We regularly make jokes about “not being a morning person” or being grouchy in the morning, but this is actually a genuine thing and in fact, biology does determine if we are either a morning lark or a night owl. Unfortunately, most office environments don’t lend themselves well to night owls, the people who tend to peak later in the day or into the evening.

Unfortunately, you can’t change who you are or what your chronotype is, but there are things you can do to help your day be as productive as possible.

The latest research shows that getting around 7.5 hours sleep per night is the optimum amount for a healthy brain, but this can be difficult for night owl’s who often peak in the evening and may find it more difficult to switch off and hit the hay.

There are ways we can help ourselves to get a better nights sleep, such as taking a relaxing evening bath, switching off phones and TV screens an hour before bed, having a caffeine-free hot soothing drink or reading a book.

As much as it might not be in a night owls nature to do so, getting up and following a morning routine might just help us to kick start the day productively. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant – just to get up at the same time each day, shower, eat a breakfast (or take something to eat on the way to work if its still too early) and get out of the house.

It always helps to get some fresh air in the mornings so try getting off the bus a few stops early, or taking the dog for a walk if you have one. These activities will give your brain time to wake up and connect before you have to sit down and focus on some productivity.

If you’re not a morning person then you may also not like to socialise first thing in the morning. That’s ok – listening to something invigorating can be just as effective at waking your brain up. Listen to some uplifting music, your favourite podcast, your favourite radio station or even take 10 minutes out of your morning to meditate.

You make it to work on time, sit down at your desk and now have the pressure of trying to focus whilst your brain is still half asleep. Rather than fighting it, why not work with it and manage your task load so it works with you, not against you.

Start your day with a realistic to-do list. Writing a list can help to switch your brain on and connect with what lays before you. Start your day with really simple but productive tasks which should begin to help you wake up and feel more productive. You could focus on your emails, or setting your schedule for the day, or perhaps just the small fiddly tasks which don’t require much brain power.

Save the more complicated or larger pieces of work until later in the day when you’re more switched on. You could demotivate yourself by attempting and struggling to work on these things whilst you are in the wrong frame of mind.

Whilst it can be a bit of a laugh when someone is not a morning person, it is a genuine problem for those who experience it so perhaps team members can be more accommodating to your schedules.

Speak with co-workers and ask for meetings to be scheduled for times which work with everyone. If you have reports or targets due early in the morning, see if these can be pushed back to a later time in the day. Unless it has a negative impact on the rest of the team, most people will be very accommodating and would rather you were helped to be as productive as you can be. It takes responsibility to work with your strengths and weaknesses for the best outcome.