Toni-Lynn
08-08-2008, 10:21 PM
From efficiency experts to scientists studying our circadian (body clock) rhythms, we're getting the message that there are better times of the day to do certain chores and errands. Keeping these times in mind as we schedule our day may save us from wasted time and poor performance.
Here's what experts say is the best time to:
Schedule an appointment with the doctor, dentist or hairdresser.
Try to be the first appointment of the day, when they are more likely to be running on time and less likely to feel stressed and rushed.
Water your garden.
In the morning, before the sun gets hot, is the best time for flowers and plants to get a little sprinkle. The water won't evaporate as quickly, so you'll be using water more efficiently as well.
Go to the post office.
Avoid the rush at lunch and the end of the day. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are probably the least busy. If you just need stamps, get them at the drug store or grocery store and save yourself a trip altogether.
Go to the bank.
Many people try to avoid the bank on Fridays because of the extra traffic caused by people depositing paychecks and getting money for the weekend. It turns out that this is good advice to follow for another reason: The most common times for bank robberies are Friday mornings between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. On other days, avoid the lunch hour and end-of-day rush.
Schedule an important meeting or presentation.
According to author and life coach Lisa Rickwood, 10:30 a.m. offers most people the highest level of alertness, so it's a good time for important, detailed work. Avoid scheduling important meetings immediately after lunch, when our bodies are inclined to need a short nap.
Go to the grocery store.
After lunch, when you're not hungry, is ideal. If you've eaten, you're less likely to fill up the cart with junk food along side essentials like SCOTTŪ Tissue and paper towels. In the morning, you may run into vendors still stocking shelves. At lunchtime and dinnertime, grocery stores are full of hungry and not-so-patient customers. After 8 p.m. is also a good time, but shelves of sale items might be slightly bare.
Work out.
Life coach Rickwood recommends exercising just before dinnertime, when our bodies are experiencing their "greatest cardiovascular efficiency and muscle strength." For sports that require quick reaction times, 3:30 is supposedly the sharpest time of day. Both of those times help you avoid exposing yourself to environmental allergens, which are at their worst from 6 a.m. to noon.
Go shoe shopping.
Always go at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest. Feet swell and stretch when you've been on them all day. This is especially important for kids, who seem to grow out of their shoes shortly after you leave the store.
An equally important consideration in your day is your fuel efficiency. Whenever possible, try to schedule appointments and errands together to minimize the amount of driving you do.
Here's what experts say is the best time to:
Schedule an appointment with the doctor, dentist or hairdresser.
Try to be the first appointment of the day, when they are more likely to be running on time and less likely to feel stressed and rushed.
Water your garden.
In the morning, before the sun gets hot, is the best time for flowers and plants to get a little sprinkle. The water won't evaporate as quickly, so you'll be using water more efficiently as well.
Go to the post office.
Avoid the rush at lunch and the end of the day. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are probably the least busy. If you just need stamps, get them at the drug store or grocery store and save yourself a trip altogether.
Go to the bank.
Many people try to avoid the bank on Fridays because of the extra traffic caused by people depositing paychecks and getting money for the weekend. It turns out that this is good advice to follow for another reason: The most common times for bank robberies are Friday mornings between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. On other days, avoid the lunch hour and end-of-day rush.
Schedule an important meeting or presentation.
According to author and life coach Lisa Rickwood, 10:30 a.m. offers most people the highest level of alertness, so it's a good time for important, detailed work. Avoid scheduling important meetings immediately after lunch, when our bodies are inclined to need a short nap.
Go to the grocery store.
After lunch, when you're not hungry, is ideal. If you've eaten, you're less likely to fill up the cart with junk food along side essentials like SCOTTŪ Tissue and paper towels. In the morning, you may run into vendors still stocking shelves. At lunchtime and dinnertime, grocery stores are full of hungry and not-so-patient customers. After 8 p.m. is also a good time, but shelves of sale items might be slightly bare.
Work out.
Life coach Rickwood recommends exercising just before dinnertime, when our bodies are experiencing their "greatest cardiovascular efficiency and muscle strength." For sports that require quick reaction times, 3:30 is supposedly the sharpest time of day. Both of those times help you avoid exposing yourself to environmental allergens, which are at their worst from 6 a.m. to noon.
Go shoe shopping.
Always go at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest. Feet swell and stretch when you've been on them all day. This is especially important for kids, who seem to grow out of their shoes shortly after you leave the store.
An equally important consideration in your day is your fuel efficiency. Whenever possible, try to schedule appointments and errands together to minimize the amount of driving you do.