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Lightbulb drawn on a post-it note as part of an article about how to work harder, not smarter.

Work smarter, not harder.

This circa 1930s quote is attributed to an industrial engineer named Allen F. Morgenstein, who is credited as the creator of the work simplification process.

With our lives seemingly getting busier by the day, it pays to pause, reflect, and consider this quote.

Are you as productive at work as you could be? Or more to the point, are you as efficient as you could be?

If you think you could be doing better, here are three tips for how to work smarter, not harder.

 

Woman sitting at desk in front of a laptop looking stressed.

Stressed? Here’s how to work smarter, not harder. Credit: Elisa Ventur on Unsplash.

1. Switch-Up the Centres of Your Brain

The key to productivity and a balanced approach to work is to mix it up. Consider the following:

  • When we work, we use our intellectual centre.
  • We use our motor centre when we move our bodies and use our physical instincts.
  • When we move our bodies and use our physical instincts, we use our motor centre.
  • We use our emotional centre when we respond with our feelings or emotions.

For instance, if you notice yourself fatiguing and your concentration wavering while you’re working at your desk, give your intellectual centre a break.

Stand up or go for a short walk to get your motor centre activated.

 

Three women outside smiling and laughing.

Take a break. It helps with productivity. Credit: Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.

2. Feed Yourself

We mean this literally: eat! Instead of that mid-morning coffee, raising your blood sugar with a snack is better fuel for you to tackle the day’s tasks.

Now, not so literally, also feed yourself by doing what you love.

Try this experiment…

If you are in a situation where you are with new acquaintances, you might often ask them, “What do you do?”. Generally, this is a cue for people to tell you about their job. However, instead of asking this standard question, try the query, “What do you do for fun?”.

Chances are that the latter question will throw that person off. Often, we don’t know how to answer that question, or feel uneasy doing so.

But why should we feel that way?

Finding something that you love to do improves your quality of life and makes you more productive when you do work.

Additionally, Help Guide, an online database of mental health resources, declares that the benefits of play for adults are manifold.

Playing can relieve stress, stimulate creativity, improve brain function, give you more energy, and make it easier to connect with others.

 

Tea cup and biscuits next to a laptop.

Work smarter by fuelling yourself. Credit: Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash.

3. Limit Social Media

Of course, this is a no-brainer – scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or whatever else instead of working will inhibit productivity.

But what happens when you clock-off work? What happens when you’re commuting, lying in bed, or find yourself waiting somewhere – surely this won’t affect productivity at work? Wrong!

Research in the Journal of Psychological Science revealed that having your posts liked and liking other posts on Facebook stimulates the reward centre of your brain.

Using Facebook can activate the amygdala and the striatum in the brain – these two areas of the brain are associated with addiction. That’s why it’s hard to log off sometimes.

Another study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that heavy social media users, who are used to switching between different channels of social media, found it more difficult to switch between tasks and were more easily distracted.

So, with social media, just like all good things, moderation is key.

 

Smartphone displaying social media apps.

Need to work smarter? Get off the socials. Credit: Dole777 on Unsplash.

Work Smarter, Not Harder With Us 

We’re a little biased, but if you find yourself needing to work smarter, not harder, bring in the professionals.

And that’s where we can help.

At Hunt & Hawk, we’re experts when it comes to marketing, branding, and sales support for a wide range of businesses.

Contact us at dare@huntandhawk.com or book a time to chat.

For more marketing, branding, and sales tips and insights and plenty else, check out more of our blog.