

Otherwise it'll simply burn out and take longer to get back into the swing of things. Concentration is like a muscle: It needs to rest to be able to function, and it shouldn't be overworked. As much as you want to make the most of every minute, to get stuff done, to hustle, it's just not humanly possible. Or, if you must stay on the computer for some reason, watch some funny animal videos-it's shown that looking at cute pictures of cats and dogs can actually lead to increased productivity.Ī person can't be 100% productive all day. Grab something healthy to eat to replenish your energy levels. Chat with some of your co-workers (not about work)- research shows that employees who socialize are both happier at work and are able to do as much as their non-socializing co-workers, who as a result spend more time working. Do some little exercises in your office, or step outside and take a walk around to clear your mind and get your body moving. So, how can you make the most of your breaks in order to get the most out of your working sprints? First, step away from the computer (and the smartphone). We’re talking completely dedicating yourself to not working. Really-we’re reaching the level of the greats. This amount of off time may seem high, but if you take a look at world-class musicians, they become great by practicing in similar increments of time. In addition, the human body has never been made to sit for eight hours straight, and research has shown that breaking up the all-day sit-a-thon can improve productivity. The human brain just wasn’t built to focus for eight hours at a time- the best way to refresh attention span is to take a break. Repeating tasks leads to cognitive boredom, which in turn halts your ability to thrive at whatever you’re doing. First and foremost to your levels of productivity, working for long periods of time can be detrimental to your level of engagement with a certain task. There are a lot of surprising benefits to this rest time. Whereas, during the 17 minutes of break, you’re completely removed from the work you’re doing-you’re entirely resting, not peeking at your email every five minutes or just “ quickly checking Facebook.” Therefore, during the 52 minutes of work, you’re dedicated to accomplishing tasks, getting things done, and making progress. Working with purpose can also be called the 100% dedication theory-the notion that whatever you do, you do it full-on. They make the most of those 52 minutes by working with intense purpose, but then rest up to be ready for the next burst. The reason the most productive 10% of our users are able to get the most done during the comparatively short periods of working time is that their working times are treated as sprints. Turns out, the secret to retaining the highest level of productivity over the span of a workday is not working longer-but working smarter with frequent breaks. The employees with the highest productivity ratings, in fact, don't even work eight-hour days. Specifically, the most productive people work for 52 minutes at a time, then break for 17 minutes before getting back to it (similar to the Pomodoro Method- more on that here). Turns out, what the most productive 10% of our users have in common is their ability to take effective breaks. Using time-tracking and productivity app DeskTime, we’ve been able to study the habits of the most productive employees-and pinpoint the working flow that leads to that incredible ability to get things done.Īnd the trick might surprise you.

How does he or she get it done? And can you steal those secrets to improve your own productivity? You know, the one who always seems to get way more done than everybody else, but who never seems stressed or frantically trying to finish an assignment.
