1 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the tactics 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,239 Speaker 1: used by leading innovators to get so much out of 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: their day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha Imba. I'm an 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: organizational psychologist, the CEO of Inventium, and I'm obsessed with 5 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: finding ways to optimize my work day. Now. I feel 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: like there's this stereotype of the ultra productive worker. So 7 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: in my mind, the kind of person that gets to 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: work early, they power up their computer and they stay 9 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: attached to it or get pulled into back to back 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: meetings solidly for the next ten to twelve hours. And 11 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: they believe that breaks for the week, so they don't 12 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: take any and they lunch at their desk while checking 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: emails and choking down a sandwich, and they congratulate themselves 14 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: for being such a type a personality and for not 15 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: succumbing to water cooler conversations or seeing the outside world 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: until it's time to head home. But here's the thing. 17 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: By avoiding breaks, you are killing not just your productivity, 18 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: but also your mood. What research shows is that taking 19 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: a break at work is really important, but unfortunately most 20 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: of us don't actually take enough breaks. So research from 21 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: the University of Colorado has shown that in contrast to 22 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: one thirty minute break or no breaks at all, hourly 23 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: five minute walking breaks boost energy, sharpen focus, improve mood, 24 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: and reduce feelings of fatigue in the afternoon way more 25 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: effectively than just that one thirty minute break. So what 26 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: you ideally want to do is take a five minute 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: working break and ideally do that six times a day 28 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: and then get back to work. But you know, if 29 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: you're thinking to yourself, there's no way you could take 30 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: six breaks during the day. Then there was an interesting 31 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: study that was published recently in the Journal of Positive Psychology, 32 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: and this particular study looked at a group of one 33 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty three students and they had half of 34 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: them sit in a park for five minutes and the 35 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: other half got to sit in a windowless lab for 36 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: the same amount of time. And at the end of 37 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: five minutes, they found that the people's people who sat 38 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: in a park, their mood improved significantly after spending time 39 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: in nature compared to those sitting in the lab. But 40 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: what's interesting is that there actually appears to be diminishing returns. 41 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: So the research has actually had a third group sit 42 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: in nature for an extra ten minutes, so fifteen minutes 43 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: in total, and they found that their mood was no 44 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: higher than those sitting in the park for only five minutes. Now, finally, 45 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,959 Speaker 1: if you've been listening to this and thinking five minutes, 46 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: where on Earth am I going to find five minutes? 47 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: Then I think you'll love this. Final research study, so 48 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: a group of researchers from the University of Melbourne found 49 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: that spending just forty seconds taking what they call a 50 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 1: green micro break, which simply consists of looking at some greenery, 51 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: increased concentration levels by eight percent when they compared another 52 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: group of people taking a forty second break where they 53 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: looked at some concrete city rooms instead. So to have 54 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: a super productive day today, all you need to do 55 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: is find forty seconds and look at some trees, but 56 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: ideally aim to take six five minute breaks where you 57 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: go for a walk to increase your energy, mood, and 58 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: of course your work performance. So that is it for 59 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: today's mini episode. If you liked what you heard and 60 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: know someone else that can benefit, I love it if 61 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: you could share today's episode with them so that more 62 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: people can improve the way that they work and also 63 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: be happier at work as well. And as always, if 64 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: you enjoy how I work, I love you, leave a 65 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,119 Speaker 1: review or hit subscribe, and that way you will get 66 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: alerted as to whenever new episodes arrive. That is it 67 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: for today and I will see you next time.