How to boost employee’s mental clarity

The purpose of employing somebody is that they are productive and work to their full potential. Therefore emphasising the importance of employee’s mental clarity is crucial for boosting efficiency and productivity in the workplace. The following is the scientific stuff (in simple terms) that gives you the basics of how your employees (or you) can work at full potential… 

Avoid depriving your brain of energy

The first tip is to ‘fuel-up’ regularly because our brain cells can’t store glucose which is their primary source of energy. Avoid skipping meals or going for extended periods without food or water – this actually deprives your brain of the energy it needs from nutrients.

Move around – every hour

Prolonged sitting slows down the blood flow to the pre-frontal cortex which is the front part of the brain that we use for higher executive thinking. If we’re stagnant we find it hard to concentrate and we make more mistakes. So get a stand up desk or get moving on the hour every hour.

Take a 10-15 minute break

Give your brain a complete break. We have what is called an ultradian rhythm which goes through cycles throughout the day lasting around 90 minutes. We have peaks and troughs of energy. At mid-morning, take a break for 10-15 minutes. At lunchtime, avoid eating at your desk and enjoy another small break in the afternoon.

Monotask

Monotasking is where you prioritise your work by picking the top three things you need to do. You start with the number one priority and you do not do anything else until that job is finished. By doing that you are applying your pure undiluted focus. You get work done faster with more energy than you would jumping from task to task.

Schedule time for thinking

It’s about scheduling a 10-minute appointment with yourself and it doesn’t matter where you are or how you organise it. It’s that time where you are interruption free and you can press the pause button and think about what matters. Reflect on how things are going and organise your thoughts.

Did you manage to read this article without interruption? Have you moved in the last hour? Have you eaten or had a drink in the last 2 hours?  It’s remembering these little things that can make a big difference to your mental clarity – go on, try one thing today!

Stephanie | People Guru