There will always be plenty of debate about whether it is better to work later at night or early in the morning. The reality is the answer is contextual. Some jobs are better suited to the day time and some are better suited to the night time. Here are some things to think about when you are trying to figure out when the best time to work is.
Your personality, your profession, and even where you live dictates whether it is best for you to work in the day time or the night time. Lots of businesses now operate in the day and the night. It’s best to find a job that suits the lifestyle you want to live. It’s all about the work life balance.
Working in the day and working at night both have their advantages. So, the question is what are you trying to achieve? Here are some things to consider to help you decide if working early in the morning or late at night is better for you.
How many hours are in the day? The window of opportunity.
A good starting point is to acknowledge how many hours there are in a day. The answer is the same for all of us. There are 24 hours in a day; even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. The thing is depending on what you want to do the window of opportunity will only allow you to take advantage of some of those hours.
What job do you want to do?
For example, if you wanted to run a bar your window of opportunity is in the evening until late at night or early in the morning; because that’s when your customers can come to your bar. On the other hand, if you wanted to teach children then you are going to have to work in the day; because the little kiddywinks have to sleep.
Working at night can be peaceful
Generally speaking, depending on the environment you work in of course, working at night time is quieter; because most people are asleep. So, possibly you can take advantage of a more peaceful time at work because it isn’t as busy.
Working at night can be dangerous
It’s dark. So, it’s harder to see. Because it’s harder to see people are most likely to make mistakes and because of that accidents are more likely to occur.
Working in the day you can get sunlight
Our body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin when we’re outdoors. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. You can’t get that easily working at night.
Working in the day you can see more people
If you are a people person then working in the day could be more for you. Most people are awake in the day. So, working in the day means that you can have a more sociable job and enjoy the company of others.
You can get paid more working at night
If your goal is to make more money then working at night can be a good option. Compared to other jobs sometimes working at night means you will get paid more. Because you will be working unsociable hours. So, maybe that’s a sacrifice you are willing to make.
Working early means you can have the rest of the day free
If you work a job like a refuse collector or mail carrier then often you will start work in the earlier hours of the morning. This means you might finish your working day at around midday. So, after that the rest of the day is yours to take advantage of.
The productivity debate
Productivity isn’t really effected by whether you work in the day or the night. Productivity is about whether or not you have the skills and resources to do your job. If you don’t have the skills and resources you need to do your job then it doesn’t matter if you are working on the most beautiful sunny day or he most miserable dark night.
Working at night can be cheaper
Depend on what tariff you have with your energy provider working at night could be cheaper. So, if you work for yourself this is definitely something worth exploring to keep costs down.
If you like the night life then work in the day
If you are the type of socialite that likes going to pubs, clubs, and restaurants then you are probably going to want to work in the day. Some people like to mix business and pleasure. If you can do it and do it successfully then work and play at night. But it could get very tiring.
Shift work is always an option
If you really don’t mind when you work and have the option of being really flexible in relation to when you work then you could always do shift work. Some employers will offer both day and night work. So, if making money really is your goal then you can juggle the days and hours to make the most you can in the shortest time possible. (Just remember to get enough rest).
The split shift
Maybe you want to do a job that means you work both in the morning and later at night and have the middle of the day free. A job like a chef or a cook could offer that. You can work a morning shift serving breakfast and then come back in the evening for dinner service. It works for some people, maybe it will work for you?
Remember
What is your goal?
If it’s a specific job then the decision about if it’s best to work early or late might be made for you. If it’s to make money then their are different ways to achieve a higher paying job. If you want to work in a particular environment then that might be a defining factor. If you are looking to do certain things outside of work then their are jobs you can work in the day or the night that can help you achieve that.
If you don’t have a goal then set one. It will help make answering this question a lot easier.