Giving your brain a rest
The jobs of the future will demand problem-solving skills and
creative approaches to work, everyone agrees. Then why do we keep
thinking that more hours at a desk will lead to better work?
Indeed, research has shown that people's productivity peaks when
they're working between 35 hours and 50 hours a week, depending on the
job structure and type of occupation. There's a good reason Henry Ford
agreed to a 40-hour workweek standard: Ford's own internal data showed
that additional work hours didn't meaningfully improve productivity.
This goes double for vacations. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology by
researchers at Indiana University found that when you have physical
distance and temporal distance (a.k.a. time off) from a problem, you're
able to come up with more creative solutions. The research builds on the
concept of psychological distance, which is important for finding fresh
approaches to a thorny problem.
To your health
When I found myself earlier this week spending 10 hours to research
and report a story that should've taken me five hours, I started to
suspect that both my productivity and creativity were in dire need of a
boost. Recipe for a vacation!
Even scarier a fate than being dull and inefficient is the prospect of heart disease or an early death.
A 2000 study
of 13,000 middle-aged men found that those who failed to vacation for
five years in a row were 30% more likely to experience coronary events
than those who took at least a week's vacation every year. In addition,
the researchers at the State University of New York, Oswego, found an
increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
Women aren't immune, either. In 2005, researchers found
that women who took at least two vacations a year were less likely to
be depressed and reported higher marital satisfaction, compared with
those who took time off from work less than every other year. The study
was published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal.
Family time
I must confess that a small part of me has been dreading the vacation
a bit. In addition to worrying about all the work waiting for me when I
return, I haven't been looking forward to cooking for and cleaning up
after my children for 24 hours over the course of eight days. I enjoy
having half the day to myself in a quiet office and fixing lunch just
for myself.
But research published in January by Kelton on behalf of the Walt
Disney Co. found that quality time increases to 82% of time spent with
children on vacation, as compared with half of the time at home.
Moreover, 97% of parents report sharing something new about themselves
with their children while on vacation, and 54% say the whole family is
more affectionate, according to the survey.
My solution: a job chart for the kids and a firm intention to share
the workload, so that the Lewis family can join those happy survey
takers reporting more relaxation while on vacation. Remarkably, my
children loved the idea and have already planned out the chores for the
first two days. Hopefully my health will benefit enough by the vacation
to withstand the days when they are planning the meals, which I'm sure
will be pancakes, pizza, and nary a vegetable in sight.
Checking out
Our brains and bodies need downtime every day, in the form of rest
and sleep, so we can face the next day with fresh reserves of mental and
physical energy. But we also need periodic breaks longer than a weekend
to recover from day-to-day stress and restore ourselves to optimal
function. Just catching up on sleep makes a big difference.
No comments:
Post a Comment