Hard-wired For Bursts

Why the 40-hour work week isn’t as productive as you think!

For most people, the 40-hour work week is standard (and for plenty more, so is the 50, 60, and 70+…yikes!)

However, the MAXIMUM time we can sustain intense focus and productivity is approximately three hours a day. Now, realistically, we can’t march into our boss’ office demanding a shorter working week. (Although promising studies are paving the way for this.)

However, we can embrace brain-friendly routines that speak to our evolutionary predisposition to have short bursts of energy and productivity instead of slogs of time and output.

Here are a few:

✔ Ensure you get enough sleep each night

✔ Make time to exercise, even if it’s walking around your office

✔ Take breaks to reset and stimulate dopamine levels

✔ Concentrate on deep work by turning off phones and emails

Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
Illustration credit: Carolin Nischwitz