When your to-do list is longer than a , it's easy to become overwhelmed. The equally strong forces of productivity and procrastination are locked in an epic battle, and which emerges as the victor depends on a variety of elements, such as your mood, environment, level of motivation, and the distractions competing for your attention.

Another factor? The day of the week. According to research from , Tuesday is the most productive day of the week for employees, and has been for nearly three decades. If you have a particularly time-consuming task to tackle, Tuesday's the day.

On the other end of the spectrum, Friday is the least productive day for employees (to no one's surprise). Save your relatively easy tasks for the end of the week, so you can daydream about the weekend without messing up something major.

For more insights on how productivity fluctuates based on the day, time, and proximity to vacation, check out the following SlideShare.