I used to be very much a night owl. Late evenings were when I felt most focused and mornings were something I often got through rather than enjoyed. Waking up early on purpose didn’t appeal to me at all.

These days, I am at my most productive between about 5.00am and 11.00am and I structure the bulk of my workload around that window as much as possible. It is not about discipline or self improvement as such, it’s more about recognising when my brain works best.

I started perimenopause about 6 years ago, and since then my sleep patterns have shifted almost on their own. Without setting an alarm, I now generally wake up at around 4.00am most mornings. For the first few months I resisted it and tried to force myself back to sleep, but over time I realised that this pattern was consistent and unlikely to change. Instead of fighting it, I have learned to work with it, using those early hours when my mind is already awake and relatively clear rather than lying in bed feeling frustrated and running through lists for the day.

The main reason early mornings work so well is the lack of interruption. It’s quiet – emails, messages and requests are minimal, which means I can concentrate properly without constantly stopping and starting and without the expectation from others of immediate responses. I can work through tasks in one go instead of spreading them out across the day.

I have also found that there is also something practical about starting early. Getting the most demanding work done first means the rest of the day feels less pressured. By late morning, I’m not scrambling to catch up or feeling agitated by being behind. Instead, I can respond to meetings, calls and admin without important work being delayed or pushed aside. The number of emails I receive has reduced, as everything is already there by the time my colleague logs in.

Granted, working from home makes getting up at silly o’clock much more manageable. There is no commute to rush through and no need to immediately engage with the outside world. The house is quiet, the streets are still and there is a sense of calm that does not exist later in the day.

And I really enjoy it!

Becoming an early bird was not something I deliberately set out to do, and it is not something I think everyone should aim for if it doesn’t work for them. It simply happens to suit me at this stage of life. Paying attention to when I work best, rather than when I think I should work, has been far more useful than any productivity system I have tried.

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Let me know in the comments below!