Relevant: I am in my 30s. I do have chronic health issues related to digestion and I am usually a bit fatigued and somewhat sleep deprived.<p>I find that I can only seem to do 2-3 hours of work before needing a large break. My work is all software-related. I run some servers for clients, manage their web apps, and do their IT. I occasionally write automation software. It sounds routine, but it's actually intellectually challenging, because the people I work with always have exotic and highly situational demands.<p>I bill hourly, but the granularity is minutes, so I make sure my brain is firing on all cylinders whenever I'm on a task in order not to shirk while on the clock. I am an intense person, and while I don't rush, I do make an effort to "keep my eyes on the prize" and not waste time.<p>Is what I am experiencing relatively normal, or does it seem my work-stamina could be so far below average because of other factors (such as my health)?<p>I would love to hear from a self-described "normal" person whether they can actually work 8 full hours in a day, and how many hours of intense intellectual work they can stomach before burnout - and whether they could return to do another 2-4 hours on the same day after a long break. Personally, a 1-hour break does not recharge me enough.<p>Come to think of it, I do feel I could do 6-8 hours of moderate non-intellectually-challenging work in a day.
> I am in my 30s. I do have chronic health issues related to digestion and I am usually a bit fatigued and somewhat sleep deprived.<p>Are you me? (Chrohn's in my case).<p>Sounds normal to me, I'm productive compared to a lot of programmers I know who don't have health issues and have a decade on me.<p>You need to be kinder to yourself, stressing about not been able to work for extended periods just makes it harder to concentrate - It just becomes a self-reinforcing downwards spiral.<p>In my case my hobbies are what keep me sane (you don't mention those), Chess for mental focus that isn't work (and social life) and Cycling for getting away from screens.<p>Otherwise the usual advice applies, try to eat better (hard with digestive issues I know) and get more sleep.
Agreeing with other comments here, it is relatively normal to have only 2-4 hours of measurable or direct productivity in an 8 hour workday.<p>You write that you 'only' seem to be able to do 2-3 hours of work before needing a large break. That is quite impressive! Furthermore, a large break is likely warranted at that point. Perhaps you could experiment with taking breaks more frequently?<p>Also, do not underestimate the value of doing something unrelated to stimulate your problem-solving ability...
Actual workplace productivity in one UK study of office workers was 2:53 in an 8:00 day. The rest was spent surfing the web, socializing, eating.<p>I think 3-4 hours of daily deep focus is average, 5 is exceptional. Not all in the same chunk. It sounds like you are in the normal spectrum.