Don’t drink coffee as soon as you wake up
You’re probably going about your workday all wrong – if you’re trying to reach peak productivity, that is. Quartz’s Rachel Feltman gives some suggestions about how to optimize your workday:
1. Don’t drink coffee when you first wake up in the morning.
“For the first couple of hours after waking up, your cortisol levels are going to start to peak anyway and that’s what really perks you up in the morning,” says Feltman. It’s a waste of the caffeine – better to wait until that initial morning buzz wears off, between 9:30 and 11 a.m.
2. Send emails that don’t need to be answered right away at 6 a.m.
“6 a.m. emails tend to have higher opening rates than other times of the day,” says Feltman. However, she says, it may be a good time for reading the email, but not necessarily replying. She suggests sending emails that require more thought at 6 a.m., giving the receiver time to respond later in the morning.
3. Brush your teeth at 2:30 p.m.
Feltman admits she hasn’t started doing this one yet, but the benefits are two-fold. You’re less likely to snack if you’ve just brushed your teeth, and it’s good to have breaks in the middle of the afternoon slog. “It’s a nice little interlude,” she says.
Read the complete guide to an optimized workday at Quartz.
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