The Javelin Technologies Blog

At our Javelin office in Oakville, we’re lucky to work in a colourful, spacious and social work environment. Here are some tips that you can easily follow to increase productivity and over-all mood at your office!

• #1 Be happy. Being in a good mood increases productivity. Studies outlined on Voxeu.org conclude that happiness and productivity are directly correlated. In an experiment conducted by Daniel Sgroi, we can see that participants who were shown a 10 minute long comedy clip answered more questions correctly (10%) than the participants who were not shown a clip. The takeaway: maybe that ‘Funny Cats YouTube Clip‘  is not such a time waster after all. Doing little things to improve your mood can go a long way.

• #2 Eat right. Eating nutritious and high energy foods can replace caffeine and provide consistent, longer lasting energy. Start your day off right. Lay off the caffeine as it only gives you temporary energy and if it’s loaded with sugar, it is likely to make you hyper and ultimately crash. Instead, have a well balanced breakfast and bring these high energy foods to snack on. Good snacks to bring are: oatmeal, almonds, yogurt, popcorn and fruit.  Getting your fibre, protein and vitamins is a great way to boost your energy and maintain long term health.

• # 3 Get up. Leaving your desk can better your mood and increase energy. Eating lunch at your desk can be messy and hinder productivity.  You may think you accomplish a lot while eating spaghetti at your desk, but numerous studies show that you have more to gain by walking or talking during lunch. Human beings are naturally social creatures (hence the 5 social media tabs you currently have open), eating lunch while having a light hearted conversation can relieve stress. Exercise boosts your mood and as we’ve seen in the previous point, a better mood = increased productivity.

     The Myth: Multitasking Exists

The brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a time. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.

(John Medina, Brain Rules)

• Basically, humans are not made to multi-task. If we try and do so, the quality of our output will greatly suffer.  Trying to do things at once to save time will ultimately cost you more time. Instead, prioritize! According to Tucker Cummings, we should ‘bite the bullet’ and handle the big stuff first. It may be tempting to get the little ‘5 minute tasks’ out of the way but after all the little things are accomplished we rarely have the energy and drive to tackle a big project. Just get it over with!

• Please comment below and share some productivity wisdom! 

When you are walking, walk. When you are sitting, sit.

(Buddha)