Want to know the secrets of productivity at work? Here is part 1, and 6 points, of how to ace your working life. 

Your  C.V. passed the ATS and you knew the best ways to interview because of last week's article (check you!). Now, It’s your first day and you want to set a marker. You want to own it. You want your boss, colleagues; and anyone with two brain cells to realise that you are the perfect fit for the role.

And, on top of that - and to gently nudge you in the desired direction - you want thee most skim-able guide you ever laid your eyes and scrolling thumb on.

So, what you waiting for, scroll on down.

Your Body’s a Production Machine, it just needs the right fuel, care and operation. 

You know what your body needs and you make sure it gets it. After all, it's the pulley system to the wheels of your day. Without it, the day is an unpegged tent in a named storm.

With that in mind, here’s how to maximise your productivity.

1: Sleep

The big one. Without some shut-eye you know your energy levels don't last. You and can’t control your urges to eat; emotions fluctuate wildly; and you won’t be able to focus.

Not only that, but you know the recommended 8 hours of sleep need to be within 22:00-07:00 and they need to be unbroken. To give yourself the best chance, you know to eat and drink at the right times to stop you from breaking those Z's.

And, it does a few other things too. Check them out:

• enhances memory
• makes you more creative
• makes you more attractive
• keeps you slim  and lowers food cravings
• protects you from cancer and dementia
• wards of cold and flu
• lowers the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes
• makes you live longer
• andddd ou'll feel happier, less depressed and less anxious

As Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matt Walker puts it in his book, Why We Sleep (worth every penny, get on it):

"these are proven benefits of a full night of sleep”

Also, for a meaty video from Matt, click here

2: Food

Food—who knew. Well, you did. You need the right stuff. Because, without the right nourishment your body and mind will kangaroo like a learner driver.

And, who really wants to be riding that clutch on the first, second and countless consecutive days after. To avoid that, here’s a skimming list of a few food types to give you a boost:

porridge oats: keeps you fuller for longer. Aids focus. Why? It’s the special type of water-soluble fibre that, for the fibre family, takes longer to digest. A good portion of these will keep you full until lunch.

bananas: It’s your snacky friend. Not only does it satiate until your next meal, it also boosts energy, lowers chances of stroke; and increases focus and creativity.

berries: antioxidants are terrific for focused thinking, memory; and are generally one of the healthiest foods on earth. After all, they contain fibre (yay!) which, apart from lowering heart disease, strokes and type 2 diabetes (to name a few), keeps you fuller for longer.

nuts: little in size, but big in give. If you aren’t allergic to these parcels of power, then pack them in your diet. They give magnesium, protein and antioxidants and aid brain cell protection; metabolism increase; and satiate hunger. Win, win, nutty win.

spinach (and other leafy greens): reduces stress, anxiety; improves vision, focus and your immune system; boosts energy.. Go on, pile in the spinach.

wholemeal foods: some food stuff, your wholemeal gang. They’re high in nutrients and fibre; lower risks of heart disease; stroke; obesity; type 2 diabetes; support healthy digestion; and may, just may, reduce your risk of cancer. So many gives - and with the popularity of wholemeal, so many ways to include them in your diet.

avocados : these contain fatty acids that your body uses as an energy source. They also help with memory and can lower the risk of depression. Green, squidgy balls of energy. That’s the way to look at them.

For more on this, click here to livestrong.com  or Medical News Today

On top of that, you stay away from foods high in sugar. they give big, instant highs—but after that’s all over, they can cause mental and physical lows which you struggle to shake for hours, maybe even days afterwards.

 3: Alcohol (staying away from it)

Drinking all night before work will likely result in an hangover that topples your productivity like a badly pulled Jenga piece. So, you don’t do it. Infact, you barely drink at all as even one drink a night can disrupt your sleep (despite the age-old wisdom of a night-cap, research shows that alcohol sedates the frontal cortex—the part of the brain that controls consciousness. So, you may think you’re sleeping through. But, you’re more than likely waking without realising). Which breaks that sleep and affects focus, emotional control and energy levels.

Added to that, it dehydrates you; can cause depression; lack of energy; and a mental fog for days after. 

4: Water (and drinking the right amount)

You drink the recommended UK amount of 1.2 litres a day (roughly, 6-8 glasses), but not too much, as you’ll be going toilet every two minutes. Also, flavoured water isn't included, as it includes a mind-boggling amount of sugar.

Being low on the liquid stuff affects loads of bodily functions. Go on, scroll through the list:

• poor brain function (mental fog)
• low energy
• moody (or, in severe, sustained cases of a lack of sufficient amount of water, there are links to depression and anxiety)
• lead to overeating
• headaches

And you've also read that drinking enough water increases productivity by a whopping 14%!

5: Exercise

Yep, work that body. Studies show that exercise releases endorphins, which help with an whole host of things. They block and/or reduce pain (which means you can persevere with a task when your body might be in pain); increase the sensation of pleasure (they are also released when you laugh); and they regulate thirst and appetite (which means you can stick to your planned diet).

Exercise also reduces stress, anxiety, anger; depression; promotes better sleeping; can improve memory retention and general thinking. For a deeper dive, click this link to healthline.com 

So, grab those gym pants, it's time to stretch

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• 6: Coffee

  Disclaimer: caffeine affects people differently (phew, glad I got that out). And by no means is it wholly good or bad. It's a sit on the fence Charlie. Ready to give but also ready to take. This is what those give and takes look like.

  It is a great for short periods of alertness and staying awake; it releases the feel-good chemical dopamine into your body. But, and it’s a big coffee shop shaped but, it releases cortisol(the stress hormone) and adrenaline into your blood stream. Chemicals that were created to keep you alive on the planes of ancient Africa, but now acid through professional life; leaving lethargy, broken relationships; and a general undone-ness (probably not a word, but the caffeine hit’s just crashed, bro) in day-to-day happenings.

  And, when your caffeine cycle breaks, you’re ratty; prone to outbursts; and are scratching for that cup of Joe just to stave off those cold turkey symptoms.

  Also, it’s a diuretic (it makes you pee more. A coffee at 14:00 can still affect your sleeping and toilet patterns at 02:00am), which means your coffee habit could be affecting your sleep, and because you struggle to concentrate from the broken Z’s, your productivity.

  And you may be mentally shouting at the screen that a coffee wakes me up in the morning from mental fog/general tiredness. But, it’s the caffeine causing those symptoms. It blocks the body chemical, adenosine, with one of it’s effects, regulating sleep. So, once the caffeine as worn off, all that sleepy chemical rushes your sleep patterns. It's the same crash-y feeling you get in the afternoon when your morning cup of C as fled the nest.

  I know, so do you or don't you drink that espresso? That is this generation's giant beaned question.

  I've barely scratched the coffee table surface here. For an extra shot of content geared towards coffee, click here

  
  

  There you go. 6 points of polished goodness that will blow your productivity to the moon and back. 

  Your working week doesn't stand a chance.

  
  

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