At Home with Tech

This is the story of my favorite time of day and how this found hour became my most productive.

I was born a night owl. And I spent much of my life using late-night hours productively. It felt natural, like I was hard-wired to do that. Mornings, on the other hand, were my kryptonite. And I struggled through them as I ramped up into my day.

Then, about fifteen years ago, I needed to get up earlier as part of a new schedule. The shift was painful. But over time, my body began to adjust. And once I recognized the need to also go to bed earlier to make up for the lost sleep, I began to find a new balance for my daily rhythms.

When I no longer needed to get up at the crack of dawn, I didn’t immediately return to my former schedule. And I found the extra hour to ninety minutes in my mornings.

The Power of my Magic Hour
I explored this time and discovered an amazing benefit. While I thought it would be a period of brain sluggishness, in fact it was the opposite. I was entirely clear headed.

I was sharp and unburdened by all of the clutter that tended to fill up my head throughout the day. You could call it a sense of clarity. I began to call it my magic hour.

It was a time where my creative self was most fully present. And my cognitive productivity levels went through the roof.

Sure, part of that equation was the fact that I had no outside disturbances. (Nobody else was awake yet.) But it was more than that. I had discovered the zone when my brain worked best.

People ask me when I find the time to write this blog. Yep, it’s during my magic hour that begins at 5:30am.

My magic hour became my super power.

Discover and Protect
When our son was born, my magic hour was challenged by a new family schedule. And after things settled a bit, son of Barrett proved himself to be a natural morning person. That also threatened to infringe on my magic hour. But I was able to adjust it back a bit to maintain its integrity.

I think everyone values having enough ‘me’ time. It doesn’t necessarily have to happen before the sun rises. It can be when the clock strikes midnight or when you’re in the middle of a solo activity like commuting.

Everyone should know the best hour when they can be fully in their own head. And then, you’ve got to make the time for that!

The Need for Me-Bubbles
But life during this pandemic is, of course, quite different. Much of our ‘me’ time has evaporated due to the physical compression caused by family units feeling forced to spend as much time at home as possible.

I think a reaction to that is the desire to create virtual ‘me-bubbles,’ and of course, technology can help generate them.

That said, these me-bubbles can’t interfere with others who may be only feet away. So that means using headphones more and not blaring your whole-house speaker system.

Technology can also strengthen certain me-bubbles that you may not want to promote.
(I don’t have to tell you parents about the current pressure for more iPad screen time. It’s a force from your kids that can require the Force to properly keep in check.)

Don’t Become a Bubble Stranger
Yes, creating and protecting quality me time is important. That said, maintaining the right balance at home needs to be part of the equation. You don’t want to inadvertently birth a family of bubble strangers through technology.

To summarize:

• Magic Hour = Good
• Brain Clutter = Bad
• Me Time = Good
• Bubble Strangers = Bad

Retraining your body for a new sleep schedule = actual results may vary.

Good luck!