Productivity in the more relaxed work environment - Grant Sommers

Working in a Maltese office for the European Parliament, I was delighted at how relatively social everyone was and how I was made to feel part of the office. I was also delighted at the relatively flexible break schedule during the day, with no one in the office (except maybe Tom, who would sometimes hang back to work) taking less than an hour for lunch. Sometimes folks would be gone for two hours or more! But that’s besides the point. The office seemed to maintain productivity despite, or possibly due to, long breaks and friendly conversation.

As human beings we are not innate sedentary creatures nor isolated, we need to move and maintain some human contact for our minds to be at their healthiest and most productive. Often times, sitting and working for hours on end without a break can lead to exhaustion, a decrease in the quality of work, and various acute and long-term physical problems such as, for example, tired eyes and poor posture respectively.

To touch again on the topic of routine from a previous blog post…having a routine is also extremely helpful in increasing and maintaining productivity. Firsthand, I noticed that waking up earlier, getting some energy, and walking to work allowed me to be less tired, more focused, and more productive at work. After some reflection, I believe that I experienced increased productivity with a morning routine because it gave me time to also mentally prepare for the day and to think about what I wanted to accomplish. When I reverted to a poor sleep and wake schedule / routine from time to time, or when I think back to earlier in the trip, I felt less prepared mentally and emotionally to take on a day.

Compared to the United States, I didn’t necessarily feel an increased ‘sense’ of productivity in Europe. In fact, after being in Europe, I began to see truth in the stereotype that Americans are more hard working and work oriented. This is not to say that I believe Europe was not as a productive environment, I just felt that when it came to breaks and the general workplace ‘vibe,’ Europe felt a lot more relaxed than the United States, which feels more intense. That could very well actually be to Europe’s advantage due to the reasons discussed.

The benefits of taking breaks during the day and allowing the mind to recharge and view tasks with 'fresh eyes' are substantial, and as I reflect, I certainly picked up on the benefits as I noticed how I functioned after typing for hours and hours or researching a topic all day vs. typing for a little, taking a break/short walk and going back to my task. Lucky for me, my office fostered an environment where that type of behavior was accepted, encouraged even.