It might just help improve productivity!
Putting leisure before work can actually make you more productive, according to a new US study. People from all walks of life tend to put off the good things in life until after the work is done. But this study shows the exact opposite: indulging in some fun can actually improve your work.
Ed O’Brien, a Professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business carried out the study, the findings of which were published in the journal Psychological Science. He surveyed people from all walks of life and found the same thing: work first, leisure second. The idea of saving rewards until we’ve actually earned them can probably be traced back to most people’s childhood experiences.
In order to test what putting “leisure first” would actually feel like, Professor O’Brien carried out a series of experiments that aimed to flip the usual order on its head. Time and again, the results showed that order didn’t matter at all. Actual enjoyment ratings were equally high whether people put the fun first or last.
The conclusion? We’re in danger of postponing doing something fun for ‘the right time’ only to realise that it never seems to come. This can result in burnout and dissatisfaction at work. “This is a problem because, among other benefits, leisure improves our work. People often work better and are more satisfied with their jobs after returning from restful breaks,” writes Professor O’Brien in an article in Harvard Business Review entitled Stop putting off fun for after you finish all your work (July 2017).
In this, he highlights three steps to help allocate work and leisure with a view to getting better at enjoying yourself now. Here are the headlines. Please go to the article for more information.
- Ask yourself why you’re hesitant to do something fun or to reward yourself.
- Spend a moment trying to visualise the fun experience in greater detail.
- Try actually engaging in “leisure first” when the stakes are low.
