OG Tuesday Issue #191

The Assist Newsletter
May 20, 2024
You have the power to create your best life, one moment at a time.

Today’s checklist: 

  • Find your perfect work rhythm with “chronoworking”
  • Start a constructive conversation about racism
  • TA reader Carolina advises to keep your circle tight

🤔 Riddle me this:

I can be gentle or fierce, though you see me not.
I can fill up a room, but I take up no space.
I travel all around, though I’ve no feet to trot.
What am I?

(Find the answer on the bottom).

QUICK LINKS

⚡ Productivity: When a neuroscientist offers productivity advice, you listen.

🧠 Mental Health: Want to know how to beat your anxiety?

🗓️ AAPI Heritage Month: An artist, songwriter, and producer reflects on AAPI representation in the entertainment industry.

🤖 AI: Can’t find that one perfect pic you know you took during your trip two months ago? Google’s new Gemini AI feature can help.

💬 Mindfulness: 10 mindfulness questions to help you check in with yourself.

PRODUCTIVITY

An illustration of a woman at her desk in the morning, afternoon, and evening showing an example of chronoworking.

What You Need to Know About “Chronoworking”

 

Chronoworking is scheduling your work days and tasks around your chronotype—your mind and body’s specific cycles of mood, sleepiness, and wakefulness.

Your genetics, environment, lifestyle, work schedules, and myriad other factors influence your type.

Even if you’ve never thought about your cycles, you’ve likely felt their push and pull, maybe only subconsciously.

When you call yourself a night owl or an early bird, when you know you need to finish that big project before the yawns start coming at 3 PM on the dot, you’re feeling your chronotype at work.

Many of us likely already practice a little chronoworking intuitively. However, becoming more actively aware of our cycles and taking just a few more steps to plan work around them can be hugely beneficial.

Chronoworking has the potential to…

  • Make work days flow more efficiently while feeling more effortless
  • Optimize creativity
  • Feel more energized, more consistently
  • Decrease time spent on certain tasks

How do you even start?

Start with your chronotype.

If you have no idea what your natural cycles look like, then spend about two weeks recording when you feel the most creative, energetic, social, tired, etc.

For example, you could set a timer every two hours.

Each time it goes off, jot down a few words that describe your mood and your productivity during the previous two hours.

(You could also just take this quiz from Sleep Doctor to see if that provides some clarity.)

After you understand your chronotype, simply factor it in with the other strategies you use to plan your days.

If you already use time-blocking, for example, you might just adjust what you include in each block to better align with your typical energy flow.

You may have planned to take care of a bunch of tedious tasks after working hours, but if evenings are your most creative time, then you might consider reshuffling and see how it feels.

NETWORKING

Together’s free community The HR Network, full of HR & L&D professionals

Learn From the Best in HR and L&D

 

Looking to grow your skills and professional circle?

Consider The HR Network by Together—a free HR and L&D community!

Join if you want to:

  • connect with H&R and L&D pros worldwide
  • exchange insights with industry experts
  • access top-notch resources
  • attend webinars and workshops by leaders

Don’t miss out—join for free and elevate your career.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE

An illustration of 8 people both women and men with talking bubbles above them.

How to Talk About Racism

 

One TA Subscriber is tired of being a target:

My biggest challenge is that I’m constantly encountering racism. Anything you can offer will help.

We’re so sorry you’re experiencing this. Racism is unacceptable yet—unfortunately—unavoidable. It’s also deeply unfair that those who experience racism must often shoulder the burden of addressing it.

And while confronting racism in constructive ways is possible, it’s also hard. No matter where you are in your experience, the most important thing to do now and always is to take care of yourself.

We encourage you to read and bookmark HelpGuide’s comprehensive resource on racism and mental health.

Swipe the strategies that help you live your best life.

If and when you feel ready to actively confront the racism you experience, we encourage you to explore one powerful tool: Conversation.

“This much is clear: Authentic conversations about racism are difficult, uncomfortable, and happening far too infrequently,” writes Alonzo Plough, PhD, MPH, Vice President for Research and Evaluation / Chief Science Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“Through authentic connections, people have an opportunity to reconsider and challenge the zero-sum thinking that has buttressed structural racism and hindered equity.”

Here are some high-quality (and also free!) e-books with tips, instructions, and strategies for sparking constructive conversations:

🔖 You can also bookmark this short-and-sweet guide: How to Tell Someone You Love They’re Being Racist (Amnesty International)

MEETING TEMPLATE

ClickUp’s free 1:1 meeting template

My 1:1 Meetings Used to Suck — Then I Did This 

 

A great way to foster better relationships between you and your boss or direct report is through one-on-one meetings.

The perfect 1:1 meeting template keeps all of your agendas and action items—tailored for each individual—in one organized place.

This template does just that by laying out roles, expectations, and how to best implement a feedback cycle.

📄 Get the 1:1 meeting template free here.

*Presented by ClickUp.

SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT

Keep Your Circles Tight

 

Carolina Toliver: Keep your circles tight.
⭐️ Want to be featured? Share your best career advice here.

STAFF PICKS

Stuff We’re Loving This Week

 

🎶 The Bridgerton Season 3 playlist is pretty fun to work to. (Also, S3 part 1 came out last week!)

📘 Dive into Dolly Alderton’s hilarious and heartfelt memoir, Everything I Know About Love.

📧 Tame your overflowing inbox with Sanebox (free 14 day trial avail).

🍱 Keep your meals organized with these silicone kitchen reusable lunchbox dividers.

JUST FOR FUN

Loew Haley’s funny, relatable, Instagram video.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

🚨 Job Alerts

 

SPILL THE TEA

Before you go…

 

Answer to the riddle.

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