Sleep-Exercise-Sun has no side effects because the variables involved are natural.
UPDATE – 12:52 AM, SAT – 11/26/22
Amit Mishra
Hyderabad: What do you call the process of striking a balance between all factors of production to obtain maximum output with minimum effort? If you lived in the 1960s and ever stumbled upon the writings of a gentleman named Peter Drucker, you would have guessed nothing but the concept of employee productivity evoked here. But as times change, so too does the definition of employee productivity evolve to match the colors of its time.
If you’re a movie buff and stumble across a movie about a struggling writer named Eddie Mora (played by Bradley Cooper) who is freed by a nootropic called NZT With human beings at their highest potential, your thinking about productivity will be radically different from that of your neoclassical management-era contemporaries. When the idea of employee productivity took the layman’s route, it gave off a simple definition of “the amount of work an employee can get done in a given amount of time.”
motivation science
But the inherent simplicity of the definition hides the complexity of the meaning, and employee productivity depends on a variety of factors. Among the many variables that make an employee productive is the employee’s motivation level. The science of motivation confirms that the monoamine neurotransmitter called dopamine is primarily responsible for maintaining our motivation levels to get work done or achieve our goals.
As we learned more about the importance of hormonal balance for mental and physical stability, we realized that there is another monoamine neurotransmitter responsible for stabilizing our mood and controlling anxiety called serotonin. Likewise, we have several other neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, glutamate, GABA, endorphins, and their optimal balance in our body is critical for the healthy functioning of our brain and ultimately Improve mood, reduce anxiety and increase productivity.
work pressure
Today, we live in an age where employees are more stressed and frustrated at work than ever before. According to Gallup’s 2021 survey, 57% of U.S. and Canadian workers say they experience daily stress, an increase of 8 percentage points from the previous year and above the global average of 43% (2020). Antidepressant use appears to be increasing in all advanced economies. In 2018, 70.9 million antidepressant prescriptions were written in the UK, up from 36 million in 2008, according to NHS figures. Likewise, there has been a recent surge in the use of antidepressants in the United States.
We also have another class of people who use nootropics or smart drugs to increase their cognitive abilities and productivity, just like Eddie Mora in the movie unlimited, changed his life with a miracle drug, and people are looking for ways to be more productive and help them feel better. The use of these smart drugs for non-medical reasons is increasing exponentially across all age groups, with many using them to stay productive while turning a blind eye to the side effects these drugs bring.
promising discovery
Amid the din of smart drug utility, one approach finds its weight in the promise of transforming depressed souls into productive ones. A recent study on sleep, exercise (exercise) and sun exposure provides enough evidence to ensure that practicing the method optimally can lead to higher levels of productivity, greater motivation and mental stability sex. These three variables of sleep-exercise-sunshine are important for staying healthy and leading a productive lifestyle.
According to a Lancet survey of more than 400,000 Taiwanese citizens, just 15 minutes a day of moderate activity or 90 minutes a week (such as brisk walking) can add three years to your life. Not only does a 15-minute workout have many health benefits, it can also improve our mental health, reduce the effects of stress, and aid in neurodevelopment, which can lead to better cognitive performance and productivity. Exercise also causes the release of two important neurotransmitters called endorphins and dopamine, which are responsible for making us feel good, energized and motivated.
Another important variable in improving productivity is quality sleep. Poor sleep patterns can affect an individual’s overall health and reduce productivity. A recent Gallup study extrapolated that an estimated 7 percent of U.S. workers report being regularly sleep deprived, and they report more than double the rate of unscheduled absences compared to non-sleep-deprived workers. Those who were sleep deprived reported 2.29 days a month of unplanned absences due to illness, compared with 0.91 days for all other workers. Healthy sleep patterns can improve mental health, reduce stress and depression, and ultimately improve focus and productivity in the workplace.
Last but not least, and considered by many to be irrelevant, is exposure to sunlight. In this day and age, when people are working remotely from home and have easy access to all resources, they are rarely exposed to natural light.
Research confirms that when exposed to sunlight, the brain releases more of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin has been linked to improved mood as well as improved mental calm and focus. Exposure to sufficient sunlight enhances cognitive function and may also reduce depression and mental distress. Five to 15 minutes of natural light a day has several key benefits, such as boosting mood, improving sleep patterns and reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Therefore, improving our sleep patterns, exercising adequately, and exposing ourselves to optimal sunlight every day is necessary in order to be productive. These three essential variables not only help us to be more productive at work, but also make our lives better. We call this the SES cycle in our research because these processes have to be tried and repeated every day. There is no drug in the world that can guarantee long-term productivity without any side effects, but SES has no side effects because the variables involved are natural.
Going back to the simple definition of getting things done in a given amount of time, it’s clear that whatever work you’re exposed to will be of higher quality when the mind is calm than when the mind is stressed and distracted. Therefore, productivity is never the result of accidental drugs but of planned lifestyles.
(The author is an academic assistant at the Indian School of Business)
