I don’t know about you but I have unusual sleep patterns. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I was in bed by 10pm and had a full eight hours.  Quite often I feel at my best and most alert at 4 or 5 am and find myself producing my best work then to.  For me, there is something quite special about those few hours first thing in the morning before the rest of the world is awake. 

Why then, do I feel that I need to hide my early morning starts from my working life?  I have a fear that if I send someone an email at 4.23am then it may be seen as unprofessional, bordering on insane.  So, I quite often find myself typing away in these early hours and saving my emails to draft ready to press send at what I deem to be a more acceptable time of day, i.e. from 8.30 onwards.  I have been known to send the occasional email before 8am but if I am honest, only to someone who I know really well!

We live in a society where depending on where you live, you can shop at 3am and drink in pubs around the clock, yet it is frowned upon to send work emails after 8.00pm and before 8.00am.  Or is it?  Maybe it is just my own perception?  As a culture we are bound by the 9 to 5, Monday to Friday working life although I cannot help but feel that the introduction of  flexible working hours in many organisations and the emphasis on work life balance, are slowly changing the look of the 9 to 5 working life.  It may however, be quite some time before I feel comfortable sending an email at 4.23am!