8 Weird, Science-Backed Ways To Improve Your Focus And Productivity

So you’ve found yourself slacking off at work or school and are wondering what you can do to improve your focus or productivity. You’ve heard all of the old methods: drinking coffee, exercising, getting a good night’s rest, etc. While those simple tips may work for most, they simply do not work for some. Here are 8 science backed ways to increase your productivity that you’ve probably never even thought about trying.

1. Listen to Video Game Music

Video game music is designed to keep you focused on completing a task while being a minimum distraction. If you think about it, how many times can you recall losing focus while trying to complete a level in Mario? There are many types of gaming soundtracks available for free, you just have to choose the right one. You can read this article on video game music and its impact on focus to learn more.

2. Hit the Gym After Studying

While working out might be the last thing on your brain while studying for a studies have shown that those that do can recall information better the next day. According to the study even light exercise may help with retention.

3. Dress to Impress

Sure it may seem only natural to want to study in a sweater and sweat pants. However, studies have shown that those who dress up have less problems paying attention. According to the study students that wore white lab coats while doing tests made about half the errors as those who were wearing regular clothes. Will the white coat method work for you? It could be worth a try.

 4. Work in Natural Light

While we all can’t have an office with windows, you should always make it a point to get some fresh air and sunlight during the day. According to a recent study :

“Compared to the afternoon, people who had DL (Daylight) were significantly more alert at the beginning of the evening, and subjects who were exposed to AL (Artificial light) were significantly sleepier at the end of the evening.”

So if you’re having trouble staying awake or focused, just take a quick trip outside. Chances are it will help you wake up significantly.

5. Crank Up the Heat

We all hate being too hot, however, chances are that if the office is frigid you’re not being as productive as you can. What is the science behind this? To put it simply, your body uses more energy to keep warm when it’s cold in the office. That means there is less energy left for focus and concentration. According to this study workers made nearly 44% more errors and were half as productive when the temperature were set at 68F as opposed to those working in 77F conditions.

6. Go Green

If you’re having trouble focusing in your office or cubicle try bringing a little greenery into your life. Studies have shown that offices with greenery are 15% more productive than undecorated offices. Not only does it improve productivity but the study also concluded it improved morale and the overall perception of air quality in the office.

7. Look at Cute Animals

A study in Japan has concluded that looking at simple pictures of cute animals can improve productivity. The study tested individuals and their performance after looking at pictures of cute baby or adult animals. They concluded there was an increase in performance in those test subjects after viewing the pictures. According to the study:

“the cuteness-triggered positive emotion that is associated with approach motivation and the tendency toward systematic processing.”

8. Make. Everything. Yellow.

Well, not everything of course. But studies have shown that the color yellow increases concentration and alertness. Why? Because it is the color most associated with happiness. Just a simple poster or photo of some yellow flowers may be enough to boost your concentration and focus throughout the day.

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