back to article Today marks 'least productive' day of year

Today is apparently the "least productive" day of the year, as glum workers battle that sinking feeling provoked by the clocks going back. That's according to a poll by the the Canary Island tourism board, Promotur, which found that no less than 52 per cent of 2,000 workers polled reckoned they'd struggle to get their act …

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  1. Winkypop Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Meanwhile, here in Oz

    It's hotting up for another REAL summer.

    The backyard pool is almost up to temp and the beaches are looking more and more attractive...time to wax the board.

    Still NOT motivated, but for another reason...

  2. Alfonso Vespucci

    strange

    I find the change in the spring far peskier as it means I have to be alerter earlier. Went to bed at 8:30 gmt last night.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I love this time of year!

    Its the summer I cant stand, all that heat and light bah

  4. cphi
    Pint

    holy sh*t - I thought it was just me

    October used to kill me in the UK - all the while everybody crapping on about beautiful autumnal colours. one of the reasons I came back home to Aus. Beautiful weather here today by the way...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Errr...

    "Dr Christian Jessen of Channel 4's Embarrassing Illnesses explained: "The Winter Blues are no joke. They can affect your work performance by making you unable to concentrate and carry out your normal routine, your relationship by affecting your libido and your social life by making you feel irritable and anti-social."

    I think mine started in '63.

    How long does it last?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    The most unproductive day of the year

    I have to say the the...

    ah, fuck it.....

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    100% drop...

    ... as I usually have a 50% lack of motivation on a Monday, consider this a 100% drop in productivity. It's lunchtime and I've managed to achieve nothing aside from the usual pointless Monday Morning Meeting.

  8. ElNumbre
    Joke

    Not True!

    I've done something this morning. Therefore I'm averagely productive. If I do something this afternoon, I may have my most productive day ever!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    oh, why bother with a title?

    Definately less productive today, but personally I'm blaming the cat who's internal clock hasn't yet moved to GMT, so the little swine woke me up an hour earlier than nessescary.

    Of course this could just be payback for that trip to vet where he came back missing a couple of things.

  10. Gordon Ross Silver badge

    Count me out

    It was lighter this morning when I caught my bus, and it was almost empty as there were no annoying sprogs on board. Office is quiet (People having time off to look after said sprogs)

    Only downside so far, has been the larger queue than normal in town to get lunch.

    Least productive day ? More like most productive day so far !

  11. Annihilator
    WTF?

    Clocks back

    The clocks going back don't make the days shorter and the nights longer. You'd be amazed at the 3 people I've spoken to today that think this is the case!

  12. Dan Howarth
    WTF?

    After 30-odd years...

    ... I'm used to it.

    Why is it a surprise when this happens? It happens every year. October, clocks go back. March/April, the clock go forwards.

    Every year, it happens. Every year, people say how much it affects them.

    Why? We know when it's going to happen. We know what the effect will be. And after all, it's only one hour. Personally, I don't see the big issue.

    And the Canaries? Are they really that bored that they need to do a study on a one-hour shift that's been happening since 1918.

    WTF, as it's just an excuse to lie in, blaming the shift of the clocks.

    P.S. I'm not disputing whether SAD exists, I don't doubt it does. But I feel it's like how everyone gets "the flu" in winter. They have colds, not influenza.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    People with SAD...

    ...will be significantly less productive later in the year than they are today. So whoever came up with this is probably just trying to flog holidays. If you have SAD or SSAD and you are able to work flexible hours then I suggest not changing the clock that gets you out of bed in the morning. I've found that by going to bed and getting up as if it was still BST then the gradual contraction of the photo-period results in a similarly gradual onset of symptoms. Also the severity of symptoms is diminished. Tiredness and lethargy are still my foe but I haven't had actual depression for a few years since I started doing this - and all without those nasty side-effect inducing drugs the doctor gives you to get you out of the door quickly. Just though I'd share in case it's of any use to somebody.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bah

    >making you feel irritable and anti-social

    No, what made me feel irritable and anti-social this morning, above and beyond normal levels, was pulling a tupperware box out of the fridge to find that my wife had balanced a glass bowl of roast lamb on it which then fell off and shattered over the floor and it was my fault for not bending down and making sure she hadn't balanced anything on top of it.

  15. BillboBaggins
    Alert

    I'm owed some work

    If we are supposed to be 50% less productive this week, my company owes me some work!

  16. Adam 10

    SAD is a made-up illness

    "If you find the winter months tough, particularly during December and January you may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder"

    I was diagnosed with SAD last year. Despite being a supposed "sufferer", I honestly don't believe it's a real illness, because EVERYONE exhibits it to some degree whether they realise it or not. If you have flexitime at your place, just look at the changing trends for people's clock-in times!

    I find the best thing is to get daylight and fresh air whenever you can. Take any opportunity. We're not designed to sit in dark basements coding, we evolved in daylight and fresh air!

  17. R Callan
    Happy

    Title?

    As Monday* was Labour Day, what do you expect?

    *Down here in NZ anyway. Don't you love public holidays?

  18. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Unproductive?

    How can you call it unproductive? I'm conducting at least three personal reviews today!

    Ah! Seem to have shot myself in the foot .... where's that light box?

  19. 3kids2cats1dog
    Heart

    Here I Canada

    I'm snuggling with my Polar Bear buddy. See you next spring....

  20. Ihre Papiere Bitte!!
    Unhappy

    @ AC12.21

    "Definately less productive today, but personally I'm blaming the cat who's internal clock hasn't yet moved to GMT, so the little swine woke me up an hour earlier than nessescary.

    Of course this could just be payback for that trip to vet where he came back missing a couple of things."

    You beat me to it. Only for me, it was the dog who was paying me back for where the vet put the thermometer on Saturday... he was most eloquent in his displeasure, and for a GSD that's no joke!

    Aside from that, I'm at a new job, still in lots of meetings to get to know everyone. Haven't done a single day's "work" yet and I'm in my 3rd week - so I don't get to be any less productive than normal. Bah!

  21. A. Lewis
    Flame

    What?

    Really? People actually 'talk to their bosses about their lack of motivation' brought on by the time of year? If I was there boss I'd talk to them about their lack of continuing employment. I wager most people would not work if they didn't have to, but if you do have to then find a job you like and go do it. Don't just sit in a job you clearly don't like, whining and blaming anything else you can.

    This is another sad indictment of our current culture of blame. People in general need to start accepting the things they cannot change and taking responsibility for themselves.

    Rant over. All better now. :)

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No effect

    Why dont project managers look out of the window in mornings?

    ...becuase it would leave them with nothing to do in the afternoon!

    ...well not so now, they have to replan a morning viewing and it will soon be too dark to look out of the window in the afternoon!

    (surely anyting to keep them away from resource profiling and baselining!)

  23. Dale 3

    Not me

    I dunno, I'm working from home today and being incredibly productive, despite reading El Reg at lunchtime.

  24. This post has been deleted by its author

  25. HansG

    illnes?? Yeah right

    SAD is as much an illness as ADHD is.

    SAD = the kind of people that go off with "stress" and want any excuse for extra bank holidays to celebrate "britishness"

    ADHD = the best excuse for bad parenting to date, keep then drugged up abd the parents don't have to look after them, sorted!

  26. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Get a grip.

    Any human (Who face it are supposed to be the smartest animals on the planet) who can't simply get a grip, control themselves simply needs to go find somewhere to die.

    Really, unable to cope with some darkness? Get a life.

  27. Jess

    easy fix for SAD

    Just replace every light in your home for daylight temperature ones.

    (Quite a few low energy bulbs are daylight with a colour temp around 5700K instead of about 3000K).

    LED spotlights appear to be daylight temperature usually too.

  28. A. Lewis

    @HansG

    You've hit the nail on the head there!

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    @ Get a grip by Anon Coward

    "Any human (Who face it are supposed to be the smartest animals on the planet) who can't simply get a grip, control themselves simply needs to go find somewhere to die.

    Really, unable to cope with some darkness? Get a life."

    As an ex teacher, ADHA does exist! BELIVE ME!! but I do agree that 'loose diagnosis' is often the case and it is stronger parenting or rules at home that need sorting out... parenting classes should be compulsory for anyone having children... 12 sessions before birth and 12 after to help iron out the creases. And if you return to the classes to help out when your child is older then you can help teach other parents...

