The Best Time…

December 10, 2003

Sounds like a mixture of truth and fiction here.

But get a load of this title:

The Best Time to Seduce Someone is...

You won't believe it. It's just before lunch. 11:55 a.m. to be exact. Who knew?

It's all about timing. Turns out there is a best time of day to do almost everything. You just have to know that magic hour and success is yours! (Well, maybe. It's worth a try.)

The best time to do stuff--from firing him to putting the moves on her--is based on your natural body clock. When you follow nature's timetable, the result is less stress and more energy for you.

ABCNEWS.com reporters Francine Parnes, Elizabeth Coleman, and Shannon Davis interviewed experts in a variety of areas--from dieticians to neuroscientists--and came up with this handy-dandy list of what to do when. Print and save. Especially that part about 11:55 a.m.

Early Morning: Now is the time to do the most difficult tasks you have to do all day.

Several hours before you open your eyes, the stress hormone cortisol rises, increasing your blood sugar and giving you the energy you need to manage difficult situations effectively, according to Norbert Myslinski, Ph.D., an associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Maryland. So take advantage of the increased cortisol to accomplish that difficult task.

10 a.m.: This is the best time to make a presentation because your voice is most rested now.

Whether you have to speak before a roundtable meeting of colleagues or make a sales pitch to a large group of clients, do it mid-morning after you drink water. We said WATER. Not milk. Dairy products can increase mucus, which is not good for public speaking, says Dr. Clark A. Rosen, director of the University of Pittsburgh voice center.

10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.: This is the best time of day for a stretch. Think of it as your personal seventh inning--times three.

Loosen up your back and shoulder muscles with a well-timed stretch. This is especially important if you spend hours a day working at a computer. Keith Cinea of the National Strength and Conditioning Association told ABCNEWS.com two stretch exercises that work well: 1. Clasp your hands behind your back and lift them straight up; hold for 10 seconds. 2. Cross your left leg over your right, resting your left ankle on your right knee. Bend forward at the waist and hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Then switch legs and repeat.

Late morning: Think! Decide! Strategize! This is the best time to make major strategic decisions.

Who knew your body temperature was critical to making the right decisions? It is! When your temp is rising, you're more alert and your brain can process information better, according to Timothy Monk, a psychiatry professor at the University of Pittsburgh's sleep and chronobiology center. This is also a great time to solve problems.

11:55 a.m.: The best time to seduce your beloved or the one you would like to be your beloved.

Ask her (or him) out to lunch. This is when your intended's mood is supposed to be at its best. At least that's what James Sniechowski, co-author of "The New Intimacy" told ABCNEWS.com: "People are usually more receptive right before they leave for lunch because their minds aren't cluttered with what they have to do that day or what they're planning to do when they get home." She (or he) said "no way"? That's good news for you. You won't get too depressed since depression peaks early in the day.

Early afternoon: This is the best time to read boring reports with lots of tedious numbers in them.

Not that YOUR company would ever produce boring and tedious reports...but if it did, this is the right time to read them. We don't understand this since we thought lunch made us sleepy, but Dr. Thomas Friberg, chief of retina services at the University of Pittsburgh medical center, says early afternoon is when your vision is sharpest.

2 p.m.: This the best time to have a snack.

Go for a protein snack, such as nuts. It will increase your energy and keep you full until dinner so you won't get fat eating candy bars at 4 p.m. Jackie Berning, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says it's GOOD to eat snacks. But you have to do it at 2 p.m. Sharp.

Mid-afternoon: You know it has to be done. That guy down the hall just isn't performing. NOW is the best time to fire him.

Okay, so you'll ruin his day with this news, but you probably won't kill him. Heart attacks are more likely to happen in the first three hours after awakening. Dr. Richard Stein, a spokesman for the American Heart Association, recommends that all firings and layoffs take place AFTER 10 a.m.

3 p.m.: This is the best time to have a cup of coffee or take a walk.

Here's a secret: Caffeine can jump-start your afternoon, too. It's not just for the morning. Drink 8 ounces of a caffeinated beverage and you're good to go. If caffeine gives you the shakes, take a brisk 15-minute walk instead--even if it's just around the office halls. David Pearson, coordinator of the graduate program in exercise science at Ball State University, says it will make you more alert.

3:30 p.m.: Get on the phone! This is the best time to make a call or return one.

You know that coffee you just drank? While you're waiting for the caffeine to work its wonders, do mindless tasks. And talk to people! That will revive and stimulate you so you can finish the day with a kick, according to Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, president of Circadian Technologies in Lexington, Massachusetts.

4:50 p.m. This isn't about all work and no play! Now is the best time to tee off with clients.

We're assuming it doesn't get dark early, of course, but late afternoon is the best time to show off your golf skills because hand-eye coordination reaches optimal levels then. Because of this, it's also a great time to answer e-mail or play computer games, says Lynne Lamberg, co-author of "The Body Clock Guide to Better Health."

--Cathryn Conroy

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