Few people look forward to Monday morning, but it turns out it’s also a great time to get your work done.
A recent poll found Monday at 10:54 a.m. is the day and time of the week that Americans say they’re the most productive. Some 2,000 U.S. adults responded to the online survey commissioned by Moneypenny, an answering service company, and conducted last month.
The poll asked: Based on the days you work, per week, what day are you most productive? And based on your answer to the previous question, what time of day are you most productive?
That exact time will vary for people, of course, but there are plenty of reasons to back up the importance of Monday morning.
“Because you’ve stepped away for a couple days, these back-to-work mornings are the most memorable for the rest of the week,” workplace and productivity expert Lynn Taylor told CNBC.
It’s why she advises managers to not schedule meetings on Monday mornings: Employees are the most productive then, so why distract them and disrupt their concentration?
Time management expert Laura Vanderkam also recommends people to accomplish as many of their important tasks as they can on Monday and Tuesday to increase the chances of getting that work done.
Fully disengaging on the weekends means coming back strong on Monday, entrepreneur Jeff Shore argued.
"When I take an entire weekend off, I am a beast on Monday morning," he wrote. "I do my most creative work on Mondays when my brain enjoyed a full weekend off from work. Get ready for a huge productivity boost."
As for attention-grabbing headlines arguing that 4 a.m. is the most productive hour of the day — because there are so few distractions before sunrise — many people will find waking up so early to be a miserable way of life. It may only work if you’re naturally an early riser, experts say.
In the new poll, 50% of respondents said they try to get a good night’s sleep to be more productive at work. More than a third, 35%, take regular breaks and 30% eat nutritious foods.
Coffee was another favorite method to boost productivity: Almost 40% of respondents said they drink two cups of the caffeine-rich brew a day, with 11% reporting they down five or more cups of coffee every day to help them stay focused.
Then, there are ways a company can help: Working from home and four-day work weeks have all been found to boost productivity.
“You really come back to your work on Monday morning feeling refreshed and like you have new ideas,” one worker whose company lets employees enjoy three-day weekends all year-long told TODAY.
