to catch up or get a head start on the upcoming week. Freelancers and self-employed folks may especially feel this since their schedule isn’t always set.
Regardless, what’s up with that feeling? Is it a good idea to take advantage of that motivation, or can it hurt your work-life balance?
What’s behind the urge to be productive at strange hours?
It’s understandable you may be curious why you want to work, especially when you don’t have to. You may even feel annoyed: why do your mind and body ache to be productive when it’s finally time to chill? Experts share potential reasons.
Having a certain chronotype
First, it’s important to note that we all have different sleep-wake cycles and even times when we feel more productive and awake. For example, you’ve probably heard of the terms ’early bird’ and ‘night owl’. Those come into play here.
“While about half of people have a chronotype – a natural sleep-wake schedule – that is well-suited for a 9 to 5 job (the most productive hours from 10am to 2pm, the rest of the population have other chronotypes with more productive hours either before or after work,” says Dr Emily Treichler, a licensed clinical psychologist with Choosing Therapy. In other words, feeling an urge to work late at night or early in the morning isn’t ‘weird’.
Appreciating the energy and lack of pressure
Similarly, not feeling forced to work can remind you that being productive and/or engaging in a job you love can be enjoyable at times. It can also result in better outcomes.
“We all have a natural flow of energy that is not the same for everyone, and doesn’t always work on demand (ie an 8-5 schedule),” says Emma Dunwoody, a human behavioural specialist, master coach and human design expert. “When we are expected to work set hours, we can end up working at times when we don’t have the energy available for it (out of fear or pressure), which can actually result in tasks taking longer to complete, or, in some cases, output that is not the best we’re capable of.”
She adds that comparing and judging ourselves for not being ‘on’ can cut off creativity, cause us to operate from fear and prevent us from doing our best work.
Credit: Getty
Wanting to get ahead
If you have a lot on your to-do list, you may want to get a head start outside typical work hours. “They might want to utilise this time in order to catch up, meet a deadline, or work on a task that requires much concentration without the interruptions that occur during office hours,” says Joyce Marter, a licensed counsellor and the author of The Financial Mindset Fix: A Mental Fitness Program For An Abundant Life. “This can reduce the stress of the workday to come.”
Trying to avoid discomfort
Along those lines, though, be mindful of your intentions behind working. Is the urge to avoid your emotions mixed in there? (It’s understandable, but not always helpful.)
“Some folks may be experiencing general anxiety or work-specific anxiety leading them to feel pressured to work outside of their regular hours,” Dr Treichler says. She lists a sign of this: struggling to set work aside even when you’re tired, have plans, or have no need to work at that time. Marter adds you may also fear failure or getting in trouble at work, too.
Working can help us avoid other emotions, as well. “Perhaps they use work to avoid uncomfortable feelings or dealing with life challenges, such as loneliness or relationship issues,” Marter continues.
When to harness that motivation and when to give yourself a break
Given the motivation can come from a pleasurable place, (eg a burst of creative energy) or a less feel-good place (eg anxiety), how do you know if hopping to work will benefit you – or hurt you?
First, let’s discuss the case for going for it. Listening to your body and working when it wants to has pretty unignorable benefits. For example, Marter lists reducing your stress levels, improving your self-esteem and boosting your sense of accomplishment and fulfilment.
Productivity-wise, this can be a smart move, too. “We open our creative flow and do our best work faster and more efficiently,” Dunwoody says.
In fact, she’s a huge fan of knowing your energy type through the practice of human design for that reason. “We each have a specific energy ‘type’ (there are five different ones) that shows us how we’re meant to use our energy to get the most of it,” she adds. “This gives us access to greater scope and potential in terms of the work we’re able to put out with the least amount of effort.”
Credit: Getty, Stylist
At the same time, having boundaries – and being mindful of your feelings around working when you otherwise wouldn’t be – is key. But how do you determine when to set a boundary?
Dr Treichler suggests thinking about your intentions and the implications of both choices. “For folks who find their work and life satisfaction is better when they work an adjusted schedule, taking advantage of that motivation is a wonderful thing,” she says. For example, she notes how limited, short-term moments of working can be great when you get an idea or burst of inspiration for a creative endeavour.
“But if you are finding yourself constantly motivated by anxiety and struggling to set down work and prioritise other parts of your life, it’s time to set boundaries about working hours to improve your wellness and prevent burnout,” she adds.
So, what next?
As the experts explained, listening to your body is vital. But what exactly does that entail?
Get familiar with your energy patterns
Dunwoody recommends asking yourself how your body is doing and spending time getting to understand its energy. “Notice how it feels when you go to work at your desk,” she says. “How does it ebb and flow throughout the day? Notice what tasks feel easy/exciting and which don’t.”
For example, maybe you feel productive about an hour into the workday, but you have a slump after lunch. Maybe a quick walk in-between tasks gives you a burst of energy and motivation. Maybe you prefer to start with the easy things to get yourself into the groove of working, or maybe you’d rather get the hard stuff out of the way first. Regardless, Dunwoody encourages journaling about all this and looking for patterns.
“If you have the motivation and the energy to get the work done, go ahead and take advantage of what your body is telling you,” she concludes.
Talk to your manager about tweaking your hours
If you notice you consistently feel motivated to work earlier on in the day, then trail off post-lunch, it’s well worth asking your boss if they’d be open to you doing a different working day. Could you do a 7am–3.30pm, for example? Or could you do with a longer lunch break to reboot your energy?
Consider all aspects of your health and life
Paying attention to how you feel physically and mentally are big parts of this, but not all. Marter encourages thinking about your social health, workload, time management and any upcoming events, too, by asking yourself questions like this:
- Do I feel connected and supported or isolated and lonely?
- What’s my current ability to manage time and meet goals?
- Do I have a holiday, surgery or other event planned that might make me more inclined to work now so I can recover then?
- Would working these hours push me into an unhealthy amount of work?
Further, Dr Treichler recommends thinking about your “work-life integration”, or how your work and personal life can complement each other. “If adjusting your work hours helps achieve that – for example, answering emails early in the morning and then taking your kids to school or attending a fitness class during ‘regular’ hours – then it might be a beneficial strategy,” she explains.
Find an accountability partner
If you have trouble setting boundaries with yourself or respecting your body’s needs, having someone to lean on might be a helpful idea, according to Dr Treichler. “You can also try having a ‘no’ committee – a group of trusted colleagues to help you decide what to turn down to reduce your workload so there’s less pressure to work outside of [typical work] hours,” she adds.
Can’t get in contact with your accountability partner? Try to picture what they would say or what you would say to them. Marter suggests asking yourself what you would advise if someone you love was in your shoes.
No matter what your job or motivation looks like, resources such as self-reflection and connecting with others can play a vital role in your work-life balance and well-being.
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