    Oh if I ruled the world it would be sooooooooo different !?!?! *evil grin*

    My day has been very productive but SAP sucks in a BIG way!

    Paris, because she was a model child for her parents...

  30. jai

    that's rubbish

    the worst one is the one in January when you get an hour's less sleep

    today's been a great day so far

    normally, if i fall asleep for an extra hour in the morning it's followed by 20 minutes of sheer panic and terror as i rush around trying to get to the train station so that i'm only late for work instead of unemployment-inducingly late

    but today, the alarms went off, i hit the snooze 60 mins button, woke up when they went off the 2nd time and still got up, felt refreshed, and was even in the office early!

    they ought to put the clocks back every weekend!!

  31. An ominous cow herd

    Early bird

    Well, I, for once, started working an hour earlier. And you can't believe how much work you do when noone's bugging you over the phone or seeking an answer to the 10th e-mail they sent about something they think is important (to them)...

  32. Paw Bokenfohr
    WTF?

    @HansG

    ADHD is very real, but like most psychological conditions, it's part of a broad spectrum of issues people can have, and so it can be over-diagnosed. And it can be missed of course too.

    Just dismissing ADHD or SAD without any real knowledge of the subject at hand is like saying that anorexic people should just "get a grip" and eat some chocolate, or, is that what you actually think?

    I don't have, nor have children who have SAD or ADHD, by the way. But my father had PTSD. Perhaps he should just have gotten a hold of himself and got over it?

  33. This post has been deleted by its author

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    I don;t suffer from SAD cos,...

    according to popular opinion, I am just "sad"!

  35. Sly
    Happy

    I don't suffer...

    I just enjoy another nap. never you mind the keyboard print on my face.

  36. TallicadaZ
    Coffee/keyboard

    @ An ominous cow herd

    for your name alone sir! 1 new keyboard. Ta

  37. Scott 26
    Joke

    and

    RE: R Callan Posted Monday 26th October 2009 12:49 GMT

    "Happy

    As Monday* was Labour Day, what do you expect?

    *Down here in NZ anyway. Don't you love public holidays?"

    and today, the day after Labour Day, it's cold and miserable enough to make me think I'm back in London. ;)

  38. ElNumbre
    WTF?

    Ok

    Being both a Windows user and a Linux freetard, that Dell link made me do a Marge Simpson style Hmmmmmm.

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bollocks

    Try having a 9AM flight (and not for a holiday somewhere nice) on the Sunday morning the clocks go back and tell me the extra hour in bed isn't a good thing. We sometimes get wonderful long summer nights in country pubs in England. Tell me that isn't nice? Tell me there isn't a cost for something so insanely great?

  40. Rattus Rattus
    Unhappy

    I get reverse SAD

    Living in Australia, it's lovely and cool in the winter, and not too bright. Come summer though it's friggin' 'orrible. Bright actinic glare all day with blast-furnace heat, humid nights where it's too hot to sleep. Leaves me a very grumpy bugger all summer, but when the first of the winter clouds roll in I finally relax and start to perk up again. It's enough to make me want to go live in the UK from October to March and only come back here for the other half of the year.

  41. Xtine66

    Bah!

    'Daylight Savings' is antiquated, archaic, backasswards bullshit. It should either be scrapped entirely, or done the other way round. No one should have to go to/come home from school or work in pitch fucking darkness; it's total crap!

  42. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Chris W

    Well you should have. The wife is always right.

  43. Fluffykins Silver badge

    @ HansG

    You think so? I can assure you the latter is perfectly real and it's effects can be highly unpleasant.

    If I recall correctly, there is confirmed evidence of physical changes in the brains of diagnosed sufferers

  44. Chief sub

    Am I the only one...

    ...who finds this comment by Faith funny?

    "ADHA does exist! BELIVE ME!!"

    I'd just like to add that personally, I...ooh, buttrfly!

  45. John Dougald McCallum

    Dark mornings

    As I stert at 0545 every morning I get to see about 7-8 months of them so it makes no differance to me glad I don't do nights they start at 1430 and finish at 0030 so no pub after work.

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