Here are 12 ways science has proven you can boost performance without taking up more hours than you’re allowed for.
1- Keep track of time
This allows you to see how much time was spent on each task and how much time was wasted. The latter generally has to do, for example, with the number of times the cell phone is looked at, especially if many notifications are activated.
John Rampton, an expert in growth strategies, compared a study in Entrepreneur magazine related to physical activity and work productivity. He recalled research conducted by scientists at Stanford University with a group of people who were instructed to wear a pedometer to measure their steps when walking and another not. In this way, they verified that the first ones traveled at least one additional mile per day on average and improved their general level of activity by 27%.
The specialist pointed out that something similar happens with work tasks and recommended using a stopwatch or time sheets to mediate the tasks and, in some cases, there are automated business processes that measure the time that is being worked on them.
2- Rest every 90 minutes
This time, says the same expert, will follow the same healthy sleep cycle that involves a change between several cycles of 90 minutes of deep sleep, followed by a period called REM, lighter and with dreams that are what, many times, They can remember when they wake up.
More than 50 years ago, pioneering sleep researcher Nathan Kleitman discovered something he called the “basic cycle of activity and rest”: the 90-minute periods during the night in which we progressively pass through five stages of sleep, from light to deep. deep, and then repeats.
For this reason, Rampton does not recommend spending free time doing work tasks such as responding to email or other messages when traveling to the office, or on a break during the day.
The human body follows a so-called circadian rhythm that involves “physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a cycle of approximately 24 hours. These primarily respond to light and dark in an organism’s environment.”
Therefore, going full speed trying not to stop in the 8 hours or more of the day works against this system and, consequently, against productivity because the brain can only concentrate for 90 to 120 minutes before it needs a break .
The specialist suggested dividing your workday into three 90-minute chunks to get organized and achieve maximum productivity.
3- Take a nap
Of course, this point is not something that everyone can afford. But some studies, Rampton recalled, indicate that sleeping 20 minutes in the afternoon makes people more productive.
A short nap allows you to refresh and recharge your mind and body. They also relax and reduce stress, which allows you to stay healthier.
For example, the companies Google, Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble and Saatchi & Saatchi added spaces called Energy Pods or Sleep Pods in their offices a few years ago.
4- Work during the day
Research from the neuroscience program at Northwestern University in Chicago found that people are more productive if they work in natural light than those who complete their tasks indoors.
The study, published in Psychology Today, looked at two groups of workers, one on the morning shift and one on the night shift. The researchers concluded that the lack of natural light affects circadian rhythms to the point of reducing the quality of life of people who work without this type of lighting.
The study indicated that those who worked with natural light slept an average of 46 minutes more per night. Workers without windows scored lower on measures of physical problems and vitality. It proved that those who didn’t work near daylight also had poorer quality sleep.
So it is good to take advantage of sunlight to work, study or do any activity that is important during the day.
5- Internet speed
Rampton recalled that a study by a Boston-based think tank via The Washington Post indicated that cities with high internet speeds were more productive. That analysis was done by comparing cities that had lower internet quality.
Although it is a broad analysis that covers entire cities in the United States, the specialist used it as an example to indicate that improving the internet service in the workplace can increase productivity, since the load of web pages will be made faster.
6- Spend time outdoors
While research shows that we humans need to surround ourselves with nature to be healthier, not everyone can do it every day. But what can be done more simply is to bring nature inside. Plants increase productivity, while reducing stress. This may be related to the fact that plants can reduce the chemicals emitted into the air.
7- Plan the day the night before
The specialist’s recommendation is to review the goals for the next day the night before and ensures that achieving those goals encourages you to be more productive, relieves anxiety and leaves some free mental space.
Research cited by Rampton indicated that when a plan is created, the plan is likely to be followed. The study had participants write a report two days after Christmas about how they spent their vacation. One group was asked to specify where, when and how they would write the report. The control group was asked to write the report, but did not create such a plan. Of the participants who made a plan, 71% returned the report to the researchers. This compares to 32% of participants who had not formed a plan.
The specialist’s recommendation is to review the objectives of the following day the night before and ensures that achieving these objectives encourages the spirit to be more productive
The specialist’s recommendation is to review the objectives of the following day the night before and ensures that achieving these objectives encourages the spirit to be more productive
8- Try to be happy
A study from the University of Warwick showed that feeling happy makes people 12% more productive. “We have shown that happier subjects are more productive, the same pattern appears in four different experiments. This research will provide a guide for management in all types of organizations. The goal, to strive to make their workplaces emotionally healthy for their workforce,” said one of the researchers, Eugenio Proto.
Rampton recommends starting with the basics of being happy: taking care of your health by exercising and eating healthy and meditating, expressing gratitude, and surrounding yourself with upbeat people.
9- Take breaks with colleagues
Sociometric research conducted by specialists at MIT found that people who shared their lunch with co-workers were 36% more productive. The same study also revealed that this same group was 30% less likely to be stressed. Even when the company went through a round of layoffs later in the year, there was less stress.
That is, Rampton pointed out, those who were more productive and less stressed were those who socialized. “Socializing helps clear the mind and allows us to decompress. Talking with others gives us the opportunity to gain a new perspective on a problem or task.”
“What if you work from home or are self-employed? Call a couple of friends and have lunch with them,” she added.
10- Adjust the room temperature
Finnish scientists found that people’s performance increases if the ambient temperature is around 21 or 22 degrees. The study was carried out at the Laboratory for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning at the Helsinki University of Technology.
The Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley agreed with the Finnish study. Berkeley also found the highest productivity at around 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 22 degrees Celsius. A Cornell University study suggests that workers who feel cold make more mistakes.
11- Put order
Specialists from Princeton University studied how the disorder affects productivity and discovered that it causes brain activity to decrease.
The brain gets too distracted by clutter and prevents it from performing at its best. “How many times have you had to stop working on a project because you had to find a tool you needed? When you find what you need, how long does it take to get back to normal?” Rampton asked. That’s why he recommended: “Keep your workplace clean and organized. Always put things back where they belong.”
But the disorder is not only in the workplace, many times it is also mental. June Saruwatari author of the book Behind the Clutter. She recommended creating a to-do list every evening or every morning. She suggests prioritizing tasks between the most and least important. She proposes to place “everything in her own mental container. You only open the lid when we’re ready to deal with it.”
12- One task at a time
“The brain can’t be in two places at once, so what people call multitasking is actually what neuroscientists call task switching, and that means quickly moving between different tasks,” says Devora Zack, author of Singletasking : Get More Done (Single task: do more things).
Task switching, Zack warns, not only reduces productivity by 40%, it also shrinks our brains. “When you overload your brain trying to get it to switch tasks, you shrink the gray matter in your brain,” she says. This means that our brains and bodies must be in the same place and focused on one thing at a time, also known as a single task.
Rampton recommends eliminating distractions, such as turning off audible or pop-up warnings, group assignment emails.
Source: Ambito
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