Fueling Entrepreneurial Productivity by Following Your Natural Rhythms

Gretchen P2P Photo It’s no news-flash that we’re all driven by cycles (PMS, anyone?!). The human body was designed to flow easily and consistently in 90 – 120 minute waves, with predictable ups and downs. At the down points, the body needs rest and replenishment – food, sleep, and meditation. But we’re all busy multi-tasking, violating the rhythms of day and night with our non-stop schedules.

Repeatedly overriding your natural rhythms takes a huge toll on sleep, nutrition, and your ability to be productive throughout the day. We self-medicate with caffeine, sugar, and alcohol, thereby further disrupting our rhythms. And meals – how many of you grab a protein bar, if that, to be eaten in your car while driving to your next appointment? Shore that up with some caffeine at strategic intervals and you’ve got the diet of entrepreneurs! There’s no escaping the fact that we really all do need approximately eight hours per night in order to ensure optimal functioning – and, optimally, a brief nap about five to six hours after waking.

Many of us struggle with sleep, our minds abuzz with what projects, tasks, and phone calls to be made. What you may not know is how to positively influence your sleep, energy, and coping abilities by what you eat, what you don’t eat, and how you time what you eat. A few simple tweaks will dramatically improve your mood, attitude, and functioning throughout the day, and maybe even lead to better quality sleep at night. Here are some key dietary factors to address:

Caffeine: No surprise here – caffeine affects sleep. The surprise, however is that a) you may be more sensitive to it than you realize; b) you may be consuming far more than you realize (chocolate, anyone? Diet cola? A little iced coffee?); and c) you might need to stop consuming caffeine as early as noon in order to positively impact your sleep patterns.

Sugar: Sugar gives you a buzz, and sugar makes you crash. Sugar is a stimulant! It wreaks havoc on your blood chemistry and hormonal balance, and will disrupt sleep as surely as caffeine. So, if you’re in the habit of dessert after dinner, or drinking several mochas or sugar-sweetened sodas or juices during the day, snacking on candy, etc., you may want to experiment with reducing or eliminating the sugar, or at least stopping it after mid-day, giving your body a chance to come down from it by bedtime.

Tryptophan: It’s in turkey, milk, and other forms of dairy. A little turkey breast before you turn in may help you sleep through the night. Likewise, a glass of milk or some yogurt may help put you to sleep, and keep you asleep. Your body doesn’t like to go to bed starving.

Calcium: You know you need it for bone health, but did you know it helps with sleep too? Get yours from dairy, or a calcium supplement taken before bed.

Alcohol: Did you know that alcohol consists mainly of sugar? It may seem like a glass of alcohol before bed makes you sleepy or helps you fall asleep, but at 2:00 a.m., the sugar buzz that sedated you in the first place is going to wear off, and you’ll wake up and have difficulty falling back asleep.

In sum, if you’re feeling out-of-balance or drained, try adjusting what you eat and drink, and see if it helps. Pop in a periodic rest break or power-nap and your mood as well as energy levels are likely to improve.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a health psychologist and coach who helps women optimize their health practices to achieve optimal well-being and productivity. You can register for her October 6, 2009 SMARTY P2P workshop, “In the Quest to Have it All, Are You Headed for a Fall” by RSVPing here: http://havingitall.eventbrite.com/

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Peer to Peer programs are intimate micro-workshops facilitated by SMARTY Members and experts in their field. The small-group setting allows attendees to meet in a cozy atmosphere, while finding education and connections on specific topics related to their business development. SMARTY Members attend these workshops free of charge. Guests pay $25 each.