Is there a day of the week we should focus on for getting more done?
For anyone that has worked in an office then you will know that Friday’s are definitely not the day to be productive. Neither are Mondays. People’s minds are all over the shop and so they get massively distracted, wandering with and without intention. As Bryson and Forth (2007) note in their study there are clear productivity differences across days of the week that we need to pay attention to.
Friday is fatigue day because it is the end of the week although people are energised at the prospect of the weekend. Monday’s are typically a blue day because the whole working week stands before you and so some people get depressed seeing what’s ahead. They rise and whine rather than rise and shine.
But ‘hump day’ is a different kettle of fish.
Mid-week performance is better and according to some research by Wammes et al (2016), students are their most focused on Wednesdays. They suggest that presenting a greater volume of material or presenting the harder stuff on a Wednesday works better as students are less distracted.
So if you have anything meaty to get through such as tackling some complex issues or difficult concepts then make Wednesday’s your work hard day and fill it. This is when we are concentrating more.
Wammes et al (2016) aren’t alone in their findings. Smartsheet have also found that Wednesday is the most productive day and it is also the best day for collaboration too.