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3 Reasons Personal Wellness Can Boost Your Productivity

Your productivity is a huge factor in how successful you are. No matter what kind of work you do, the ability to manage project deadlines and effectively fulfill your responsibilities to go above and beyond what’s expected of you is a sure-fire recipe for success.

However, if maintaining a high level of productivity was easy, everyone would be able to continually exceed expectations. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, research shows that within an eight-hour workday, the average worker is only productive for about three hours.

Many people think being productive means keeping your nose to the grindstone and forgetting about any of your personal needs, including your personal wellness. Working through your lunch and staying in work-mode 24/7 is often seen as necessary for high productivity. However, this line of thinking doesn’t take into account long-term sustainability. Pushing yourself harder may work in the short-term, but only results in bigger burnout later on.

In order to successfully boost your productivity, you need to keep your own personal wellness in mind.

Keeps your mind at top performance
Prolonged attention to a single task, such as an important project or upcoming deadline, puts a lot of pressure on the problem-solving area of your brain to perform. This can lead to massive productivity drainers such as decision-fatigue, low motivation, and a decreased ability to think creatively.

The best way to keep your mind sharp is to give the problem-solving area of your brain a break – whether it be taking time to talk with a trusted colleague, grabbing a cup of coffee or a bite to eat, or taking a brief walk. Taking breaks refreshes your problem-solving capabilities – or your “work brain” – which effectively improves your reasoning ability, combats procrastination by boosting your motivation, and leads to more “Aha!” moments that improve the quality of your work output.

Breaks themselves can lead to low productivity if not managed correctly, so make sure you aren’t spending more time on break than you are focused at work. Short intermittent fifteen minute breaks are typically enough to reap the benefits that keep your brain running at tip-top shape.

Improves working relationships
Keeping up with your personal wellness can improve the way you interface with others and build on the impression they have of you, which translates to better working relationships. Maintaining good working relationships is good for productivity, as you’re more likely to receive help and support when you’re struggling with a heavy workload.

Self-confidence and a friendly attitude are often key to effective relationships with your colleagues. For example, the all too familiar “don’t talk to me until I’ve had my morning coffee” attitude can be a quick way to alienate yourself from others.

The best way to improve your self-confidence and attitude is by focusing on improving your personal wellness through self-care. An effective personal wellness routine manages specific insecurities or anxiety about your personal appearance through targeted treatments, such as utilizing a hair growth treatment to halt a receding hairline or finding a skincare routine that improves your complexion. Beyond a personal grooming routine, the standard rules of self-care apply – such as eating well, sticking with a sleep schedule, and finding the time to exercise. When you feel good about yourself, you’re more inclined to be more sociable and build positive relationships.

Manages and prevents burnout
Overworking without thinking of your own personal wellness is one of the fastest ways to burn out. Even though your intention is to be more productive, the stress of constant work can make it harder to concentrate, cause you to feel disillusioned with your work, make you irritable or impatient with co-workers, and increase your level of procrastination.

That’s why another essential part of managing your personal wellness for increased productivity is finding a work-life balance that manages your level of work-related stress. By striking a balance between your work commitments and personal life, you’re able to make time for things that you enjoy doing, such as spending time with friends, catching a new movie, or discovering a new hobby. Striking a balance helps you to feel more energized and engaged at work, which is reflected in the quality of your work output.