Meanwhile, here in Oz
It's hotting up for another REAL summer.
The backyard pool is almost up to temp and the beaches are looking more and more attractive...time to wax the board.
Still NOT motivated, but for another reason...
Today marks 'least productive' day of year
Today is apparently the "least productive" day of the year, as glum workers battle that sinking feeling provoked by the clocks going back. That's according to a poll by the the Canary Island tourism board, Promotur, which found that no less than 52 per cent of 2,000 workers polled reckoned they'd struggle to get their act …
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Monday 26th October 2009 12:26 GMT Anonymous Coward
Errr...
"Dr Christian Jessen of Channel 4's Embarrassing Illnesses explained: "The Winter Blues are no joke. They can affect your work performance by making you unable to concentrate and carry out your normal routine, your relationship by affecting your libido and your social life by making you feel irritable and anti-social."
I think mine started in '63.
How long does it last?
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Monday 26th October 2009 12:26 GMT Anonymous Coward
oh, why bother with a title?
Definately less productive today, but personally I'm blaming the cat who's internal clock hasn't yet moved to GMT, so the little swine woke me up an hour earlier than nessescary.
Of course this could just be payback for that trip to vet where he came back missing a couple of things.
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Monday 26th October 2009 12:32 GMT Gordon Ross
Count me out
It was lighter this morning when I caught my bus, and it was almost empty as there were no annoying sprogs on board. Office is quiet (People having time off to look after said sprogs)
Only downside so far, has been the larger queue than normal in town to get lunch.
Least productive day ? More like most productive day so far !
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:13 GMT Dan Howarth
After 30-odd years...
... I'm used to it.
Why is it a surprise when this happens? It happens every year. October, clocks go back. March/April, the clock go forwards.
Every year, it happens. Every year, people say how much it affects them.
Why? We know when it's going to happen. We know what the effect will be. And after all, it's only one hour. Personally, I don't see the big issue.
And the Canaries? Are they really that bored that they need to do a study on a one-hour shift that's been happening since 1918.
WTF, as it's just an excuse to lie in, blaming the shift of the clocks.
P.S. I'm not disputing whether SAD exists, I don't doubt it does. But I feel it's like how everyone gets "the flu" in winter. They have colds, not influenza.
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:13 GMT Anonymous Coward
People with SAD...
...will be significantly less productive later in the year than they are today. So whoever came up with this is probably just trying to flog holidays. If you have SAD or SSAD and you are able to work flexible hours then I suggest not changing the clock that gets you out of bed in the morning. I've found that by going to bed and getting up as if it was still BST then the gradual contraction of the photo-period results in a similarly gradual onset of symptoms. Also the severity of symptoms is diminished. Tiredness and lethargy are still my foe but I haven't had actual depression for a few years since I started doing this - and all without those nasty side-effect inducing drugs the doctor gives you to get you out of the door quickly. Just though I'd share in case it's of any use to somebody.
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:13 GMT Anonymous Coward
Bah
>making you feel irritable and anti-social
No, what made me feel irritable and anti-social this morning, above and beyond normal levels, was pulling a tupperware box out of the fridge to find that my wife had balanced a glass bowl of roast lamb on it which then fell off and shattered over the floor and it was my fault for not bending down and making sure she hadn't balanced anything on top of it.
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:13 GMT Adam 10
SAD is a made-up illness
"If you find the winter months tough, particularly during December and January you may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder"
I was diagnosed with SAD last year. Despite being a supposed "sufferer", I honestly don't believe it's a real illness, because EVERYONE exhibits it to some degree whether they realise it or not. If you have flexitime at your place, just look at the changing trends for people's clock-in times!
I find the best thing is to get daylight and fresh air whenever you can. Take any opportunity. We're not designed to sit in dark basements coding, we evolved in daylight and fresh air!
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:16 GMT Ihre Papiere Bitte!!
@ AC12.21
"Definately less productive today, but personally I'm blaming the cat who's internal clock hasn't yet moved to GMT, so the little swine woke me up an hour earlier than nessescary.
Of course this could just be payback for that trip to vet where he came back missing a couple of things."
You beat me to it. Only for me, it was the dog who was paying me back for where the vet put the thermometer on Saturday... he was most eloquent in his displeasure, and for a GSD that's no joke!
