Are you feeling a bit “off” since springing-forward last weekend? Well, it’s not all in your head. A study by the University of Washington recently found that most people tend to lose 40 minutes of sleep after Daylight Savings Time, leading people to be 20% less effective on the following Monday.
So, how can you refocus your day so that you’re using your limited productivity time more efficiently? Focus your time on those items that you have more control over and less time on things you do not.
Focus on things you can control.
This may include what you eat when you sleep or how you exercise, what you say and do, how you think about your experiences and manage your emotions. This is where successful people focus most of their energy, as they can make direct decisions that can benefit their daily lives.
Focus on things you can influence.
This often includes other people: How we engage with them, how they perceive us, how we connect our own goals with theirs. Things you can influence are areas of your life that, while you are not in charge of them, how you act and the choices you make can affect and alter them for the better. Some time spent mindfully on these things can exert influence, even if not complete control.
Do not focus on things you cannot control.
These include things like traffic, critical illnesses, taxes and the weather report. Too often, people stress over the rain outside or the bottleneck on the way to work. Make decisions that consider the unknown variables like weather and traffic but accept that you can’t change them and don’t waste your energy fighting them. Rather than getting drenched walking to work or stressing in traffic, take an umbrella or leave a few minutes early.
Managing stress and anxiety at work or home is a big task for many of us, and it’s even more critical when you’re feeling sleep-deprived to avoid triggers.
If you feel like there’s something more than Daylight Savings Time that has you losing your focus, The Neutral Zone provides workshops and training that can set you up for success as you focus on building skills for controlling yourself and influencing others. Contact us for a free consultation.