Summer is coming to Madrid and with it, a change in the air. The terraces begin to whisper your name, the days stretch out lazily and in the corporate world, a magical combination of three words becomes everyone’s dream: intensive working hours.
To the uninitiated, this concept may sound like high-performance training for office athletes. And, in a way, they are not wrong. The intensive working day is that coveted summer timetable, usually from 8:00 to 15:00, which allows us to compress our working day to enjoy the afternoons off. Sounds like paradise, doesn’t it? You leave the office and still have a whole day ahead of you to live.
But let’s be honest, this summer gift is a double-edged sword. Those 7 hours can fly by and, if you don’t have a plan, you can find yourself at 14:55 with half of your tasks pending, looking at the clock with the same anxiety as a final exam. The promise of an afternoon by the pool vanishes, replaced by the frustration of having to stay longer or take work home.
But fear not! As your experts in space and work time optimisation, we at Ibercenter have prepared the ultimate guide for you to not only survive but conquer the intensive workday. Get ready to become a master of efficiency and be the first to turn off your computer.
Why is there such a thing as an intensive working day? The origin of the summer dream
Before we dive into the strategies, it is interesting to understand why this mode exists. It is not just a business whim so that we can be on time for the aperitif. The reasons are deeper and more strategic for the intensive working day:
- Better work-life balance: Summer coincides with school holidays. The intensive working day greatly facilitates work-life balance, allowing parents to spend more quality time with their children. For the rest, it means more time for hobbies, sports, social life or simply to disconnect.
- Increased productivity: By concentrating work during peak energy and mental freshness hours, fatigue is reduced, and performance is improved. A happy and rested employee is a productive employee. The promise of an afternoon off is a powerful motivator that, if well managed, can increase concentration and performance during working hours. It is the gamification of the working day: the prize is your time off.
- Reduced absenteeism: Employees tend to be more motivated and committed.
- Adaptation to the climate: In Spain, and especially in Madrid, the summer heat in the afternoon can be stifling. Working from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. allows you to avoid the hottest hours, reducing fatigue and improving employee wellbeing – no one is productive sweating at the keyboard!
- Energy Savings: Fewer office hours mean less time with the air conditioning on full blast, lights on and equipment running. For businesses, this translates into considerable savings on utility bills.
Why is flexitime an opportunity for companies and professionals?
The intensive working day is not only a benefit for employees but can also be a great competitive advantage for companies. Why? Because it fosters a healthier working environment, reduces energy costs (fewer hours of air conditioning and lighting), and helps to attract and retain talent.
In all-inclusive flexible workspaces such as Ibercenter’s, the intensive workday is perfectly suited to the needs of companies, SMEs and entrepreneurs seeking efficiency and well-being for their teams. Equipped offices, meeting rooms and networking areas allow you to make the most of every minute of the day, even in summer.
The Challenge: From Marathon to 100 Meter Sprint
The main mindset shift we need to adopt is that the intensive day is not a shorter version of your normal day; it’s a sprint. You can’t afford to warm up for the first hour with coffee and endless chatter. Every minute counts.
This is where many fail. They maintain the same habits of an 8 or 9 hour day, with their scattered breaks, selective procrastination and endless meetings. The result is a disaster: the same work in less time, leading to stress, overwhelm and inferior quality of work.
The key is strategy. And here we give it to you.
How to get the most out of the summer working day: 10 golden strategies to conquer your summer working day
1. The warrior’s ritual: planning the day before
The success of your intensive day doesn’t start at 8:00, but at 18:00 the day before. Before you leave, spend 10 minutes planning your next day.
- Define your 3 “Rock” Tasks: Identify the three most important and immovable tasks that MUST be completed. These are your absolute priorities.
- Use the Eisenhower Matrix: Classify the rest of your tasks into: Urgent and Important (do now), Important but not Urgent (plan), Urgent but not Important (delegate), and neither Urgent nor Important (eliminate).
- Prepare your Space: Leave your desk clean and tidy, with the documents or files you will need at hand. A clear space is a clear mind.
2. The first hour is sacred: the morning “deep work”.
The first hour of your day is your golden hour. Your mind is fresh, and interruptions are minimal – don’t waste it reading unimportant emails or browsing the news!
Dedicate those first 60-90 minutes to one of your “Roca” tasks. Put on your headphones, mute your notifications and immerse yourself in deep, focused work. You’ll get more done in that hour than in three hours in the afternoon.
3. The art of “lightning” meetings
Meetings are the biggest time thief in any office. During the intensive workday, they are your archenemy.
- Is it necessary? Before you call or agree to a meeting, ask yourself: can this be resolved with a quick email or message?
- Clear Agenda and Objective: Every meeting should have a clear objective, and an agenda sent out in advance. No agenda, no meeting.
- Time Limit: Set maximum time limits (25 or 45 minutes, not hours). Use a timer visible to all.
