Comments on: When Are You Most Productive? http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/ Driving Innovation Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:34:09 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jake http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6943 Jake Tue, 05 May 2009 10:19:57 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6943 Interesting article. I'm very interested in sleep hacking b/c it's a way to squeeze more out of life (supposedly), which gets more important to me every year.<br><br>One thing I've tried but will never understand is physical exercise early in the morning. Just can't hack it, although I've not tried for years. Tried running, tried lifting, hated every second, which made it useless.<br><br>I might try it again, to see if my brain is any better at training in the morning. The bummer part would be losing those as work hours though. Interesting article. I'm very interested in sleep hacking b/c it's a way to squeeze more out of life (supposedly), which gets more important to me every year.

One thing I've tried but will never understand is physical exercise early in the morning. Just can't hack it, although I've not tried for years. Tried running, tried lifting, hated every second, which made it useless.

I might try it again, to see if my brain is any better at training in the morning. The bummer part would be losing those as work hours though.

]]> By: joel garry http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6942 joel garry Tue, 05 May 2009 05:44:09 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6942 25 years ago when I was fortunate to be able to pick my own hours (and later telecommute), I'd sleep 0100-0730, work 9-7 with a dead spot after lunch (mmmm, Thai food). I'd be hitting my 3rd stride at 1900, but they'd kick me out.<br><br>Y2k, a lot of the time a gummint job where I had to get up at 0300, I never, ever, ever could get used to it. But since I was there at 0600, I got a lot done, on usenet or /. if nothing else :-)<br><br>Nowadays, I'm getting up a little before 5 'cause of the commute/train schedule, though I just spent a week working from home and would get up then anyways, which kinda doesn't work for me as I naturally go to bed later. Insert expletive here, I'd rather go back to the way 25 years ago when I can, or if I hit the Lotto.<br><br>Today's paper, which I read on commute to work: <a href="http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/may/04/1m4jenkins215020-brisk-run-dawn-sheds-light-larks/?uniontrib" rel="nofollow">http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/may...</a> Also, when I was in college, we read a research classic called Some Must Watch While Some Must Sleep (as part of my major). 25 years ago when I was fortunate to be able to pick my own hours (and later telecommute), I'd sleep 0100-0730, work 9-7 with a dead spot after lunch (mmmm, Thai food). I'd be hitting my 3rd stride at 1900, but they'd kick me out.

Y2k, a lot of the time a gummint job where I had to get up at 0300, I never, ever, ever could get used to it. But since I was there at 0600, I got a lot done, on usenet or /. if nothing else :-)

Nowadays, I'm getting up a little before 5 'cause of the commute/train schedule, though I just spent a week working from home and would get up then anyways, which kinda doesn't work for me as I naturally go to bed later. Insert expletive here, I'd rather go back to the way 25 years ago when I can, or if I hit the Lotto.

Today's paper, which I read on commute to work: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/may... Also, when I was in college, we read a research classic called Some Must Watch While Some Must Sleep (as part of my major).

]]> By: Jake http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6923 Jake Sat, 02 May 2009 09:09:42 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6923 Weird, I guess I'm a morning person, although I hate to be awake early. Maybe that's what drives me to be productive, stubbornness. I run out of gas in the evening, which is oddly annoying because when I feel more productive, all I want to do is stop working. Weird, I guess I'm a morning person, although I hate to be awake early. Maybe that's what drives me to be productive, stubbornness. I run out of gas in the evening, which is oddly annoying because when I feel more productive, all I want to do is stop working.

]]> By: Jake http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6922 Jake Sat, 02 May 2009 09:05:23 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6922 Mmm, cucumber sandwich. Does tea really do it for you? I find tea makes me more relaxed and tired. Mmm, cucumber sandwich. Does tea really do it for you? I find tea makes me more relaxed and tired.

