1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 1: This week we're talking about strategies for making remote work 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: efficient and effective. Today's tip is to choose Wednesday as 5 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: your work from home day. Now, I know that Wednesday 6 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: is not the usual first pick for a work from 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: home day. Normally, when people decide that they want to 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: negotiate such an arrangement with their managers, they go in 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: preparing to ask for Fridays. In many offices, Fridays are 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: slower than other days. When I collected a thousand and 11 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: one days of time diary data for one of my books, 12 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: I know how she does it. I found that even 13 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: people in very demanding jobs tend to work fewer hours 14 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: on Fridays than most other days of the week. On Wednesdays, 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: people logged nine hours on average. On Friday seven point 16 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: one hours. So this might seem like an easier yes 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: to ask for Friday. If for some reason you weren't 18 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: as productive at home as you were at the office, 19 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: well the manager isn't losing a peak productivity day. It 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: makes sense, But I've heard from a number of managers 21 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: even those who support flexible work that there's always this 22 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: nagging sense in the back of their minds that a 23 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: request to work from home on Friday's is really about 24 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: starting the weekend early Summer Friday suddenly stretch all year round. 25 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: If you work really a long hours Monday through Thursday 26 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: or travel on those days, your manager might sympathize with 27 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: this issue, but she might be less inclined to believe 28 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,199 Speaker 1: the argument that it's about productivity. Wednesday, on the other hand, 29 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: is completely different. No one is jetting out early for 30 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: the weekend on Wednesday. The productivity argument is more believable. 31 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: You can do the focused work that was agreed upon 32 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: Monday and Tuesday, and then prepare for collaborative work on 33 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: Thursday and Friday. I also think psychologically that winds day 34 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: is a better day. Here's why many people want to 35 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: try working from home because they have terrible commutes. Studies 36 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: of experienced human happiness through the day have found that 37 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: people's commutes are their absolute lowest moments. I think this 38 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: is partly because people get used to most things that 39 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: are good and bad in life, but the push and 40 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: pull of traffic means that every day brings new suffering 41 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: in any case, if you work from home on Wednesday 42 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: and you have a horrible commute, you never have to 43 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: do it more than twice in a row. You're always 44 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: pretty close to a day when you don't have to 45 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: make that trip, and that can make life feel more sustainable. 46 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: If you work from home regularly on a day other 47 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: than Friday, I'd love to hear about it. You can 48 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: let me know at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart 49 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 1: media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 50 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. 51 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: M Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You 52 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 53 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 54 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod that's b the number four then Breakfast 55 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 56 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com. 57 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 1: That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 58 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 59 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 60 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,119 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 61 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 62 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: favorite shows.