Want to Increase Your Productivity at Work Just Walk Away

We at Hult Labs, given our own experiences, are willing to guess that your workday begins, and ends, with two things you may not give much thought to—a desk and a chair. We are also willing to guess that you sometimes get trapped, in that desk and chair, as you focus on being a productivity machine. That’s probably not an earth-shattering revelation, but we’re making a point about how common it is for us to spend—unquestioningly—countless hours almost frozen in time, sitting at a desk and staring at a screen. Why state the obvious? We’ve come across compelling research about the fact that sitting at a desk for long stretches of time can actually be quite bad for us, even aversely affecting our ability to be truly productive. Thankfully, there’s some newly emerging thinking on the best ways to partition our workday so that we can maximize our productivity during our time at the office. Most of us have been conditioned to believe that sitting at a desk, sometimes for hours on end, translates to a greater level of productivity. â€Å"Did I work hard today? I was at my desk for 10 hours!† Sure, it sounds impressive (in a way), but does that mean that more work—or better work—was done? Thorin Klosowksi solves this burning question in his article â€Å"The Office Worker’s Schedule for Healthy Living,† in which he asserts that we can be both productive and healthy if we are willing to follow a schedule that reminds us throughout the day to step away from our desks for a breather. He writes: â€Å"Creating a schedule to remind yourself to stand up and exercise a little might seem insane, but its pretty clear we all need some type of motivation because were not doing it on our own.† Thing is, we’re so trained to think that walking away from our desks means that valuable work time is also taking a walk on the non-productivity side. Not true! We’ll get to why that is, but first: how can we break this conditioning, this strongly ingrained habit to be tethered to our desks? First, we have to be our own advocates, our own â€Å"walk away† coaches. As it turns out, â€Å"we sit for about 15 hours a day,† a stunning factoid that Klosowski mentions in his article. His research uncovered the following: â€Å"When youre sitting, the big muscles, especially in the lower part of body, are completely unloaded. Theyre not doing their job, That inactivity prompts changes in the bodys metabolism†¦and produces a number of biological signals, what scientists call biomarkers, which are linked to cancer.† Imagine day after day of sitting, almost immobile, tackling one to-do list item after another—even eating at your desk in an attempt to counter an ever-growing list of tasks or emails. It’s probably not too hard to envision this because it’s probably your reality. And that’s a problem. Long stretches of sitting may not directly translate to certain cancers for you, but the odds are getting stacked—and not in your favor. And it’s not just a lower body/sitting issue. Klosowski takes a look at other modern-day office hazards, like eye and wrist strain, which can be annoying at best, or require surgery at worst. It makes a desk job sound almost†¦dangerous! But it’s not just our bodies that suffer; our minds can take a beating as well. In her article, â€Å"To Stay on Schedule, Take a Break,† Phyllis Korkki quotes Rotman School of Management professor, John P. Trougakos: â€Å"Mental concentration is similar to a muscle†¦It becomes fatigued after sustained use and needs a rest period before it can recover.† Trougakso recommends in the article that we take a break before reaching the end of our mental rope. Korkki writes: â€Å"Symptoms of needing time to recharge include drifting and daydreaming.†Ã‚   But we wonder: Is there an exception to taking a break every hour? Wouldn’t it be better to keep working if you’re in â€Å"the zone† and id eas are flowing from your mind like water from a faucet? The answer to that may surprise you. Enter Klosowski’s schedule (devised in collaboration with Brian Parr from the Department of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of South Carolina Aiken), which is designed to make you take leave of your computer every half hour. That’s right—you’ll have to step away from that poetically comprehensive spreadsheet that’s in the making, that perfectly worded email to your clients that’s not quite done yet, or the phone that never stops demanding your attention. This may sound like defying gravity, but it really isn’t. And there’s good incentive to do it. Klosowski quotes Parr as saying, â€Å"I think a good goal is 5-10 minutes of activity (away from the desk) per hour. That could be 5 minutes every half hour or 10 minute each hour†¦some workplaces are more supportive of taking short activity breaks than others. Many of these ideas can be done â€Å"secretly.† The benefit of taking breaks for the amount of time that Parr suggests is that you are giving some stasis to—if not preventing altogether—the negative impact that sitting at your computer can have on your body and mind. The research shows that short breaks, again, away from the desk, actually make us more productive than if we’d stayed at the desk all along. We may seemingly â€Å"lose† work time every time we get up to take a break, but we gain it back in spades through our increased productivity throughout the day. We recommend that you read the article in its entirety to figure out how best to incorporate Klosowski and Parr’s recommended schedule for a productive workday, but we will leave you with this: a routine that involves 10 minutes of some form of activity—away from your desk (yes, we’re stressing a point)—every hour may include a walk around the block for a few minutes and then some stretching, or grabbing a coffee and checking in with a colleague. There are myriad ways to re-charge your body and mind in under 10 minutes. In fact, Klosowski states, †By the end of the day, it is reasonable that someone could stretch and strengthen all of the major muscle groups. For many people, that is a lot of exercise!† And if you’ve abandoned your exercise routine because of your long work hours, you’ll be gaining some beneficial physical activity while increasing your productivity. Fit, productive and healthy? Who says you can’t have it a ll? Not Hult Labs. Photo courtesy of Antony Hell. Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog Hult scores in top 20 in The Economist’s Which MBA? ranking for 2019, or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself. Related posts News Building success: Dual Degree students win at USASBE Community How going beyond business at Hult helped me launch my company Admissions Accepted Students Weekend: A weekend to remember Careers Career mapping: How to become an executive in the next 5 years 0 Thought leadership How to prepare for an uncertain future in a world of AI News Is mail a dying form for businesses and marketing? Instagram Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .