There are remarkably few people on the planet capable of filling an entire workday with 100 percent productivity. The human body simply needs to be refreshed. Fortunately, there are a variety of techniques and technologies that let you do just that!
Give the Pomodoro Technique a Try
The benefits of a break can give an employee a definite advantage in completing the rest of their daily tasks, especially if a single task drags on and on for the majority of their day. Allowing their brain to take a rest from this single initiative and focus elsewhere, even briefly, can help prevent them from becoming sluggish and unproductive.
This is where the Pomodoro Technique comes in. Invented in the 1980s by Francesca Cirillo, and named for the tomato-like shape of a kitchen timer, the Pomodoro Technique’s claim to fame is the division of available time into work and break periods. The idea is to not only keep the brain fresh throughout the day, but also to better manage the amount of time spent on each task. After all, a deadline is often a very effective way to promote a focus-benefitting urgency in order to complete a goal.
The Technique dictates that a practitioner work dutifully for a set amount of time, break for another set time, repeating this pattern throughout their day.
Apps that Might Help
Get Up and Go
A great way to make sure that your break gives you a break from your task is to use it for exercise. Whether or not sitting is all that bad for you, it’s an accepted fact that a bit of movement certainly can’t hurt. If one of your business perks is a gym membership or access to a company exercise facility, commit to utilizing it whenever possible and stick to that schedule.
Of course, not all exercise requires equipment. A simple walk outside can give the body the break it needs and your brain the bonus of a change of scenery.
Apps that Might Help
Just Breathe
Working in an office environment can admittedly be stressful. There are deadlines to meet, clients to appease, not to mention the savage jungle of office dynamics to navigate on a daily basis. The thing is, stress isn’t always part of the ideal state for productivity. As a result, employees need to have the chance to collect themselves and clear their heads. Breathing exercises have a long history of allowing just that. In fact, it may include some of the methods we’ve already discussed. The main focus here is that everyone is different, and may relax in different ways.
Apps that Might Help
We all deserve a break every now and then, but there’s no reason that these breaks shouldn’t be used to our advantage in the workplace. These apps, and the strategies they rely on, might help even the most stressed and unproductive employee refocus on the task at hand.
What are your go-to productivity boosters in the office? Let us know in the comments.
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