Work Productivity

How Slacking Off May Actually Improve Your Focus

To start with, slack off on a regular basis is never a good idea. Slackers are often disorganized, spacey, late in terms of meeting deadlines and don’t have the best reputations.

However, a fair bit of evidence also shows how essential it is to slack off sometimes and take a break from the go-getting. So, what’s the upside? Here are the benefits of allowing a bit of distraction in your powers of concentration.

Boost Productivity
A bit of online slacking can make you more productive. Psychologists say that when people suppress their urge to do something tempting, it makes the temptation even more enticing. This truth applies to employees wanting to watch Youtube videos or browsing their Facebook. In a study, it was found that office workers who were allowed to use Facebook and watch short Youtube videos in between tasks ended up getting more tasks done than those who weren’t allowed such break. However, it’s important to keep in mind that allowing yourself to take a break after a task is different from being distracted while completing a task, which isn’t a good thing.

Improve Alertness
Most people ditched daily naps after preschool, but psychologists said that it should be continued through adulthood. Having a nap—even as short as 10 minutes—can improve alertness and cognitive performance. For an ideal power nap, drink a cup of coffee, and then snooze for 10 to 15 minutes. This combo can boost your energy and leave you feeling sharper when you get back to work.

Healthier Hearts
Go-getters are more likely to stress themselves over a situation that can lead to anger and hostility, which can trigger heart problems like arrhythmias and heart failure. Having a relaxed way of life and allowing yourself to take a break for a while when things get a little stressful is essential to help your ticker keep on ticking.

Restores Mental Energy
You can help restore mental energy by taking a few minutes to ‘reset’ your brain. One effective method is daydreaming, which lets your mind wander freely. When you’re daydreaming, you are detaching your brain from the intellectual demands of your tasks. However, although daydreaming is therapeutic, it should be kept controlled; you should know when to snap out of your thoughts.

From time to time, allow yourself to kick back. Do not deprive yourself of its much-deserved slack off time, especially when you feel like your concentration is no longer as sharp as it was in the beginning of the day.

Posted by Editor in Work Productivity