Tips On How Relaxation and Productivity Go Hand In Hand
Relaxation Encourages Production
Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? Yet, if you have been in the workforce, you have a good idea that relaxation is an essential part of being a productive employee. Employers prove this notion by offering office parties, allowing web surfing, expecting chat by the water cooler, and other downtime activities. But if employers harnessed this idea and encouraged productive relaxation, the benefits would surprise them. Think Google. An out of the box mindset from management down, their hands off approach inspires amazingly imaginative relaxation and productivity.
What Type of Relaxation Works Best?
As an employer, it is a fine line to balance relaxation and laziness among employees. The more you micromanage, the less effective you are as a manager. But, you are still accountable to the bottom line and need to make sure your tasks are getting completed timely and correctly.
The key is to ensure that relaxation is tied to productivity. There are various methods to gaining relaxation. Following these techniques correctly has proven to increase energy, lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones, and increase productivity.
Productive relaxation isn’t lying on a couch, taking a day off work to spend at the beach, sleeping, or just simply being lazy. It is an active process that relaxes the body. It can be achieved through various methods; Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Visual Imagery, Deep Breathing, Meditation, Hypnosis, and Yoga, to name a few.
The 80/20 Rule
Taking specific steps to achieve relaxation will allow otherwise blocked mind mapping to occur. Consider your tense, overworked, stressed, closed off mindset like an onion. In order to get to the fresh ideas below the surface, you need to peel away the layers to reach the productive core. Visualizing a relaxing place, knowing that your trip back from that place will open blocked doors, will allow you to consider ideas that have been left untouched during your typical work state. This can only happen by allowing relaxation and productivity to occur together.
Focus on the Pareto 80/20 rule. Write down all of your tasks and prioritize those tasks. What must be done in order for these tasks to get to the top 20% of tasks completed? Your relaxation will have led you to a clear vision on what the 20% is and how to achieve it. Placing all of your effort into these few items rather than a little effort into many items will increase your relaxation and productivity.
Concentrate On What Is Important
Many of the relaxation techniques that will assist you in your productivity take time and concentration to master. Once you have mastered the technique that works for you, repeat it often in shorter formats, if necessary, to gain productivity in your work and personal tasks. Track your results for the greatest benefit. Rate your tension level before and after each exercise.
Through effective relaxation, you will find that your life plan may become more clear, your work will improve, and your physical health will benefit once you employ relaxation in your everyday workplace arsenal.
Image Credits: Microsoft Clip Art (https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/)
