How to figure out when you’re most productive during the workday

Determining the most productive time of day

There are hundreds of tips for maximizing productivity, and while it’s true that going for walks and eating breakfast and minimizing distractions to avoid procrastination are all wonderful, they may be less effective if you’re doing them at the wrong times. Some studies have indicated that productivity is less about what you’re doing as it is about when you’re doing it.

Multiple studies have been conducted to find out when our brains are working most efficiently at processing and interpreting data and paying attention. One such study followed analyzed exam scores by students who took identical tests at three different times during the day: 9am, 1:30pm, and 4:30pm. The students who received the best scores on the exam took their test right around lunchtime: 1:30pm. These results correlate with other studies and indicate that the brain’s peak performance happens around the early afternoon.

When are you most productive?

While scientific studies seem to point to the early afternoon as the best time to be productive, that may not work for you. Hours of productivity are not a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. Instead, they’re entirely dependent on you and your internal clock.

A circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock. It roughly follows a 24-hour schedule and determines when you feel awake, hungry, and sleepy. It also regulates the production of certain hormones and affects your mental performance throughout the day and tends to follow a similar pattern form day to day:

• You wake up and shake off the grogginess (also known as sleep inertia).
• Your energy levels raise, and you experience the first peak of energy in your day.
• The mid-day lull hits – an excellent time for a nap.
• Your energy levels rise again for another peak.
• The brain and the body wind down until it’s time for you to go to sleep.

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Almost everyone experiences some version of this cycle, but what differs is when everyone wakes up and goes to bed. If you work nights, your circadian rhythm will likely be look totally different than someone who starts work at 3am or someone who works a 9 to 5. Understanding your own circadian times can help you:

• Regulate your emotions.
• Pay attention to certain tasks.
• Perform faster and more accurately.
• Retain new information.

Of course, there’s a caveat to working during these peak times. You may be most productive during your circadian peaks, but the lulls might lend themselves to greater creative thinking.

Making the most of your productive times

If your workdays feel like an unproductive blur, it’s smart to keep a journal of when you’re feeling your best throughout the day. It might seem a little silly at first, especially if you’re logging when you’re hungry or sleepy, but this information can help you pinpoint your personal highs and lows in terms of energy. If you’re breezing through work or feeling particularly peppy at any point, make a note of that too. Take notes of your progress in Microsoft OneNote.

Other ways to capitalize on your bursts of energy and productivity include:

• Building out a daily schedule that maximizes the hours where en you’re at your best and allows you to rest during the lulls.
• Understand that working more might not help improve your productivity but that making appropriate use of your time will.
• Take note of when you feel thrown off course – for example, if you don’t get a full night’s sleep, be aware of how you’re affected the next day.
• Set priorities for each day so you can plan your work around what needs to be done, rather than jumping from project to project.

OneNote can help your organize and prioritize your tasks so you can identify your most productive hours and use them to your best ability.