We interviewed a number of people and asked:
What time of day do you feel you are most productive and why? (198) Here are their answers. What about you? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
I feel most productive in late morning and early afternoon. My energy peaks at this time of day, and I have found I am able to focus more on important tasks. I am not a morning person, so usually I end up going around in circles or repeating something- basically, wasting my time. Late afternoon, beginning around 3, I begin to get sluggish and often need a nap! It is important to know when your energy level is at its highest and when you are least distractable. That is when you should schedule your top priorities for the day. That way, the task is more likely to be finished.
Rebecca from Life Lists
Morning. I’m well rested, my head is clear and I’m full of coffee!
Mid-morning to early afternoon. I’ve tried being productive early in the morning, and sometimes I’m able to, but most of the time I can’t wake up my mind enough to tackle complex projects early in the morning. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. are usually when I do the most of my paper writing and other thought-intensive work.
I usually schedule all my reading and research for the evening hours. It helps that I have figured out what times of day I work best in, so I don’t even waste my time trying to write after 3.
Too early and I can’t wake up my mind enough to focus, and any later than 3 and my mind is too tired to focus. My sweet spot is late morning-early afternoon.
I think different people have different habits. I have worked nights for years but I still feel that an early morning riser is more productive then a night crawler. Thats because the sleep which you get at night is most useful for the body and it provides you with a new energy to work every morning.
I’m most productive in the morning between a run and the first time I check email (which is usually after 11:30). I usually don’t take or schedule calls until after lunch either, so I can instead focus on thought-intensive or otherwise important tasks all morning.
Jared Goralnick from Technotheory (rss)
I’m most productive in the morning, because I’m refreshed! When I have a client appointment to go to in the afternoon, I’m even more productive because of the adrenaline I get from knowing I have to be somewhere later.
Ariane Benefit from Neat & Simple Living
If I am passionate about what I am doing or what I’m trying to accomplish, any time of day is good. The key is being well rested. When well rested, it is easier, even natural, to get passionate about stuff. If I am tired, even the most compelling things won’t capture my imagination.
Fred Gratzon from The Lazy Way to SUccess
Definitely early in the morning. During this time, I have the most energy and am looking forward to what all I will get done during that day, and it’s also the time with the fewest distractions.
Charlie Gilkey from Productive Flourishing (rss)
Mid-afternoon to early evening. I find that I’m only good for rote work first thing in the morning. Too bad my research doesn’t require a lot of rote work! But come 2 p.m. or so, I’m ready to so some serious thinking. I peter off again around 9 p.m., although I’ve been known to work later if coding.
I think I’m just groggy after sleeping. By the time the afternoon rolls around, I’m annoyed at myself for not working harder, and am just generally able to focus better.
GTD Wannabe from GTD Wannabe (rss)
Anywhere between 9pm and 2am. It’s shocking, really, especially considering I’m rudely awoken by an energetic two year old at disgusting hours of the morning, but that’s when I’m most productive, so that’s when I typically work!
Why? I have no idea. Maybe something to do with being a musician.
http://www.joelfalconer.com from Joel Falconer (rss)
I am most productive early in the morning. Its more peaceful and free from the usual interruptions of the working day. I work on my high priority tasks during this time as i feel more refreshed early in the morning. By getting a good start on more pressing tasks i also find i can get a head start on the next days work.
Grace Smith from Postscript5 | Freelance Web Design
I’m definitely a night owl. I typically get the most done in the evening. I think it’s when I’m most alert and focused. Plus, I don’t have to deal with the distractions of phone calls and people in the office. Evening hours are usually distraction-free and available for prime productivity.
Andrew Flusche from Legal Andrew (rss)
I’m usually the most productive later in the day and in to the night. There’s typically a greater sense of urgency later in the day that almost forces me to focus. I also find that I’m more creative and open to new ideas at night.
John from Fiscal Musings (rss)
I feel most productive in the early mornings because the rest of the world isn’t around to bother me. It’s the time that has the least amount of distractions.
I am in my most creative mindset between 12am and 3am. I am the most productive after I take a shower in the morning. I’m not sure why, heh. Probably because I use the shower to think, so once I’m out, I’m ready to execute.
Nathan Snell from The Technopian (rss)
Between 5am and 7am
Ever since I started to rise early I discovered that these are golden hours. It’s because:
- I’m the only one awake in the house
- I’m not bothered by any troubles of the day yet
- I’m on caffeine vs. on alcohol (morning vs. evening). But even without the caffeine this time rocks!
Between 3pm and 5pm
Not sure why, but these are golden hours for me as far as writing is concerned.
Lodewijk van den Broek from How to be an Original (rss)
I’m a morning person. 4am to 6am is my most productive time. After 5pm… forget it!
John Richardson from Success Begins Today (rss)
Early morning. This is when I am the most creative. My energy wanes in the afternoon and by 6 PM I can no longer thing.
It’s not surprising that most people work best early mornings. The key is to sleep early and get at least 6 hours of quality sleep.
Our peak or non-peak cycles also depend on what and when we eat. A greasy breakfast can cause mid-morning sluggishness. Similarly a heavy high-carb lunch will usually cause the energy to drop within 2-3 hours. Most of us spend most of our energies digesting difficult foods.
I have figured I can stay at my peak and maintain a high level of energy and enthusiasm by managing the meals properly. Fruit juices in the morning, banana as mid morning snack, vegetable salad for lunch, dried fruits for afternoon snack, lots of water and green tea in between. Try it and you will be at your peak all day, and night :)
I’m at my most creative usually between 10am and 2pm. It’s a small window to be sure, so I make as much use of that time as possible. The time beforehand and the time after is usually for mindless, automated tasks (READ: admin).
Crazy as it sounds, I get my best ideas in the shower (apologies for the mental image). I don’t know it it’s pyschosomatic, but for some reason fresh ideas and solutions to sticky problems just seem to pop into my mind without mercy. In some ways, it’s a blessing: I get this stream of consciousness stuff every morning before my day starts and every evening at the end of the work day. Now, all I need is waterproof dictaphone.
Great article. Looking forward to the next one!
Interesting article, thanks!
Since getting some coaching from a mentor I’ve realised that I need to make the most of my most productive time, which turns out to be between about 7 and 11am. After that I get less and less focused – at 2/3pm I am completely useless if left to myself, so I try to schedule meetings with others then, to perk me up. I hit another productivity peak at around 6pm. It’s quite frustrating that much of the traditional working day isn’t actually that great a time for me to get work done!
I don’t think there’s nearly enough awareness about peak productivity times; I get so much more done now than I used to, just knowing when is a good time to work. Employers might usefully be educated about this, too; I’m sure most would rather their workers were more productive than sticking to the traditional 9-5.