- Seek a Professional Environment: For a meeting to be effective, the environment is key. If your office is a hotbed of distractions, consider renting a room by the hour. At Ibercenter, our meeting rooms in Azca, Gran Vía and Velázquez are designed for maximum efficiency: equipped with projectors, whiteboards and all the technology necessary for the meeting to get to the point and not waste a second.
4. Dominate your inbox: don’t let it dominate you
Email is a to-do list that others put in front of you. Treat it as such. Set specific blocks of time to check and answer emails (e.g. 10:00 and 13:30). Outside of those blocks, the email tab remains closed. Use rules and filters to automatically archive the less important stuff.
5. The pomodoro technique: your ally against procrastination
This technique is simple and brutally effective.
- Work in 25-minute blocks of intense concentration (a “pomodoro”).
- Take a 5-minute break after each pomodoro.
- After four Pomodoro, take a longer break of 15-20 minutes.
6. The power of the strategic “no”
During the workday, your time is your most valuable asset. Learning to assertively say “no” to non-priority tasks, interruptions or favours that divert you from your goals is a critical skill. A “I can’t right now, but we can see you at 14:00” or “Let me check and let you know when I can fit it in” is perfectly professional and protects your productivity.
7. Optimise your environment: workspace matters (a lot)
A cluttered, noisy or poorly equipped workspace is a constant drag on your productivity. You need an environment that allows you to concentrate.
- Tidy: A clean desk.
- Ergonomics: A good chair and a screen at the right height.
- Quiet: Noise-cancelling headphones or a space that guarantees peace and quiet.
This is where your choice of office makes a huge difference. A flexible workspace like the ones we offer at Ibercenter is designed precisely for this. We provide a professional environment, equipped with everything you need (“all inclusive”) so that companies or executives don’t have to worry about logistics and can focus 100% on their business. For entrepreneurs, our offices in Gran Vía, Azca or Velázquez offer a modern and dynamic ecosystem, but with the possibility of having a private office for those moments of maximum concentration that the intensive working day demands.
8. Hydrate and fuel yourself to win
It may sound trivial, but skipping breakfast or eating coffee will take its toll. Your brain needs fuel. Always keep a bottle of water on your desk and opt for healthy snacks (fruit, nuts) that give you sustained energy, not sugar spikes followed by a crash. If your office, like Ibercenter’s, offers coffee break and catering services, take advantage of them! It saves you time and ensures quality energy.
9. Group similar tasks together (batching)
Your brain wastes time and energy every time it switches from one type of task to another (known as “context switching”). Batch similar tasks and do them all at once. For example, spend one block of time on making all your calls, another on answering all your chat messages, and another on analysis work in a spreadsheet. Efficiency soars.
10. The 2-minute rule
Coined by productivity guru David Allen, this rule is pure gold: if a task takes you less than two minutes to complete, do it the moment it appears. Don’t procrastinate, don’t write it down, don’t plan it, just do it! Answer a quick email, make a short phone call, sign a document. Getting these small tasks out of the way prevents them from piling up and becoming a monster of mental clutter.
What does an ideal day with an intensive working day at Ibercenter look like?
Let’s imagine you are the manager of a fintech company in full expansion. This could be your day:
08:00 – You arrive at your private office at Ibercenter.
You are greeted by an air-conditioned, clean and ready to workspace. You can have a coffee in the common area.
08:15 – Check emails and set priorities for the day.
Quiet, good Wi-Fi connection, and zero distractions.
09:00 – Strategy meeting with your team in the executive lounge.
Projector on, materials ready, room booked for hours.
11:00 – Focus tasks in your private office
Calls, analysis, planning. No interruptions.
13:30 – Quick lunch and close of the day.
A coffee break on the Gran Via terrace? Also an option.
14:30 – End of the working day
And the best part: the afternoon is all yours!
The real reward: beyond the office
Mastering the intensive workday is not just a matter of being more productive. It’s a smart work philosophy that puts you back in control of your most precious resource: time.
Picture the scene: it’s 15:01. You turn off your computer with the satisfaction of a job well done. The office empties out and you step out into a Madrid bathed in afternoon sunshine. You have hours ahead of you to go to the gym, meet up on that terrace you like so much, pick up your children, make progress on that personal project or simply lie on the sofa without feeling guilty.
That’s the real victory. The intensive day is a unique opportunity to improve your quality of life, reduce stress and rediscover the balance between your professional and personal life.
Conclusion: Your Summer, Your Rules
The intensive workday doesn’t have to be a stressful race against the clock. With the right mindset and the right strategies, it can be the catalyst that transforms the way you work forever. Plan, prioritise, focus and protect your time.
And if you are looking for an environment that makes things easy for you, where productivity and wellbeing are not an option but the standard, discover how Ibercenter’s all-inclusive flexible workspaces in the heart of Madrid (Azca, Gran Vía and Velázquez) can be your greatest ally. We provide you with a professional, equipped and distraction-free environment so that you only have to worry about one thing: conquering your work to conquer your summer.
Now go and enjoy that afternoon off! You’ve earned it.
