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Just when you thought you had your daily routine sorted comes this: there are apparently two distinct hours in your day where you’re more likely to get sh*t done. In this time fram, your world-beating capabilities really come out to play.
Dan Ariely, Duke Professor of Behavioural Economics and co-founder and chief behavioural officer at Timeful, recently held an ‘Ask Me Anything’ forum on website Reddit. He claimed that people are at their most productive in the first two hours after waking, meaning that this is often the best time for us to be getting important tasks done.
Instead of wheeling and dealing, for most of us, this crucial productivity time is usually spent completing menial tasks (does cleaning your teeth count?) or catching public transport to work.
Related: How to make your morning commute less painful – really
"One of the saddest mistakes in time management is the propensity of people to spend the two most productive hours of their day on things that don't require high cognitive capacity (like social media). If we could salvage those precious hours, most of us would be much more successful in accomplishing what we truly want," Dr Ariely says. (Post continues after gallery.)
Related: 15 sneaky ways to help you drag yourself out of bed in the morning.
After reading this I was forced to look at my own morning routine and yep, I'm guilty. Guilty as sin. When I start the day, I like to ease myself into it like so many other people by looking at my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. Once I've reconciled myself in those areas I feel I'm able to progress properly with the day ahead. To me, it's almost a mental warm up. But it seems I've been doing it wrong.
So if you want to make the most of your day, consider jumping straight out of bed and into those tasks that really need doing. Save your Facebook browsing for the mid afternoon slump.
Related: You’ll never guess what Blake Lively supposedly rubs on her nipples.
If you've woken up a little groggy and want to spend your productive hours looking the part, try some of these overnight miracle workers.
The Glow team's favourite overnight beauty products
