1 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Well, welcome to How I Work, a show about the 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: technics used by leading innovators to get so much out 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: of their day. I'm your host, doctor Amanda Imba. I'm 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: an organizational psychologist, the founder of innovation consultancy Inventium, and 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: I'm obsessed with finding ways to optimize my work day. 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: Before we get into today's mini episode, I wanted to 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: tell you about an exciting event coming up next week 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: where I'll be doing my very first How I Work 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: interview in front of a live audience, and I would 10 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: love for you to come along if you happen to 11 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: be in Melbourne. So my guest will be sy and Tai. 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: Aid Si is one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs, having 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: co founded Envato in two thousand and six and having 14 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: grown it into being valued at over one billion dollars. 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: Last year, she tried her hand at chocolate because you 16 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: know why not and Hey Tiger is now one of 17 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: Australia's fastest growing purpose driven brands. Oh and in her 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: spare time, she recently launched Milkshake dot app, which allows 19 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,759 Speaker 1: users to make a free website for their Instagram profile, 20 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: all on their phone instantly. 21 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 2: In my interview with Side. 22 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: I'll be uncovering how she manages her time between her 23 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: three businesses, one husband and two young boys. 24 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: Will also delve into. 25 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: How Size structures her day, finds great talent and where 26 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 1: her best ideas come from, and probably a whole bunch 27 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: of other stuff too, if you would like to come along. 28 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: The event is going to be held at Inventium's offices 29 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: in Melbourne, CBD on Wednesday, July thirty one in the morning, 30 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 1: bright and early seven thirty am start and will wrap 31 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: up at about eight thirty am, and all profits from 32 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: ticket sales are going to go to the Hunger Project, 33 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: which is Sized charity of choice. So if you would 34 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: like to book yourself in and be part of this 35 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: live interview event, go to bity which is BitB it 36 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: l y forward slash how I Work Live. So that 37 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: is bit dot l y forward slash how I Work Live, 38 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: and I'll also link to that in the show notes 39 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: and hopefully I'll see you there now onto today's mini episode. 40 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: Depending on how much you love your job and to 41 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 1: some extent your work ethic breaks are either the highlight 42 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: of the day or something that gets in the way 43 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: of doing actual work, So the stereotypical workerholic tends to 44 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: believe breaks are for the week. If they could have 45 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: their lunch injected via IV drip while they check their emails, 46 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: they would happily opt for this option. In polar opposite 47 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: a clockwatchers whose sole reason for working is for the paycheck. 48 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: If someone is doing a coffee run, they will be 49 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: the first of volunteer to go with you. If people 50 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: are standing around the water cooler talking about last night's 51 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: episode of The Bachelor, they race to join in, and 52 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: of course any workers sit somewhere in between, often depending 53 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 1: on the day. 54 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: On some days, time flies. 55 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: And breaks are forgotten, but on other days, some days 56 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: can really feel like long slogs. However, what few people 57 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: fail to think about is the impact that breaks, and 58 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: more specifically, the length and activity of your breaks, is 59 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: having on your productivity. According to science, there are several 60 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: ways to extract maximum value from your work breaks. So 61 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: my first piece of advice is to have your first 62 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: break early in the day so when it comes to 63 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: the very first break of the workday. Research conducted by 64 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: Emily Hunter and her colleagues from Baylaw University discovered there 65 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: is an optimum time to take your first break. So 66 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: in their research, Hunter recruited around one hundred office workers 67 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: in the United States. After every single break participants took 68 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: over the course of the day, they were asked to 69 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: complete a survey, Hunter found that those who took their 70 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: first break earlier in the working day reported feeling more energetic. 71 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: So as such, workers need to avoid saving up their 72 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: break for when they feel like they really need it, 73 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: such as struggling to the afternoon and then taking a break. 74 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: And additionally, feeling like you're too busy to take a 75 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: break and thus delaying it until the afternoon is also 76 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: a poor strategy when it comes to maintaining energy levels. 77 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: The second piece of advice I have for you is 78 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: to line your break activity with something enjoyable. So, in 79 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: the same piece of research, Hunter found that to maximize 80 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,039 Speaker 1: a break's ability to recharge, you need to do something 81 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: that you find enjoyable during your break. So, for example, 82 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: getting a coffee with a coworker whose company you don't 83 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: particularly enjoy would be far less recharging compared to if 84 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: you were a bookworm and use the break to do 85 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: some reading. Well, you might assume that activity is involving 86 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: more efforts such as running errands would make for a 87 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: less effective break than non effort full activities. No difference 88 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: was actually found in this research, and likewise, the effectivenes 89 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 1: of a break was not impacted by whether people left 90 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: the office or did work related tasks. 91 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: During their break. 92 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: Wow. My next tip is to take six five minute breaks, 93 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: so six lots of five minute breaks. So the length 94 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:17,799 Speaker 1: of an optimal break is not something that many people 95 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: think about. The length of a break is really often 96 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: dictated by social norms within the organization or by a roster. 97 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: But research from the University of Colorado uncovered that there 98 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: is an optimum length of time for breaks. So these 99 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 1: researchers found that in contrast to one thirty minute break, 100 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: hourly five minute walking breaks boost energy, sharpen focus, improve mood, 101 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: and reduce feelings of fatigue in the afternoon much more effectively. 102 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: While finding time for six breaks might be challenging, even 103 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: getting into the habit of going for a quick walk 104 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: around the block will reap rewards and alternatively, setting Google Calendar. 105 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: If you use Google Calendar to the speedy meeting setting, 106 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: which schedules meetings for twenty five and fifty minutes rather 107 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: than thirty and sixty minutes. It might just make it 108 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: a little bit easier to find five minutes in your 109 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: day when you're doing back to back meetings. My final 110 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: tip for you today is if you're really pushed for time, 111 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: like you can't even find five minutes, is take a 112 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: forty second green break. So if you don't have time 113 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: to implement any of the suggestions I've just given you, 114 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: researchers recently reveal that the minimum effective dose for a 115 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: break is just forty seconds. So research from the Journal 116 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 1: of Environmental Psychology showed that taking a forty second green 117 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: micro break so that it is looking at a view 118 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,799 Speaker 1: of greenery, increased concentration levels by eight percent. So taking 119 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: less than a minute to look at some trees will 120 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: work wonders for your productivity. That's it for today's show. 121 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: If you know someone that maybe doesn't take enough breaks 122 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: or takes the wrong kind of breaks, maybe share this 123 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: episode with them. And if you are enjoying how I work, 124 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: I would love it if you can take five seconds, 125 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: maybe in one of your breaks today, to leave a review. 126 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: You can either tap on a star rating or you 127 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: can even write some words to describe what you think 128 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: of the show. So that's it for today and i'll 129 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: see you next time.