The Scientific Method for Productivity

In a world that keeps getting busier by the day, productivity is in the minds of many. But what actually does work? Is it downloading all the latest time management and productivity apps? Or forcing yourself to stay at work for hours on end. How can people employ the best wizardry – science to crack open the potentialities of our minds? Is there actually a secret to being productive?

What do you think is more effective – working non-stop for 5 hours straight? Or working in spurts of 90 minutes with a 20 minute break in between? The answer to this question can vary among different office workers. Some who skip their lunch and do not leave their desks until 6 will say that the first way is the best. But science begs to differ as that is not the case!

The science of this all boils down to our ultradian rhythms, just like the circadian rhythms the ultradian rhythm is responsible for creating a body clock that cycles throughout our lives on a regular basis. The only difference being that while the circadian rhythms keep track of the 24-hour night/day cycle, the ultradian rhythms roll in 90 – 120 minute cycles; especially for those of our standalone brain-wave frequencies.

People are usually well acquainted with the way we go through different stages while sleeping, these are actually our ultradian rhythms at work, but one may not realize that they also pass through various stages while in the waking hours.

As per studies all sorts of things are affected by these different phases during the waking hours. Research shows that various things are affected by these cycles such as alertness, dopamine levels, as well as attention.

Interestingly a 1993 study by the psychologist Anders Ericsson discovered that the most popular violinists all practised in chunks of 90 minutes with breaks. Also on the similar lines, a 1995 study discovered that people mostly maintain their sleep cycles even after waking up, these cycles are known as "sleepiness cycles".

And it is due to these findings that experts such as Buffer CEO, Leo Widrich along with engagement consultant Tony Schwartz also swear by a rest-cycle activity that creates breaks into the working day.

A few secrets to hacking productivity:

1. Your will power is just not enough: according a study, our will power is an exhaustible source which can get used up entirely. This concept is named as ego depletion. So, do not try and convince yourself to do something harder. Instead use a more methodical approach.

1. Step 1 is to get started. Starting is the biggest obstacle to completing a task, but if you get started then with the help of the Zeigarnik Effect humans are conditioned to accomplish a task they have already started. Because when we leave a project unfinished we feel discomfort and get intrusive thoughts about the same. So, get started asap!

2. Time management is not the issue. Top musicians don’t jus practice more but they do so deliberately. They usually focus their energy on the hardest tasks and concentrate their energy in packets. This helps by not diluting their effort over the whole day, but instead applies their creative energy in small pockets; they do not rely on willpower but instead on habit and a disciplined schedule. So, create a deadline and you will be much more likely to complete a task.

3. You will also benefit by creating an accountability chart to document your progress. In one column note down the time span and in the other, write the progress made on that column. This will help you evaluate your work realistically rather than make inaccurate assumptions.

2. 4) Multi tasking is a myth. It only feels like you are accomplishing more but studies show that multi-taskers are way less productive than their uni-tasking counterparts. So, you should create an action plan for the next day, this way you will be able to hit the ground running your action plan well in advance. It will also help you avoid multiple activities at once.

3. 5) By splitting up your larger tasks into small sized ones your brain will not feel intimidated by the same. The tasks will be less daunting and the starting process will be much smoother.

Thus, with a clear objective and a well mapped out action plan one’s productivity can reach newer heights easily.

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Business expert Amelia Roster is from California, Usa, works with Management Paper, the leading online writing service that works to establish the credibility of Mba students by providing them best quality custom assignment papers.