British Study Cites Tuesday Morning as Most Stressful Workday

I hate Thursday afternoons. Maybe it's because I know what awaits me on Friday morning: stringent deadlines and last-minute tweaks to my articles. Either way, every Thursday afternoon, I get the oh-so-familiar knot in my stomach reminding me that Deadline Day (aka: "D-Day") is rapidly approaching. I also have an aversion to Wednesday mornings. It's probably the whole "Hump-Day" mentality; but every Wednesday, I wake up and just want to put the covers back over my head.

Apparently I'm not alone in my ill sentiments toward a particular weekday. According to a recent study conducted by health-supplement company, Bimuno, which polled 3,000 British workers, Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. is the most stressful time of the week. Why? Well, one reason contributing to this phenomenon is that workers spend their Mondays rehashing weekend gossip on their favorite social-networking sites. By Tuesday, they realize that if they're going to successfully finish their assigned tasks, then they need to be more productive.

"Traditionally, people associate Monday as the worst day of the week, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Coasting through Monday means we're worse off on Tuesday - both in terms of workloads and stress levels," according to Bimuno spokesperson Graham Waters. "Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. seems to be the time of day when the real workload for the week hits employees."

Another interesting finding is that workers are more likely to forgo their lunch breaks on a Tuesday than any other day of the week. Also, more than 53 percent of study respondents admitted to slacking off so much on Monday that they used Tuesday to compensate for their low productivity. Case in point: One in five of the British workers polled claimed to work overtime on Tuesday afternoon. And, unfortunately, this rush to complete tasks only results in increased job stress, which, Waters says, "can lead to time off work." Basically, it's a vicious cycle. That's why he says it's important that workers develop coping strategies to "help minimize [stress-related] sickness and days off from work."

Strategies for Success

So, how should workers prioritize their tasks to avoid increased job stress? Well, the best way is to determine which assignments need to be finished by a certain time and split them into manageable actions. Consider the old adage about the best way to eat an elephant: one piece at a time. The same logic applies to task management. Instead of slacking off on Monday and cramming to finish your assignments on Tuesday, it's important to set realistic, daily goals for yourself. I do.

Although I'm admittedly a procrastinator, my favorite productivity tool is the good ole Post-It® note. Oh, I would be lost without my tiny, colorful daily-assignment reminders. In fact, every morning, I write down at least three tasks that I have to finish before I leave the office that day. That way, when I'm tempted to slack off or spend time updating my Facebook page, I'll be reminded of my daily goals. Trust me: It works.

Up for Discussion

What's your most stressful day or time of the work week? What makes that particular day so demanding? Please share your thoughts about this study with the OfficeArrow community.