SurveyMonkey productivity survey and the racial sleep gap

If someone asks you the image of the characteristics of a productive person, what comes to mind? Assuming you’ve read at least a few articles about time management, you’ll probably picture an individual who wakes up early, sleeps seven to nine hours a night, and incorporates meditation and exercise in their morning routine.

Fast Company recently commissioned SurveyMonkey to conduct a study of how people view their own productivity and corresponding habits. The survey polled 3,522 respondents of differing races, genders, age groups, and income levels, about what time of day they feel most productive, how many hours of sleep they typically get, and how often they meditate and exercise.

It’s important to note that the data for this survey was self-reported. No one tracked the number of hours participants slept, and they weren’t given a clear definition of what it means to be “productive.” It’s also worth noting that people tend to overestimate the number of hours they work, as Laura Vanderkam previously reported for Fast Company. Regardless, the research provides some interesting insights into how participants perceive their own productivity and how they structure their lives.

Sixty-one percent of the survey participants reported that they felt the most productive in the mornings, while 22% reported feeling most productive in the afternoon. Just 17% felt most productive in the evening or late at night. Research on chronotypes shows that people are genetically wired to sleep and wake up at different times, which means that your “peak productivity time” will differ depending on when you typically sleep and wake up, and how many hours you need.

But the corporate world tends to reward early risers, meaning that things might be tougher for that 17% of respondents. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, for example, shows that many supervisors exhibit a “morning bias.” The authors wrote, “Even when accounting for total work hours, objective job performance, and employees’ self-ratings of conscientiousness, we find that a later start time leads supervisors to perceive employees as less conscientious.”

Most tips for a productive morning tend to include some form of exercise or meditation to get your day off to a strong start. The survey findings indicate that for most survey participants, exercise is a crucial part of their routine. Forty-three percent of respondents reported that they exercise a few times a week, while 22% exercised every day. Seventeen percent said that they exercise a few times a month, while 18% reported that they exercise “less often” than a few times a month.

When it comes to meditation, however, the survey presents a different picture. More than half of respondents said that they meditated “less often” than a few times a month. Eighteen percent reported meditating every day, and 16% said that they meditated a few times a week. Just 12% of respondents reported meditating a few times a month. Although these numbers seem low, it’s important to underscore meditation’s growing popularity. A 2018 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 14.2% of adults have a meditation practice, a significant increase from 4.1% percent in 2012.

Source: Fastcompany.com

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