Discover the worst times of the day to do things at work
We all know that there are always optimal and non-optimal times during the day when it comes to productivity- but we’re all wired differently.
There is plenty of reading out there telling you when you should utilise your optimal productive self to get the ideal result. The fact because all our computers are directly wired to delicious content when it comes to real productivity, we can say most of us are organized and efficient. We tend to get things done quickly and with a certain level of precision while a few may like to procrastinate depending on their situational demands or otherwise.
The Night Owl and the Morning Lark
While some of us are night owls, some like to get up at the crack of dawn. These are two very distinct “chronotypes” – in which most of us can fall into and somewhere in the middle. Having said that, a professor of molecular & computational biology at USC, Steve Kay who studied our natural body clock, says that being in tune with our natural cycles can give us “an edge in daily life.”
The truth is, there is no universal best time to read and understand. It’s because people’s body systems and the clock are not always the same. For instance, while Mr Collins may be comfortable reading or sending emails in a noisy environment, Mr Samuel may not like it! There are many different opinions on this based on different reasoning. But there are certainly the worst times (as per research papers) which can be taken note of.
Watch our video below for a summary or continue reading below!
1. Don’t do creative work in the AM if you're a morning person
Sounds counterintuitive? Research shows that people exhibit their best creative thinking when they are tired. The study held by researchers at Albion College and Michigan State University asked more than 400 students to solve six problems at various hours over the day. It was found that those who were feeling fresh and sharp in the morning did better solving problems later in the night that required original thinking.
For the night owls, it was the opposite. For them, the morning proved a better time to have bright ideas. They explained that creative thinking requires an approach to a problem from a different perspective, which might be harder to do when one is clear-headed and can only see the obvious answer.
It's a good idea for our brains to be "on “if we want to concentrate. But if we are to think differently, it's easier when our brains are a little distracted - and that’s where great ideas generate. Fatigue kind of boosts our creative powers (perhaps because that loud internal critic in our head is too tired to be attentive?). Another study suggests that adults tackle open-ended problems best when they were tired in the evening.
2. Don't make cold calls (especially on Friday, 1.00 -2.00 PM)
This one is important. It’s a common notion that lunchtime would be an ideal time to speak to a new business lead, as opposed to mornings which are usually busy for most people. Research done by James Oldroyd, a business school professor in Korea found that the worst time of day to make an unsolicited call is between 1 and 2 p.m. It is better to call late afternoon (between 4 and 5 p.m.) when most of the peak busy hours are over, or first thing in the morning (8 to 9 a.m.) That morning hour had 164 % better results than the lunch hour in Oldroyd's analysis of more than a million cold calls. His findings reportedly show that Thursday was the best day of the week, while Friday was the worst.
3. After 4 P.M -Don’t do any tasks that involve sending an e-mail
HubSpot's Mike Volpe suggests that if early morning is the optimal time to get people to act on an e-mail, late afternoon is the worst. HubSpot’s analysis of millions of messages shows that 4 p.m. has the lowest click-through rate of any time of day, as people hurry to get out of the office and check things off before heading out the door. "Late in the day is bad as people’s brains are fried, and they're trying to clear things off in a cursory way." Volpe says.
According to Dan Zarrella, a social media scientist for HubSpot, when we send emails early in the day – say about 6 am, they’re more likely to be read.
4. Avoid stressful conversations in the morning
This might sound funny -unfortunately, early morning is the worst time of day to have a stressful conversation about work or personal. That's because a cardiac arrest is more likely to occur early in the day (between 6 a.m. and noon) according to researchers. So, if you have some unpleasant news to share with an employee(s)/stakeholders, wait until the afternoon to reveal it. They’ll thank you.
In industries like Facilities Management or built environments, where there’s a constant flow of conversations rolling out, it’s always a good idea to keep any work calls/meetings to midday or during the later half of the day.
5. Avoid cognitive work in the late afternoon
Shellenbarger from Wall Street Journal wrote that, as our body temperature starts to rise just before we wake up and climbs through mid-day, it’s wise to say that you must avoid any cognitive work during the late afternoon hours. Alternatively, most adults perform best in the late mornings. Working memory, alertness and concentration gradually rise and improve from early to late morning. Research shows that we start to slide just after lunch and are most easily distracted from noon to 4. pm. An example could be someone reading Twitter at 8 or 9 am which may begin his day on a bright note as opposed to the other. In other instances, if someone wants their post retweeted – they’ll have more luck between 4 pm and 6 pm when people are tired and may not have the energy to post something noteworthy of their own.
Since our body clock works differently for all, there is no universal best time to read and understand but there are certainly the worst times of the day that can affect your productivity at work and can burn you out. To unpack the burnout syndrome, discover the proven tips here https://myfm.co.uk/blog/burnout-stop-fighting-it-start-unpacking-it.
Now, go listen to your body and enjoy the rest of the day! 😊
