On the clock

There’s a limited number of hours in every day and despite how much we desperately want it to happen, we can’t add more. What we can do, however, is ensure that we use the hours we do have as productively as possible. You may have heard the old saying, ‘there’s a right time to do everything,’ and this is definitely true. Believe it or not, every single hour of your day offers the right time to do something. Don’t believe us? Why not try out some of the below and see how you get on?

7.00am – Have sex – Yes, we should all be starting our day by getting up, close and personal with our partner. Why should we do this first thing in the morning as opposed to late at night? Well, according to health experts testosterone and energy levels are at their highest as soon as we wake up, making it the ideal time to have a cuddle. Another reason why you should get down and dirty at the crack of dawn? Researchers at Rutger’s University in the States found that when you have sex first thing in the morning, the time spent on foreplay actually doubles.

7.30am – Take a multivitamin – Not only will taking your daily multivitamin with breakfast help you to remember it, taking it with food will also stop you from feeling queasy. It’s worth noting that many multivitamins contain nutrients like Vitamin B, which have been known to keep you awake if taken at night.

8.00am – Visit the doctor/make an appointment – Depending on when your doctor opens for business, this is a great time to either go for a visit or book an appointment for a check-up. You’ll be the first appointment of the day, so not only will your doctor be ‘fresh’, you’re also less likely to get caught in those waiting room queues.

9.00am – Tackle your hardest task – Your levels of the stress hormone cortisol peak at 9.00am meaning that your problem-solving abilities will be at a high. Use this time to tackle that difficult situation, time-consuming task or problem.

9.30am – Drink coffee – Instead of reaching for a cuppa as soon as you wake up, delay your coffee until 9.30am. Why? Well your cortisol levels will still be quite high, meaning that your natural level of alertness should be good. Various studies have shown that coffee is much more effective if you drink it between the hours of 9.30am and 11.30am.

11.00am – Go to the chemist – During mid-morning, the chemist is less likely to be busy which means that you’ll get served quicker and there’s less chance of any mistakes being made.

12.30pm – Have lunch – During this time of the day, your body’s digestive system is working at full power. This means that you’ll easily be able to digest food. Try eating a lunch that’s high in protein as this will help to keep you feeling full until it’s time for your evening meal.

1.00pm – Take a nap – During the afternoon, your body experiences a dip in temperature which can cause that lunchtime slump. This dip in temperature is very similar to the dip which occurs just before we shut down at bedtime, and the lunchtime dip is why many countries avail of a siesta. If you can, try and take a quick nap. According to experts, the best nap should last between 15-20 minutes. But beware, if you nap for 30 minutes or longer you’re likely to wake up feeling groggy rather than refreshed.

1.30pm – Do your grocery shopping – Researchers at Cornell University in the States found that people who did their grocery shopping between the hours of 1.30pm and 4pm tend to buy healthier foods.

3.00pm – Have a cuppa – Relax for a few minutes with a cup of tea. This should be your last cuppa for the day and it will give you enough pep to finish your day, but also won’t keep you awake when it’s time to go to bed.

6.00pm – Do a workout – A cardio workshop to be exact. During this time of the day, your lungs will be using oxygen more efficiently and your muscles will be warmed up because you’ve been moving all day. This means that you’re less likely to sustain any injuries and working out now will help you to relax after work.

8.00pm – Start studying – If you’re trying to retain information for a longer period of time, it’s best to start studying as close to bedtime as possible. Experts have found that the brain doesn’t store information with the same level of efficiency throughout the day – it tends to peak and drop. Studying before bed encourages your brain to chew on the information while you sleep, this is why late-night cramming is so effective.

10.00pm – Get some sleep – If you wake at 7am, hitting the hay at 10pm will give you the optimum amount of sleep. If you wake earlier or later, try checking out a website like www.sleepyti.me which will help you to calculate the best time to go to sleep to ensure a refreshing rising in the morning.