I find that being tired makes my mind wander a lot when reading longform things (e.g., papers, posts, not things like Slack messages or emails), so when I’m tired I usually try to do things other than reading.
If I’m just a bit or moderately tired, I usually find I’m still about as able to write as normal. If I’m very tired, I’ll still often be able to write quickly, but then when I later read what I wrote I’ll feel that it was unclear, poorly structured, and more typo-strewn than usual. So when very tired, I try to avoid writing longform things (e.g., actual research outputs).
Things I find I’m still pretty able to do when tired include commenting on documents people want input on (I think I’m more able to focus on this than on regular reading because it’s more “interactive” or something), writing things like EA Forum comments, replying to emails and Slack messages and the like, doing miscellaneous admin-y tasks, and reflecting on the last week/month and planning the next. So I often do a disproportionate amount of such tasks during evenings or during days when I’m more tired than normal, and at other times do a disproportionate amount of reading and “substantive” writing.
Also, I’m fortunate enough to have flexible hours. So sometimes I just work less on days when I’m tired (perhaps spending more time with my wife), and then make up for it on other days.
11. Tiredness, focus, etc.
I find that being tired makes my mind wander a lot when reading longform things (e.g., papers, posts, not things like Slack messages or emails), so when I’m tired I usually try to do things other than reading.
If I’m just a bit or moderately tired, I usually find I’m still about as able to write as normal. If I’m very tired, I’ll still often be able to write quickly, but then when I later read what I wrote I’ll feel that it was unclear, poorly structured, and more typo-strewn than usual. So when very tired, I try to avoid writing longform things (e.g., actual research outputs).
Things I find I’m still pretty able to do when tired include commenting on documents people want input on (I think I’m more able to focus on this than on regular reading because it’s more “interactive” or something), writing things like EA Forum comments, replying to emails and Slack messages and the like, doing miscellaneous admin-y tasks, and reflecting on the last week/month and planning the next. So I often do a disproportionate amount of such tasks during evenings or during days when I’m more tired than normal, and at other times do a disproportionate amount of reading and “substantive” writing.
Also, I’m fortunate enough to have flexible hours. So sometimes I just work less on days when I’m tired (perhaps spending more time with my wife), and then make up for it on other days.