We recently asked our community a simple question: When do you hit your productivity peak?
The results? Fascinating. And also a bit predictable if you’ve ever tried to force yourself into deep focus at 3pm when all your brain wants is a biscuit and a scroll through Instagram.
Here’s what 72 workers told us:
So yes, half of us are firing on all cylinders between 9 and 12. But here’s the thing that matters: 31% of workers are most productive outside that “standard” morning window. And another 19% are already done with their best work before most offices even open.
That’s nearly half of all workers who don’t fit the traditional 9-5 productivity pattern.
Traditional office hours were designed around manufacturing and factory work – not knowledge work, creative thinking, or strategic planning. Yet we’ve spent decades trying to squeeze everyone into the same rigid schedule, regardless of when their brain actually works best.
The science backs this up. Our productivity patterns are influenced by chronotypes – essentially, whether you’re biologically wired as a morning person, evening person, or somewhere in between. Research shows that working against your natural chronotype doesn’t just feel harder; it genuinely reduces your cognitive performance, creativity, and decision-making ability.
When you force an evening-type person to do complex problem-solving at 9am, you’re asking them to perform with one hand tied behind their back. Same goes for making a morning person attend “collaborative” meetings at 4pm when their mental energy has already clocked off for the day.
If you’re managing a team – whether it’s 5 people or 40 – the poll results suggest something critical: your team doesn’t have one productivity peak. They have several.
While half your team is crushing their to-do list between 9 and 12, the other half is either:
Rigid office hours and mandatory desk time don’t just ignore these differences – they actively punish them. You end up with disengaged early birds sitting through pointless 4pm meetings, and frustrated night owls commuting in for 9am check-ins when they’d rather work later.
The solution isn’t to create a chaotic free-for-all. It’s to build flexibility into your workspace and working patterns so people can work when they work best.
This is where the traditional office model falls apart – and where flexible workspace shines.
At Work.Life, we see this play out every day across our London, Manchester, and Reading locations. Our members don’t all work 9-5 because they don’t all think 9-5. Here’s how flexible workspace accommodates different productivity peaks:
Early birds can get in at 7am for quiet, focused work. Night owls can come in after dinner for a productive evening session. No rigid opening hours, no guilt about “non-standard” schedules.
Your peak productivity time isn’t just about when – it’s about what kind of work you’re doing. Our spaces include:
Match your task to your energy level, and your energy level to the right space.
Not every day follows the same pattern. Sometimes you need the buzz of a coworking space; sometimes you need a quiet corner. Flexible workspace lets you adapt day-to-day – or even hour-to-hour.
Our members aren’t all working the same hours, but they’re all part of the same community. Whether you’re grabbing a 7am coffee or joining a 6pm networking event, you’ll find like-minded people on a similar schedule.
If you’re not sure when you work best, here’s how to figure it out:
Track your energy for a week: Note when you feel most alert, focused, and creative. When do complex tasks feel easier? When does everything feel like wading through treacle?
Match tasks to energy levels: Do your hardest, most cognitively demanding work during your peak hours. Save admin, emails, and low-stakes tasks for your low-energy times.
Protect your peak time: Block it out in your calendar. Decline meetings during your most productive hours. Treat it like you’d treat an important client call – because it is important.
Experiment with your environment: Try working in different spaces during your peak time. Some people need total silence; others work better with ambient noise. Find what works for you.
Communicate your rhythm: Let your team know when you’re most available for collaboration and when you need heads-down time. Good teams respect these boundaries.
There’s no “right” time to be productive. There’s only your time.
The poll results show what most of us already know intuitively: we don’t all work the same way, at the same time, in the same space. Morning productivity works for half of us. The other half are just getting started – or already done.
The future of work isn’t about forcing everyone into the same pattern. It’s about building systems, workspaces, and cultures that let people work when and how they work best.
That’s what flexible workspace is really about. Not just hot desks and meeting rooms – but the freedom to work in sync with your natural rhythm, not against it.
Want to experience workspace that works around you? Book a tour of Work.Life and see how flexibility, community, and 24/7 access can unlock your team’s productivity – whenever that happens to be.
Tailored solutions for growing teams
Adding 10 or more team members? That’s exciting — and we’re here to help! For teams like yours, we offer custom membership options designed to fit your needs perfectly.
Let us know some more information using the form below — we usually reply within an hour during business hours. Prefer to chat? Give us a call on 020 3349 8269 — we’d love to hear from you!