We spend much of our lives at the office working diligently, slacking off, and talking about our weekend around the watercooler. Despite spending so much of our lives at work, there’s plenty about office life we don’t understand or would be surprised to learn.
For instance, why do you sometimes find yourself looking forward to busywork? Why are you sadder when the office temperature drops and you find yourself wrapped up in five layers? And just how bad is social media to your productivity?
Thankfully, researchers have looked into many questions we didn’t even think to ask about our everyday lives in the office. The answers to some of these questions might surprise you, but knowing the psychology behind our 9-to-5 can help us be more productive and shine in the workplace:
You Secretly Love Busywork
You know the busywork you need to do, like organizing your files, filling in a spreadsheet, or sorting through your emails? We all have work on the job which doesn’t take up much mental energy but still needs to get done anyway. Many of us claim to not like busywork, instead preferring to be challenged at work. Research, however, paints a different portrait.
A study lead by the University of California, Irvine, and presented at the South by Southwest panel on workplace distraction, found employees were actually happiest when performing these rote tasks. Why is busywork secretly so enjoyable? It’s because completing busywork gives you a feeling of accomplishment without the corresponding stress which comes along with more challenging tasks.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed in the office, take some time to finally do the busywork that’s been piling up, like cleaning your desk or sorting email. You might just discover some office zen in the process.
Social Media Actually Increases Productivity
We all know social media is a horrible drain on workplace productivity…right? After all, if you’re on Facebook and Twitter, you’re probably not getting your work accomplished. But a few surveys tell a different story.
According to a recent survey by Microsoft, 46 percent of workers say their productivity has improved thanks to social media and social media tools. A further 37 percent wish their organization’s management would embrace social media tools in the workplace in order to increase productivity. Of course, this is discussing the wide scope of social tools in the office, many focused specifically on productivity, instead of the big social networks we all know and love to waste time surfing.
However, even social media with no ties to your workplace can make you more productive on the job. Research by the University of California, Irvine team found occasionally “grazing” social media sites like Facebook can work as a mood booster. These social media breaks can act as a mental palate cleanser, helping workers with a quick mood enhancer, allowing you to return back to the task at hand refreshed.
You Really Can’t Concentrate During The Summer
We all know there are certain times of day and times of year when productivity slacks off and you start watching the clock instead of your projects. Research from the University of California, Irvine, shows productivity rises in the late morning around 11 a.m. and peaks between 2 and 3 p.m. Unfortunately, starting on a big project after 3 p.m. isn’t a great idea, since motivation and focus are all but spent in the late afternoon hours.
What’s the best season for getting things accomplished? When the weather grows hot, all bets are off when it comes to your productivity. According to a study by the Captivate Network, workplace productivity drops a whole 20 percent during the summer months. When the temperature rises, attendance decreases by 19 percent and workers are 45 percent more distracted. While summer might be the best time to work on your tan, it might be the worst time to get work accomplished.
The Office Temperature Affects Your Mood
As it turns out, a low office temp can make you blue both physically and emotionally. Studies have shown cold temperatures can increase feelings of sadness and loneliness. So your unhappiness at work might stem from how many sweaters you have to don just to get through the day.
Raising the temps sky-high, however, isn’t exactly a suitable solution. Consistently high temperatures can make workers feel sluggish and therefore less productive. After all, just look what happens to productivity during the hot summer months. Experts suggest keeping the temperature around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in order to find the productivity sweet spot.
Solving these everyday office mysteries can provide important productivity hacks for motivated workers. Armed with these surprising workplace facts, you can adjust your environment for a much need productivity boost.
What do you think? What everyday office mysteries have you discovered? Share in the comments!
