How to Use The Ultradian Rhythm to Improve Focus and Get More Done

I might be the laziest writer around. Or so I used to think.

I’d wake up bursting with energy, a huge to-do list in hand, ready to conquer the day. But without fail, within two hours, the yawns would start, my focus would scatter, and a thick mental fog would roll in. I felt like a failure. I assumed I simply lacked the motivation that successful people seemed to have.

It turns out that there is a scientific name for my perceived laziness, and it’s called the Ultradian Rhythm.

As you might have guessed, it’s not really laziness. It’s just how my body works, and how yours does too.

To understand how to improve focus in 2026, you have to stop fighting your biology and start working with it. Understanding this natural cycle is the key to avoiding constant burnout and achieving consistent, high-level output, a strategy far better than many productivity habits taught by coaches. Let’s dive in!

What is The Ultradian Rhythm?

An ultradian rhythm cycle is a recurring period of approximately 90–120 minutes throughout the day during which your body and brain cycle between periods of high alertness and periods of recovery.

While your Circadian Rhythm governs your 24-hour sleep-wake cycle, your Ultradian Rhythm acts as your body’s internal productivity timer. It dictates the ebb and flow of your cognitive energy.

The ultradian cycle has two distinct phases:

1. The High Phase: During this window, your brain is firing on all cylinders. This is the optimal time for Deep Work. Your prefrontal cortex is most active, making it easier to solve complex problems and generate creative ideas.
2. The Low Phase: After 90–120 minutes, your body naturally moves into a trough. This is your brain’s way of saying “take a breather!” It is a physiological necessity for clearing out metabolic waste and replenishing the neurotransmitters required for focus.

Why Focus is More Expensive Today

When I first wrote about this rhythm, the world was a quieter place. In 2026, we are paying a massive Cognitive Tax that our predecessors never had to deal with. This tax is the result of “Attention Residue“, a term coined by Professor Sophie Leroy.

Attention residue happens when you switch from one task to another before finishing the first. A part of your brain stays stuck on the previous task, meaning you are never truly “all there” for the new one.

In 2026, when we are pinged every few minutes, our attention is constantly being fragmented. If you try to power through your “Low Phase” by checking emails or scrolling social media, you aren’t actually resting.

You are simply adding to the Cognitive Tax. By the time your next High Phase arrives, your brain is too bankrupt to spend energy on your most important work.

Moving from Time Management to Intentional Stewardship

Mastering the ultradian rhythm may seem like a hack to get more done. Perhaps that is true. But not in the sense of a time management tip that allows you to squeeze more out of your limited time. Rather, our emphasis in choosing the rhythm should lean more towards intentional stewardship.

Where time management asks, “How can I fill these 60 minutes?”, intentional stewardship asks, “How can I manage the energy I’ve been given to produce work that matters?”

When you view your 90-minute High Phase as a resource to be stewarded, you stop wasting it on shallow work like administrative tasks or casual messaging. You begin to treat that window of focus with the respect it deserves.

The Stewardship Workflow

• The High Phase is for Contribution: This is when you do the Unthinkables. The writing, the strategizing, and the problem-solving that only you can do.
• The Low Phase is for Recovery: This is when you step away. True stewardship means recognizing when you’re running on empty and giving yourself room to refill.

The Science Behind The Ultradian Rhythm

Our brains are dynamic and constantly shifting. This is the root of the ultradian rhythm cycle. Scientists are still uncovering the full intricacies of the ultradian rhythm and how it interacts with our circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycles), mood, and overall well-being.

While everyone has an ultradian rhythm, exact timing and intensity can differ slightly from person to person. Generally, here’s a breakdown of what’s happening behind the scenes:

• Brain Regions: Key players include the prefrontal cortex (focus, decision-making) and the reticular activating system (regulates alertness). Activity levels within these regions rise and fall throughout the ultradian cycle.
• Neurotransmitters: Fluctuations of neurotransmitters like dopamine (involved in motivation and reward) and norepinephrine (linked to alertness and focus) directly influence how energized and mentally sharp we feel.

Trying to work against these drops isn’t hard work; it’s biological rebellion. You can’t force dopamine to stay at its peak any more than you can force a tide to stay in.

(Want to uncover more about the science? Check this research paper out.)

My Ultradian Rhythm Work Method: 

A 90-Minute Blueprint

Here is how you can deploy the ultradian cycle in 2026 to ensure my focus remains sharp without incurring a heavy Cognitive Tax:

1. The Block Out

Break your day into two or three Master Cycles. During a High Phase, banish all distractions. No Slack, no email, no notifications. Just the task at hand for about 90 minutes.

2. The Proactive Reset

When the 90 minutes are up, and you begin to feel the “Low Phase” setting in (like when the yawn starts), avoid reaching out for your phone.  Instead, step away from the desk, stretch, or grab a glass of water. This physical movement helps clear the metabolic fog and prepares the brain for the next cycle.

3. The Shallow Buffer

I use the tail-end of a Low Phase to handle the Cognitive Tax items like quick emails, admin, and messages. This keeps my High Phase pure for creative output while still ensuring my responsibilities are met.

One Step Further

The beauty of the Ultradian Rhythm is its honesty. It forces us to admit that we have limits.

Learning how to improve focus in 2026 isn’t about becoming a machine; it’s about becoming a better steward of the human design. When you sync your work with your natural energy patterns, you stop feeling lazy and start feeling effective. You find that you can move further, faster, and with far less stress.

Your Turn: Have you ever felt that sudden fog roll in exactly two hours after starting? That was your body calling for a reset. How would your day change if you listened to that call instead of fighting it?