Best time to work for max productivity

We take the idea of an eight-hour workday for granted. However, this concept has only been around since the beginning of the industrial era. In terms of human history, that’s not a significant amount of time. The 9 to 5 business hours are an even more recent phenomenon.

These workday guidelines made sense at the time of their creation but seem pretty outdated in the 21st century. Some people wake up early naturally and start working on their to-do lists.

Others are more night owls and feel more productive at the end of the day. You might not even know how to maximize your productivity and want some tips that can help.

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A brief history of the eight-hour workday

As we mentioned, the creation of the eight-hour workday, five days per week, made much more sense some 200 years ago. In the early 19th century, people routinely worked 12-15 hours daily and rarely had days off.

It wasn't until a British industrialist, Robert Owen, introduced the "eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest" slogan that anything changed. Henry Ford, an automobile magnate from the U.S., soon followed suit.

He realized that workers without free time were unlikely to purchase his vehicles. Finally, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Act in 1938, officially establishing the 9 to 6 working hours or a 40-hour workweek. Nowadays, these guidelines don’t support the idea of peak productivity.  

Figuring out your optimal work time

Following the pandemic and the normalization of remote work, discussions around time management, productivity, four-day workweeks, and six-hour workdays are more frequent. Fewer people are commuting and spend less time in traffic.

On the other hand, some may still struggle with the amount of time they waste on social media or doing irrelevant tasks. Another issue is not knowing their productive hours.

Fortunately, there's a pretty easy way to determine the optimal time for work. You can consider the following factors.

What time of day do you have the most energy?

You may know the answer if you’re a morning person or feel low energy at that time of day, but you should pay even closer attention to your body's cues. Perhaps you feel the most energized right after breakfast or as you drink your midday coffee. Essentially, you're keeping track of your ultradian rhythm, representing your energy levels throughout the day.

When are you the most focused?

High-energy levels don’t always equate to excellent focus, so prioritizing this consideration is vital. Researchers have proved that most of us are least distracted in the morning hours, though not everyone.

Often, we’re distracted by Slack notifications, so focusing is difficult. Other times, your morning routine includes driving the kids to school, meaning it's impossible to focus on work-related tasks.

How much can you control your work schedule?

Even if you work from home, you need to be present for Zoom calls or meet deadlines. If you have some freedom around managing your work time and schedule, ensure it fits into your most productive hours.

How much time can you dedicate to low-value tasks?

If you need to send emails or deal with data entry for a number of hours every day, it's essential to identify them. Therefore, you can focus more intensely on important tasks when you're most productive and not leave them for the next day.

Tips for boosting productivity

If you work full-time from home or the office, using strategies for better productivity is essential for your overall well-being. But what practices can you use to become more productive?

Here are a few ideas:

• Pomodoro technique – Many productive people rely on the Pomodoro technique. Essentially, you schedule focused work for 25-minute increments followed by five-minute breaks.
• Scheduling naps – Taking 15 minutes for a power nap daily when your energy levels are low can boost your productivity.
• Cleaning workspace – By cleaning and organizing your desk, you’re creating a more inviting working environment.
• Delegating – If possible, consider delegating some tasks to other team members. By doing so, you’ll avoid burnout and mistakes.
• Limit distractions – Consider installing a website-blocking app on your phone or tablet. You can also use a web browser extension to limit the time you spend on social media.
• Set small goals – We tend to procrastinate when feeling overwhelmed about a task. Instead, set small goals or projects and work up momentum.

Boost your productivity even more with Speechify

Multitasking is less than ideal for productivity in the long term. Still, working on more than one task at a time is often unavoidable. For example, you may need to read something for work and do chores.

Speechify, a reliable text to speech app, can read any digital text aloud. Listening to web pages read aloud helps many people focus and learn better. Speechify is available online, as a Chrome extension, and as a mobile app for Android and iOS devices. You can try Speechify today for free and become even more productive.

FAQ

What time of day are workers most productive?

Not everyone is productive at the same time of day. However, according to research, morning hours are the best for thinking, afternoon hours for physical labor, and evening hours for creativity.

What are the benefits of being productive?

Mastering productivity brings many important benefits. Your energy levels increase, there’s less procrastination and distraction, and your focus may improve too. Overall, better productivity leads to a better work-life balance and can prevent burnout.

What are the disadvantages of working at night?

Research shows that working at night consistently leads to an imbalance in hormone production. If coupled with an unbalanced diet, it leads to different health risks.

What can you do to be more productive during the day?

There are many ways people can achieve better productivity. Taking short breaks, planning their work schedule, and spending less time multitasking are all excellent starting points.