Research shows that your focus, drive and energy peak at the same time every day. Use these five strategies to tap into your most productive hour and get stuff done.
Research shows that your focus, drive and energy peak at the same time every day. Use these five strategies to tap into your most productive hour and get stuff done.
Most people’s mental energy is a roller coaster, says Chris Bailey, the author of The Productivity Project. “There are certain hours when you naturally have much more drive than at other times,” he says. Which means it’s completely normal if one minute you’re cranking out work like nobody’s business, and the next you hit a wall and even answering e-mail is a struggle.
The tricky thing is that the time of day when mental energy peaks is different for everyone. The unique rhythms of your body clock play a large role, coupled with factors like what you eat and how much you sleep. Fortunately, your highs tend to occur at about the same times every day, Chris says, so you can learn to plan your schedule around them and maximise your productivity. Here’s how to take advantage of your personal power hour.
Pinpoint your peak
Pay close attention to the times you feel inspired to dive into small and easily completed tasks, like going through your inbox or organising your desk, suggests David Gard, the director of the Motivation and Emotion Research Laboratory at San Francisco State University.
Taking on simple to-dos indicates you’re craving a sense of accomplishment, which is a sign that your motivation is starting to peak, he explains. Track your pro ductivity for a few days in a row and you should notice a pattern.
Next, choose just one challenge to conquer
Your instinct may be to get as many things done as possible when your motivation is high. But it’s actually more efficient to work on one task that requires sustained energy and focus, like creating a presentation for an upcoming meeting or batch-cooking a week’s worth of lunches, Chris says.
More ambitious tasks may be daunting at first, but they’re ultimately more motivating. “Pushing yourself to complete something difficult is really rewarding,” David explains. As a result, you’ll be less likely to get distracted or run out of steam along the way.
Plus, over time, as you accomplish your goals one by one, your brain will start to associate your power hour with achievement, which will make you even more productive.
Prime your brain to concentrate
A ritual – like writing a to-do list or taking a walk – right before your power hour can help strengthen your brain’s natural increase in focus. “It’s classical conditioning. After practising the same behaviour for several weeks, that activity can cue your mind to get ready for a productive work period,” David says.
For example, Shape reader Cheryl Laughlin works during the day as a jewellery entrepreneur, but her night (and dream) job is to be a screenwriter. “To mentally shift gears between the two, I have a funny desk jockey routine,” she explains. “For 15 minutes, I line up staplers, pens and Post-its. Doing that lets me zone out, so I can zone back in on writing my screenplays.”
Exercise is an especially powerful cue. “My studies have shown that your ability to focus your attention is improved for up to two hours after a single 50-minute workout session,” says Wendy Suzuki, a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University and the author of Healthy Brain, Happy Life.
If your power hour doesn’t fall at a time when you can easily get to the gym, try doing a few yoga poses or squats before you start your work.
Set yourself up for success
“Before you begin a project, break it down into exaggeratedly small steps,” David advises. If you’re working on a presentation, for instance, step one might be to open the Powerpoint and get your document cued up and ready to go.
If you’re batch-cooking, assemble all your ingredients and utensils, and preheat the oven. When your motivation is cranking, you don’t want to waste precious time and energy on mindless tasks, Chris explains. Getting all the necessary prep work out of the way before hand lets you dive right into the tough stuff.
Before your power hour kicks off, David also recommends eliminating potential distractions. That’s what Kate Sandoval Box, the beauty director of Shape US, does. “My peak time starts at 5pm. The pressure is on to get my work done so I can get out by 6pm to head home to my one-year-old. I close out of my Internet browser and e-mail account, stash my phone at the bottom of my bag, and take my laptop and hide out in a secluded corner of the office so that I can really focus,” she says.
Finish strong
To kick your motivation into high gear to complete your project, take a mini-break halfway through. “Science shows that the brain can concentrate for only so long,” Chris says. “After 20 to 25 minutes, your productivity is shot.
But you can cultivate and prolong your energy by taking frequent breaks. And, no, checking your inbox doesn’t count, David adds. “It’s better to get out of your environment,” he says. “If you’re at your desk, get up and visit a coworker for five minutes. Afterwards, you’ll be primed to finish what you started.”
"Your ability to focus your attention is improved for up to two hours after a single 50-minute workout session, research shows."
"To kick your motivation into high gear to complete your project, take a mini-break halfway through."
Nail It
The Shape team shares how they make the most of their power hour. Here are their tips and tricks.
“I’m at my most productive first thing in the morning. What helps me optimise this time is starting the work day on a calm, quiet note, so I usually arrive at the office about half an hour earlier than most of my colleagues. It’s totally worth the effort, as I get more done throughout the day, even if it means sacrificing some beauty sleep.” ZARELDA MARIE GOH, EDITOR
“I get work done by following a fixed set of routines – in the morning, I’ll grab a cup of iced coffee, set my music playlist for the day, surf the web for a couple of minutes to get inspiration and ideas, and let the creative juices kick in. Once that hits, I waste no time and proceed with work.” RAY TICSAY, ART DIRECTOR
“A wave of energy and productivity always seems to hit me in the morning. In order to prioritise tasks more efficiently, I prefer to have my plans for the day visualised. Therefore, my calendar constantly looks like an advanced Tetris game. I’m also inclined to have a to-do list for everything and my favourite app for that is Clear, a colourful and clutter-free interface that makes it easier than ever to stay organised so that I never miss my productivity peaks.” LANA NGUYEN, DESIGNER
“My drive kicks in once I’ve caught up on the news and sorted out my e-mails in the morning. I like making a list of everything I need to tackle for the day, regardless of how big or small it is. Need to submit a feature story I’m working on? It goes into the list. Need to organise my beauty closet? It goes into the list too. Seeing the day’s tasks at a glance lets me manage my time more effectively.” DAWN CHEN, WRITER
“I tend to feel most charged in the mid-afternoon, when most people are battling post-lunch food comas. After 3pm, I would feel a strong sense of urgency, knowing that I only have a few more hours to churn out stories. That’s when I dive into tasks that require the most concentration. No checking of phone or e-mail. If I need to get creative juices flowing, I would take a toilet break or browse my Instagram feed. A short distraction always helps.” ESTELLE LOW, WRITER
