The most stressful time of each week and the year’s most unproductive day

Sometimes I wonder if the world has become too overburdened with facts and figures, research and data for its own good. If that is the case than most people will be overwhelmed by the reality on a Tuesday morning at 11:45 AM or they may be sow swamped with the details that on October 26, they will simply be unproductive unlike any other day of the year.

What am I talking about? According to a recent study, researchers found that nearly half of workers identified mid-morning on their second working day of the week as the moment when they were most under pressure.

Most workers coast through Monday getting their brain in gear and catching up with gossip from the weekend through social networking sites. But on Tuesday reality sets in and staff spend the first part of the day going through emails they ignored on Monday before planning the week ahead.

And 11.45am is the point when everything comes to a head.

The same study also proclaimed that today, October 26, will be the most unproductive day of the year as workers' morale is hit by the darker evenings brought on by the clock change.

Researchers found productivity will drop by 50 per cent this week as depressed staff around the country struggle to come to terms with the dark nights closing in. A staggering 52 per cent of workers admitted they will struggle to get to grips with their work-load today. And 14 per cent said last year's slump was so bad that they were spoken to by their boss about it.

Worryingly for employers, eight per cent even admitted to phoning in sick because they were so depressed at the thought of going to work amid the shorter, darker days.

The study found that the shorter days can affect work performance by making workers unable to concentrate and carry out their normal routines and relationships by affecting their libido and social life by making you feel irritable and anti-social.

Feeling low as the nights draw in and the days get shorter is something many people experience, but some will struggle with lack of motivation, tiredness and depression. If you find the winter months tough, particularly during December and January you may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, which causes a low mood caused by the lack of light during winter.

So how productive or unproductive were you today? Comment below.