Early bird or night owl – when is the best time to be productive?

Early bird or night owl – when is the best time to be productive?
Credit: Justin Veenema / Unsplash
4. August 2022

Some people start their note books at 7 a.m., while others are still sleeping and dreaming of vacation. Some open the office door at 8 o’clock in the morning, others lock it again at 8 o’clock in the evening. Some look forward to an early start of after work activities, others rather to sleeping in the next day.

Early bird or night owl, all birds are welcome at ZUCKER. In an internal survey, we found out that the slight majority of our colleagues identify themselves as early birds – but only with a difference of two votes, so it’s actually pretty even. The advantage is that there is always someone available all day long 😉.

What kind of bird are you?

Why the question about your inner bird is so interesting and important to us has to do with efficiency. Keyword time management: If you know your personal best time for productive, concentrated work, you can consciously use this knowledge for yourself and shift important tasks to that time period. Makes sense, right? Of course, in our daily lives we have to primarily follow the deadlines and priorities of our customers, but it’s still good to keep in mind your own biorhythm, your own way of working.

If you still can’t identify your inner bird, the following questions might help:

  • Sleep in or get up early?
  • Sports in the morning or in the evening?
  • After work: going out or chilling on the couch?
  • Coffee: to wake up in the morning or to stay awake in the afternoon?
  • Motivation: decreases or increases over lunch?

Team Early Bird or Team Night Owl – assuming you now know about your inner bird, how does this help you specifically? It’s definitely worth looking at what time – and we’re not talking minutes here, but rather tendencies à la morning, noon, evening – you get the most done and can concentrate best. Observe yourself at work: When are you most creative to formulate catchy headlines for press releases? When are you most motivated to make important phone calls? When are you most productive working through your email inbox? Then consider everyday which tasks have which priority and how much concentration they require. Plan your tasks according to your work rhythm to be as efficient as possible and to start the end of the day with a clear mind.

Focus on being productive instead of busy

It is important that deadlines and timings are discussed within the team.  Maybe the colleague belongs to the other kind of birds?  Communication is key! If you notice that your rhythm is somehow not compatible with the demands of your workday, you can work on this. Your inner clock certainly has something to do with disposition, i.e. your genes, but in the end a rhythm always depends on routine. If you actively change your rhythm, you will notice after a few weeks that the new routine becomes easier and easier and feels more and more normal. It is said that new routines become a habit within about a month.

With this in mind: Have a great day full of productivity and good vibes ✌️

A post by Laura Dörling