Be More Productive At Work. Here's How According to Science

Maybe everyone believes that becoming more effective is just about having more accomplished with less time. You certainly do more in months if you are a positive citizen than certain individuals do in years.

You could do less and be more effective at the same time. When you think of becoming more effective in your life, what do you do?

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NUREMBERG, GERMANY - MARCH 01: A technician assembles a DC/DC half-shell (top), which converts 450 V to a safe 12 V for the rest of the vehicle electronics, and an efficient inverter, for converting up to 450 V to direct current and vice versa, at a Continental AG Powertrain production facility on March 1, 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany. 

You can arrive across a plethora of information regarding numerous methods, strategies, and suggestions to use in the journey to be more effective. It might sound like common sense most of the time. Still, common sense is obviously not common, so many people fail to improve their efficiency.

Much of what you're about to learn can boost performance. Yet, another mitigating factor is that some of the ideas either don't seem to align for individuals or can't be followed quickly.

It's not only about following the best methods, but also about applying yourself further often in multiple forms. So, how would we be more effective scientifically?

Try to take coffee naps

You could be asking yourself, "What is a coffee nap?" It sounds just like that. A coffee nap is a snooze period of 15 to 20 minutes that accompanies a cup of coffee. It may say that just dosing with caffeine to take a nap defeats the goal. Still, there is a scientific explanation why coffee naps allow us more active than ever to bounce back.

According to Vox, having a coffee and then taking a break is helpful for a couple of reasons. Caffeine helps to keep you alert by removing the hormones that makes you feel tired. Around 15 to 20 minutes of napping means that you get a little rest without slipping into a deep sleep. You wake up just in time for the caffeine to begin kicking in.

Studies from Hiroshima University showed that the mixture was most successful in improving efficiency, with results that persisted around an hour after waking up. So, managers, you may want to invest in the nap space.

ALSO READ: Our Body Clocks Affect the Mood, Appetite, Physical Activity, and Productivity

Try new seating arrangement

You never know what type of ingenuity and refreshment a basic seating adjustment might contribute to. According to Christian Catalini, assistant professor at the Sloan School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, adjusting where your workers sit will improve innovation and efficiency. Catalini told the Wall Street Journal that it will promote concentration and productivity by putting staff together by agency, but mixing them up can also contribute to creativity.

Sigal Barsade, a management professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said that the arrangements of employees would also be infectious, so grouping persons depending on their disposition can also have an effect on the work atmosphere of an organization.

"People literally catch emotions from one another like a virus," Barsade said, adding that if you want to cheer up a stressed-out person, the safest way is to group the worker with happy, enthusiastic workers.

Taking breaks together

Breaks are not only critical from a safety point of view, they are also vital to improving efficiency. And, as it turns out, having a break with your friends, as comes to keeping your breaks alone, can have a major positive effect on your results.

According to a study undertaken by Humanyze (formerly Sociometric Solutions), co-workers taking their breaks together reduces friction and contributes to an improvement in efficiency as a consequence. Phys.org indicated that these communal breaks offered workers the chance to blow off steam and exchange customer care tips.

Suppose that involves redecorating the office a little or allowing workers room for mid-day socializing or caffeine naps. In that case, managers should exploit these scientific discoveries to boost their workplace's efficiency. It's not only good to give sleep rooms or frequent out-of-office vacations, it's statistically documented to help the company work more smoothly, minimize attrition and retain your staff for longer periods of time more profitable.

Let natural light come in

Only let in the sunlight. By ensuring the workers are subjected to ample natural light during the day, managers will improve workplace efficiency. Sitting at a desk under the glare of incandescent bulbs is extremely relevant.

According to Psychology Today, employees who worked in workplaces with windows were subject to 173 percent more white light than people who worked in windowless offices. The analysis also showed that workers employed in windowed workplaces slept 46 minutes longer every night on average, enjoyed greater sleep quality, and recorded higher quality of life ratings than those who did not. There were further sleep disruptions and daytime dysfunction recorded by workers employed in windowless offices. This is because the absence of natural light will disturb the body's circadian patterns and induce seasonal affective disorder.

You may buy lightboxes or therapy lamps that imitate natural outdoor light if your workspace or home office setup doesn't have a window nearby.

Decorate with the necessary colors

It may sound minor, but decorating and painting with the correct colors can make all the difference. Instead of all white or off-white walls, a splash of color might brighten the mood and spur the staff on mentally, even though they don't know it.

The University of Texas said the influence of color on productivity showed that white walls are bad for productivity and job quality. The research evaluated three classes of persons by making them function in three distinct colored spaces, red, aqua and white. In the white room, subjects made more mistakes than in the other colored spaces, Fast Company reported.

Another research by the University of British Columbia showed that among workers with detail-oriented activities, red will improve efficiency, whereas blue is relaxing and encourages imagination and collaboration. Green is also perfect for encouraging innovation and creativity; purple, though, can trigger anxiety and anger, and gray can contribute to lack of motivation and depression.

ALSO READ: Science Says Multitasking Is Bad for Your Productivity, Mental Health

Check out more news and information on the Brain on Science Times.