Guest post by Lydia Wilson
Having trouble balancing all the upcoming projects and responsibilities looming in your calendar? Try checking your bedtime. The average adult should be getting around eight hours of sleep a night and getting any less could be holding you back from reaching your maximum productivity. The impacts of a restful night are numerous and shouldn’t be avoided. Here are just four of the ways that a good night’s sleep can make you a better worker.
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Beat writer’s block
Clear up any creative blocks with a good, old-fashioned sleep. It will not only boost your ability to focus, but also help creative juices flow. This combination is a powerful tool in accomplishing tasks efficiently and in a timely manner. In fact, studies have shown that people who spend more time in REM sleep are better able to connect ideas and come up with creative solutions. This should significantly cut down the amount of time wasted at work trying to think clearly and brainstorm effectively.
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Improve problem-solving
Along with more creativity, a good night’s sleep can also vastly improve your problem-solving skills, specifically when handling a complex issue. Researchers have found that a well-rested mind is better able to analyze situations and come up with solutions than one that is sleep-deprived. This boosts productivity by cutting down the time to complete tasks and ultimately makes you a more efficient worker.
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Enhance multitasking
If you ever find yourself really struggling to check multiple tasks off your to-do list, reconsider your sleep schedule. High-quality rest is needed for high-level cortical functions, such as multitasking, because it takes a lot of brain power to divide your attention between separate tasks without jeopardizing the quality of execution. A well-rested brain is better equipped to split focus and stay energized enough to complete several jobs at once. This ability to multitask can make it much easier to get your work done, especially on a deadline.
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Boost motivation
There’s no better way to kill motivation than exhaustion and bad temperament. Proper rest can improve your interest in work by bettering your mood and boosting your energy levels. Overnight, your body restores the systems it uses every day, like hormone and temperature regulation, while also cleansing the brain and muscular tissue. This restoration helps you wake up feeling energized, refreshed and ready to take on the day. It also helps lower your stress levels and improve your mood. Overall, sleep helps keep you motivated by clearing your mind and allowing you to concentrate on work.
Whether it be getting in your eight hours on a new mattress, or taking a pillow to work for a lunch break nap, there are a lot of different ways to ensure you get the sleep your productivity and career need. Try out some new tactics to get better sleep and see how it affects your work. It will likely make you a more productive, effective and marketable employee, and could launch you up the career ladder.