]]> By: jpiwowar http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6919 jpiwowar Sat, 02 May 2009 05:46:13 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6919 The running joke in my family is that I'm never fully awake before 10am or 2 hours after I get out of bed, whichever comes last. That said, I can be pretty productive on low-brainpower, mostly-mechanical tasks in the early morning (5-9), just because I can't muster the creativity to distract myself. ;-)<br><br>Best time for creative/thinking work is 8pm-1am, which is unfortunate given that I have a toddler who wakes up at 6:30. :-P The flood of ideas when trying to fall asleep happens a lot. When I worked in an office, I also got a surge of productivity at around 4pm, which was a mixed blessing because it often kept me going past the time I wanted to head home.<br><br>All the times between are pretty much a wash. If I can get in a zone, great, otherwise, meh. I'll second David's tea idea to combat postprandial sluggishness...feels lighter than coffee to me. The running joke in my family is that I'm never fully awake before 10am or 2 hours after I get out of bed, whichever comes last. That said, I can be pretty productive on low-brainpower, mostly-mechanical tasks in the early morning (5-9), just because I can't muster the creativity to distract myself. ;-)

Best time for creative/thinking work is 8pm-1am, which is unfortunate given that I have a toddler who wakes up at 6:30. :-P The flood of ideas when trying to fall asleep happens a lot. When I worked in an office, I also got a surge of productivity at around 4pm, which was a mixed blessing because it often kept me going past the time I wanted to head home.

All the times between are pretty much a wash. If I can get in a zone, great, otherwise, meh. I'll second David's tea idea to combat postprandial sluggishness…feels lighter than coffee to me.

]]> By: davidhaimes http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6917 davidhaimes Sat, 02 May 2009 02:54:55 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6917 Afternoon tea is the way to go, makes me feel terribly British. <br>Now where did I put that Cucumber sandwich? Afternoon tea is the way to go, makes me feel terribly British.
Now where did I put that Cucumber sandwich?

]]> By: Jake http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6916 Jake Sat, 02 May 2009 02:46:26 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6916 Lunch is tough to handle. Don't eat enough, and your stomach growls. Eat too much, and you fall into food coma. Tricky balance. Coffee in the afternoons generally provides me with no benefit at all, which makes it even tougher. Lunch is tough to handle. Don't eat enough, and your stomach growls. Eat too much, and you fall into food coma. Tricky balance. Coffee in the afternoons generally provides me with no benefit at all, which makes it even tougher.

]]> By: davidhaimes http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6909 davidhaimes Fri, 01 May 2009 21:31:16 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6909 I have similar sluggishness in the afternoons - especially if I eat too much at lunch.<br><br>I have a peak around 5 or 6 in the afternoon, as the meetings finish and the office goes quiet I can sometimes crank through a huge amount of work in a couple of hours. I have similar sluggishness in the afternoons – especially if I eat too much at lunch.

I have a peak around 5 or 6 in the afternoon, as the meetings finish and the office goes quiet I can sometimes crank through a huge amount of work in a couple of hours.

]]> By: chet http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6906 chet Fri, 01 May 2009 20:57:21 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6906 I've never had normal hours, but I really hurt myself trying to start a business on the side of work. <br><br>Work:<br>0900 --> 1800<br><br>Kid:<br>1830 --> 2100<br><br>Work (side):<br>2100 --> 0300<br><br>Rinse, repeat.<br><br>I've not been able to go to bed before midnight (except when I crash at 2000). I've never had normal hours, but I really hurt myself trying to start a business on the side of work.

Work:
0900 –> 1800

Kid:
1830 –> 2100

Work (side):
2100 –> 0300

Rinse, repeat.

I've not been able to go to bed before midnight (except when I crash at 2000).

]]> By: Jake http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6905 Jake Fri, 01 May 2009 20:33:01 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6905 Weird, that's like completely opposite from me, although that might be due to your sleeping hours vs. mine. Weird, that's like completely opposite from me, although that might be due to your sleeping hours vs. mine.

]]> By: chet http://theappslab.com/2009/04/30/when-are-you-most-productive/comment-page-1/#comment-6903 chet Fri, 01 May 2009 19:48:14 +0000 http://theappslab.com/?p=2829#comment-6903 Creativity:<br><br>2030 --> 0300 typically.<br><br>1700 --> 1900 if beer is involved.<br><br>Mind Numbing (repetitive):<br>0900 --> 1200<br><br>Zone:<br>1300 --> 1900 (when no beer in sight) Creativity:

2030 –> 0300 typically.

1700 –> 1900 if beer is involved.

Mind Numbing (repetitive):
0900 –> 1200

Zone:
1300 –> 1900 (when no beer in sight)

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