Ever since its inception, New Year’s Day has signified new beginnings. In fact, the holiday was first conceived as a day dedicated to the Roman god of new beginnings, Janus, of whom the month of January is named after. Nowadays, it has become tradition to make changes in our lives with the coming of the new year.
One of the many ways people are looking to make a change is to be more productive at work. We all want to do better at our job but it can be difficult to increase productivity at work without wreaking havoc on our health. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll tell you all about how to improve your productivity with nutrient IV therapy, as well as a host of other great tips to make 2016 your most productive year ever!
This should come as no surprise to some, but exercising can actually help boost your work productivity. According to a study conducted by researchers for the Body-Brain Performance Institute in Australia, working in tandem with Swinburne University’s Brain Sciences Institute, workers who walked more each day and exercised at the gym at least three times a week, had improved moods, higher alertness, and more focus at work. They even had lower levels of stress, better memory, and higher energy levels, leading to better workplace productivity. One of the best ways to achieve this is by downloading one of the many great fitness apps to monitor your progress. Apps like Strava, Runtastic, or FitBit can help you set your own goals and let you be your own personal trainer. You can check on your heart rate, time your runs, and perform hundreds of different functions.
If you’ve ever worked a 9 to 5 you know the deal: get to work, grab a coffee, work until lunch, go to lunch, work until you need another coffee, grab a coffee, work until its time to go home. Believe it or not, this work structure is actually more unproductive than you think. Studies by sleep researchers and biologists have found a correlation with sleep patterns and wake patterns. We have sleep cycles where we’re in deep sleep for 90 minutes and more “waking sleep” for 10 minutes or so. A similar thing happens during the day where we are at peak performance for 90 minutes at a time, and then require rest for 10 minutes. Researchers have concluded that if you split up your workday to 90 minute intervals, with a 10-15 minute break in between, you’ll be able to have a higher productivity rate than just slogging through your shift. If you work 90/10 you’ll find that you’ve actually gotten a lot more done and you’ll have a higher energy level at the end of the day.
As children, we’re taught the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, yet as adults we’re rarely able to get a decent night of shut-eye. Whether it’s staying up too late or having another restless night thinking about all the things we have to do, we constantly find ourselves trying to “catch up” on some sleep over the weekend. However, this lack of sleep is ruining our workplace productivity. A study by researchers from the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and the University of Toronto among others, concluded that those suffering from short-term sleep deprivation had lower levels of brain function and slower cognitive processing.
We’ve all heard the old “early to bed, early to rise” routine but did you know that waking up earlier actually helps you be more productive? According to a study by Professor Christoph Randler at the University of Heidelberg, people who woke up earlier had higher levels of cortisol, leading to higher energy levels and less stress. Not only that, but by giving yourself more time in the morning, you’re making it much easier to get a head start on your day. It has also been known that some of the most successful people start their days early. Apple CEO Tim Cook, Virgin CEO Richard Branson, and Disney CEO Bob Iger all have stated that they begin their days before 6am because it helps with their productivity. If you’re ready to be productive this year, then it pays to stop hitting the snooze.
We all know that 2:30 feeling. You’ve had your lunch and now you’re starting to crash. You find yourself going to make another cup of coffee to help you make it through the rest of the day. But it might actually be better for you to go to the water cooler instead. A study conducted by researchers at the University of East London found that workers who were properly hydrated had 14% better reaction times at mental tasks than those who were not. Since about 80% of the brain is water it is especially important to have enough water to properly regulate brain activity.
According to a report done by global management firm, McKinsey & Company, 28% of the average workweek is spent looking at and responding to emails. If you do the math, this equals to be almost 11.5 hours per 40-hour workweek, meaning we’re spending more than two hours per day checking emails, a quarter of our workday. With so many other responsibilities and tasks being added to our jobs, this becomes a huge distraction from getting our work done on time, leading to companies losing money on lost productivity. Instead of checking new emails every hour or so, you should plan time in your day to look at and answer all emails. That way you can save time answering emails all at once and focus on other projects. By planning a time frame to answer emails, you’re letting people know when they can expect a response. You’re also freeing up your schedule accomplish more important tasks.
Another way to improve your workplace productivity is to mentally check out. If you’re stressing out about projects or all the things you have to get done by the end of the week, you’ll probably less energetic and more anxious about what to do. The solution? Take a five-minute break. Don’t look at any screens. Don’t answer any calls. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Time yourself for 5 minutes. You’ll find that after those five minutes are up, you’re much more calm, much more clear-minded, and ready to take on any tasks. You can also try vitamins like B6 and B12 or even folic acid to help give your brain a slight advantage. You can even try nutrient IV infusion to make it easier than having to find the right foods.
Want to be more productive in 2016? Try Nutrient IV therapy to make your work feel like play.