English experts advise going to bed with the last rays of the sun and getting up before dawn.
Russian experts believe that a “lark” schedule will bring good luck to those living in the regions, rather than in the capital or St. Petersburg. “In cities with over a million residents, office workers typically start their workday at 10 a.m., not 8 a.m., so waking up early won't do you any good,” says business coach Denis Chistyakov, CEO of ProTraining.
Morning sex and sunbathing
The first thing you should do after opening your eyes in the morning is to start approaching your partner with clear intentions. According to British professor Pamella Spoor, morning sex has a better effect on the body than exercise. “It's common practice around the world to have sex in the evening, but the human biological clock is set to release the sexual energy pent up overnight in the morning,” Spoor comments.
The professor is confident that sexual pleasures in the morning will help you come to work fresh and energetic.
Sergey Dubov, a business coach at Nanoprom, agrees with the Englishwoman. “It's a really good way to quickly get yourself into a more active state. As experiments conducted in the US in the late 1990s showed, after sex, brain activity more than doubles, provided that sex takes place in the morning rather than in the evening,” the expert explains.
After sex, breakfast, and washing—the British recommend this sequence—it's best to sit by the window or go out onto the balcony to get some sun. Sunlight inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleepiness.
In our country, where in some regions there is even less sun than in England, a walk to the metro or bus stop is quite suitable instead of sunbathing by the window.
“It really does help combat drowsiness, so a walk in the fresh air in the morning sun will really wake you up and give you energy,” says neurologist Konstantin Lemeshenko.
All the difficult stuff before lunch
By being fully awake, you'll be able to tackle the most challenging tasks in the morning. This will give you a competitive advantage over your colleagues. “In my experience, there have been several cases where those who could focus and easily tackle complex tasks before 2 p.m. received promotions faster than those who only got going around lunch,” says Sergey Dubov.
The expert gives an example: a telecommunications company had a marketing department with 12 people, mostly women, most of whom were reluctant early birds. They required extensive preparation for normal work. “Mandatory tea breaks, smoke breaks. The department woke up at two or three o'clock. This made the new employee even more noticeable,” Dubov explains.
The woman began each day negotiating with clients and preparing new projects, while her colleagues were busy sorting through emails. “Doing routine work in the morning is a huge mistake,” the expert comments. “It makes you even more sleepy and eliminates any desire to work.”
The new employee took over the department after six months.
Leave the premises
Once you've finished your most important tasks, don't rush to the dinner table. It's better to leave the office for at least half an hour. Take a walk. It doesn't matter where: around the building, along the street—just stroll through the fresh air for five minutes to half an hour.
This walk will help you overcome fatigue and stop melatonin production again. “By lunchtime, productivity typically declines for 80% of people. To get yourself back on track, instead of rushing to the cafeteria or restaurant, take a walk. This will restore your energy and make you ready for productive work again,” comments Denis Chistyakov.
You should have lunch right after your walk and not too much, otherwise you will spend the rest of the day struggling with sleep and a heavy stomach.
You'll be busy with your mail until four.
After lunch, you definitely won't be ready to perform any work-related feats right away. So choose a more relaxing activity—like sorting through your emails.
According to British scientists, an overflowing email inbox causes more stress in employees than a reprimand from their boss. So, get it organized. Focus on mechanical work rather than mental work.
Between two and four in the afternoon, your brain won't work as fast as it does in the morning, so don't try to force it. It won't help. “It's a misconception that you can force yourself to work even when your brain isn't working,” says Lemeshenko. “You'll just waste a ton of time and energy, and the end result will still be poor.”
New shoes will save you
After four o'clock in the afternoon, purely physiological problems will begin to bother you.
Professor Spoor claims that by 4:30 PM, most people's legs and feet begin to swell. Shoes begin to press, and you feel discomfort that distracts you from your work and reduces the quality of your work.
To combat this problem, keep shoes a size larger than usual at work. Just change them and you'll immediately feel your life become easier, and nothing will distract you from your work ethic.
Wine and lights out at nine
When you get home, have a couple of glasses of wine. It will help you relax and relieve pent-up tension, and will gradually begin to lull you to sleep.
Never try to finish work at home. This will only clutter your mind and prevent you from relaxing. For you, work should begin and end at the office door.
Daily routine in numbers
- 6.00 Wake up and healthy sex with your beloved partner.
- 7.00 Shower, breakfast, brushing teeth.
- 7:40 Sunbathe on the balcony or simply by the window. If you have to leave for work, enjoy the sun on your way to the metro or bus.
- 8.30–14.00 Start your working day with the most difficult tasks.
- 2:00–2:30 PM : Take a walk around the yard, the street, or just around the office. This will help relieve the stress of the first half of the day.
- 14.30–15.00 Lunch, not too heavy or too filling, otherwise you’ll fall asleep.
- 15.30–16.30 Do routine work that does not require much mental effort.
- 4:30 PM Change into shoes a size larger than usual. By this time, your feet will begin to swell, and your usual shoes or boots will become uncomfortable, distracting you from your work.
- 6:30–7:00 PM : When you get home, have one or two glasses of wine. This will help you relax and prepare your body for sleep.
- 9:00 PM Don't wait for the evening news; it's better without it. Go to bed.
Evseeva Elena