The best time of day to do everything at work, according to science

Source: British Journal of Psychology

Researchers who studied more than 26,500 earnings calls in the US from 2001 to 2007 found that generally speaking, the tone of an earnings call got more negative as the workday wore on.

Just moving an 8 a.m. earnings call to a 3 p.m. slot could translate "to abnormal returns of −1.5% a year," on average, a Harvard Business Review report said.

For most of us, "sharp-minded analytic capacities peak in the late morning or around noon," Pink wrote in his book.

Scientists who've studied this effect have shown that speed and accuracy at completing tasks are both better in the morning, and that the ability to remain alert tracks closely with sleep and wake schedules, which tend to peak twice a day: once in the late morning, and then again in the evening.

Hospital workers don't wash their hands the same way all day long.

In his book, Pink referenced a study of 4,157 caregivers in 35 U.S. hospitals, some of whom washed their hands 38% less often at the end of a shift.

"That is, for every ten times they washed their hands in the morning, they did so only six times in the afternoon," Pink wrote.

Caregivers are not just washing their hands less as the day wears on. Studies suggest doctors are also better at diagnosing colon problems in the morning and have more successful surgeries at that time, too. (Fortunately, research also suggests nurses who take 10 minute breaks and surgery teams who pause before high-stakes medical maneuvers can help mediate the effects of an afternoon care slump.)

Pink suggests you might even want to schedule therapy and psychiatry appointments at this time, since you're more likely to absorb suggestions.

Scientists have found that cortisol (stress hormone) levels tend to spike around 50% within half an hour of waking up, putting the body on alert.

One early study of sleep and wake patterns from 1975 found that people's capacity for logical reasoning generally rises from around 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., then falls off.

More recent research suggests that any biological schedule can get wonky in the face of sleep deprivation.

The morning boost doesn't hold true for everyone, though: scientists have found there are both morning and evening brains.

“Alertness and energy levels, which climb in the morning and reach their apex around noon, tend to plummet during the afternoons,” Pink wrote, citing French psychologist Simon Folkard.

Fill the time with easier tasks.

Pink cites Neuroscientist Russell Foster on this, who says the biological clocks that dictate our daily schedules are innate and hard-wired.

It's especially important for people in jobs with high emotional or cognitive loads, according to Pink.

The same body clock forces that guard against distractions and keep us sharp in the morning hours tend to also ward off fresh ideas and innovations.

“At those looser moments, a few distractions can help us spot connections we might have missed when our filters were tighter,” Pink wrote in the book.

If possible, take a pause with colleagues whose company you enjoy.

“Research in South Korean workplaces shows that social breaks — talking with coworkers about something other than work — are more effective at reducing stress and improving mood” than checking email or getting a snack alone, Pink wrote.

A breath of fresh air can not only improve your mood, it also helps boost memory and improve focus.

Pink calls this a "nappuccino," and says as long as you keep it to 20 minutes or less, you won't wake up groggy.

In the afternoon, your lung function peaks, and you'll be more likely to log your best race times and speediest athletic performances.

But if working out isn’t your job, it might be best to get that exercise routine out of the way in the morning instead, when there are fewer distractions to kick your schedule off-course. Studies show you’re more likely to build more muscle with a daybreak workout than an evening routine.

Plus, if you don’t eat beforehand you can burn off more fat than you would working out after a meal.

Psychologists say we cement memories following a "peak-end rule," meaning that we tend to remember the most wonderful or intense moment of an experience, and the final one, too.

Pink suggests closing your day on a good note by taking a few moments to write down what you’ve accomplished and looking ahead to make a plan for tomorrow.

He has been doing this himself for about four years now, and has started to notice a trend.

“On good days, the exercise delivers feelings of completion; on bad days, it often shows me I got more done than I suspected.”

Night owls might not get their “morning” juices going until later on in the afternoon, while very early risers are ready to crash early in the evening.

Still, studies suggest that regardless of when you are most alert, we all experience a similar flow of an early high, a mid-day low, and then a final peak.

That's according to a roundup of scientific research published in Chronobiology International.

Men are more likely to be creatures of the night than women, while older folks and young kids tend to be morning people.

Your body will thank you, and your work will likely improve, too.