Also FWIW, in case others find this useful: there are various ideas about the optimum length of time to work before taking a break, e.g. the so-called ‘Pomodoro technique’ (a silly grandiose name for a small idea) which recommends 25 mins plus a short break.
In my experience 1 hour is just right. The kind of work I do is relatively intense intellectual stuff (e.g. programming, spreadsheets), and once I’ve got going I’m in a flow state which is inefficient to interrupt (as I’d just continue thinking about it during the break). So if I work until I notice I’m starting to flag, then check my watch, I almost always find I’ve been working for close to 1 hour. I find a break of roughly 15 minutes is about right—i.e. about long enough to make & drink a cup of tea. And it seems about the right kind of work:break time ratio.
This means that you can do about 3 hours intense work in a morning (3 hour-long chunks with breaks in between), and say 1-2 hours intense work plus additional semi-work (eg admin) in an afternoon. Assuming mornings are more suitable for intense work (as I suspect they are for most people). This totals 4-5 hours solid work—which as mentioned is my average.
Also FWIW, in case others find this useful: there are various ideas about the optimum length of time to work before taking a break, e.g. the so-called ‘Pomodoro technique’ (a silly grandiose name for a small idea) which recommends 25 mins plus a short break.
In my experience 1 hour is just right. The kind of work I do is relatively intense intellectual stuff (e.g. programming, spreadsheets), and once I’ve got going I’m in a flow state which is inefficient to interrupt (as I’d just continue thinking about it during the break). So if I work until I notice I’m starting to flag, then check my watch, I almost always find I’ve been working for close to 1 hour. I find a break of roughly 15 minutes is about right—i.e. about long enough to make & drink a cup of tea. And it seems about the right kind of work:break time ratio.
This means that you can do about 3 hours intense work in a morning (3 hour-long chunks with breaks in between), and say 1-2 hours intense work plus additional semi-work (eg admin) in an afternoon. Assuming mornings are more suitable for intense work (as I suspect they are for most people). This totals 4-5 hours solid work—which as mentioned is my average.