Aside from that, I'm at a new job, still in lots of meetings to get to know everyone. Haven't done a single day's "work" yet and I'm in my 3rd week - so I don't get to be any less productive than normal. Bah!
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:38 GMT A. Lewis
What?
Really? People actually 'talk to their bosses about their lack of motivation' brought on by the time of year? If I was there boss I'd talk to them about their lack of continuing employment. I wager most people would not work if they didn't have to, but if you do have to then find a job you like and go do it. Don't just sit in a job you clearly don't like, whining and blaming anything else you can.
This is another sad indictment of our current culture of blame. People in general need to start accepting the things they cannot change and taking responsibility for themselves.
Rant over. All better now. :)
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:38 GMT Anonymous Coward
No effect
Why dont project managers look out of the window in mornings?
...becuase it would leave them with nothing to do in the afternoon!
...well not so now, they have to replan a morning viewing and it will soon be too dark to look out of the window in the afternoon!
(surely anyting to keep them away from resource profiling and baselining!)
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Monday 26th October 2009 13:43 GMT HansG
illnes?? Yeah right
SAD is as much an illness as ADHD is.
SAD = the kind of people that go off with "stress" and want any excuse for extra bank holidays to celebrate "britishness"
ADHD = the best excuse for bad parenting to date, keep then drugged up abd the parents don't have to look after them, sorted!
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Monday 26th October 2009 14:43 GMT Anonymous Coward
@ Get a grip by Anon Coward
"Any human (Who face it are supposed to be the smartest animals on the planet) who can't simply get a grip, control themselves simply needs to go find somewhere to die.
Really, unable to cope with some darkness? Get a life."
As an ex teacher, ADHA does exist! BELIVE ME!! but I do agree that 'loose diagnosis' is often the case and it is stronger parenting or rules at home that need sorting out... parenting classes should be compulsory for anyone having children... 12 sessions before birth and 12 after to help iron out the creases. And if you return to the classes to help out when your child is older then you can help teach other parents...
Oh if I ruled the world it would be sooooooooo different !?!?! *evil grin*
My day has been very productive but SAP sucks in a BIG way!
Paris, because she was a model child for her parents...
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Monday 26th October 2009 14:43 GMT jai
that's rubbish
the worst one is the one in January when you get an hour's less sleep
today's been a great day so far
normally, if i fall asleep for an extra hour in the morning it's followed by 20 minutes of sheer panic and terror as i rush around trying to get to the train station so that i'm only late for work instead of unemployment-inducingly late
but today, the alarms went off, i hit the snooze 60 mins button, woke up when they went off the 2nd time and still got up, felt refreshed, and was even in the office early!
they ought to put the clocks back every weekend!!
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Monday 26th October 2009 15:32 GMT Paw Bokenfohr
@HansG
ADHD is very real, but like most psychological conditions, it's part of a broad spectrum of issues people can have, and so it can be over-diagnosed. And it can be missed of course too.
Just dismissing ADHD or SAD without any real knowledge of the subject at hand is like saying that anorexic people should just "get a grip" and eat some chocolate, or, is that what you actually think?
I don't have, nor have children who have SAD or ADHD, by the way. But my father had PTSD. Perhaps he should just have gotten a hold of himself and got over it?
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Monday 26th October 2009 22:21 GMT Anonymous Coward
Bollocks
Try having a 9AM flight (and not for a holiday somewhere nice) on the Sunday morning the clocks go back and tell me the extra hour in bed isn't a good thing. We sometimes get wonderful long summer nights in country pubs in England. Tell me that isn't nice? Tell me there isn't a cost for something so insanely great?
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Tuesday 27th October 2009 03:20 GMT Rattus Rattus
I get reverse SAD
Living in Australia, it's lovely and cool in the winter, and not too bright. Come summer though it's friggin' 'orrible. Bright actinic glare all day with blast-furnace heat, humid nights where it's too hot to sleep. Leaves me a very grumpy bugger all summer, but when the first of the winter clouds roll in I finally relax and start to perk up again. It's enough to make me want to go live in the UK from October to March and only come back here for the other half of the year.
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Biting the hand that feeds IT
