.
An
interesting article on Smart Company this week talked about how our circadian
rhythms mess around with a normal 24 hour day (adding 15-20 minutes per day)
and how our genes often make us more disposed to night time or day time
operations. Are you a morning person or a night person, and how do you handle
the conflict with your actual working demands?
If
you are night person but forced to arrive at the market at 6:30am each trading
day then there can be problems. But an Associate Professor at Queensland
University says there are ways to minimise the impact of working at your less
preferred end of the day and adjusting to that crazy circadian rhythm cycle.
One
of the key ways is to establish a routine that helps to override what your body
is telling you. Things like regular wake-up times (even on non-working days),
regular breakfast patterns, and then scheduling that cup of coffee at the same
time, all help.
Light
is another important factor. Our bodies produce a hormone called Melatonin
which basically makes us sleepy. It is less active when there is light. So when
you wake up in the morning and throw aside the curtains to let the sun in you
are helping your body wake. On the other hand, if you stay up late looking at
strong light sources like your computer or mobile phone you are inhibiting your
body's readiness for sleep.
So,
there are some tips for handling the various impacts of genes, time and light
on our working day but if you work both the night market and the day
market, you have our sympathy.