If you can’t remember when you last found extra time to treat yourself to a long bubble bath, delicious lunch with a best friend, a movie or another favorite activity, listen up: Researchers have found that most of us have an internal rhythm that helps us get different tasks done faster during certain times of the day. To speed through your daily routine so you’ll have time for things you really enjoy, start by…
* Brainstorming in the morning. Need a brilliant way to impress your boss or raise money for the P.T.A.? Think of a plan between 9 am and noon—that’s when most of us come up with our best, most creative ideas, reveals a recent British survey of 1,000 workers.
* Multitasking in the afternoon. Have to return calls, answer emails, wash the dog and make dinner? You’ll tackle them all with ease right after lunch! Researchers from the University of Tuebingen in Germany discovered that’s when we do our fastest decision-making and have the greatest dexterity and reaction time.
* Piling on more this week. Research shows that during the second week of your menstrual cycle, estrogen and testosterone peak, giving you a natural surge of energy and endurance. Result: You can do even more than usual—and not poop out!
[photo: Robyn Gallagher]
