Food for thought: How to snack your way to success

Workshare’s latest integrated product, Workshare 9, helps business professionals to be 70% more productive by removing 80 clicks from every draft they produce. This is great, but productivity is the combined outcome of both successful team and tools. Seeing as Workshare have the tools covered, we thought it would be helpful to look at what your team can do themselves to stay productive the whole day through.

If your office is anything like ours, then you’ll be faced with the daily temptation of rich-tea biscuits and other sugary delights (I’m eating a shortbread cookie as I write this). Whilst providing an immediate pick-me-up, these foods could have longer term impact on your efficiency. Swapping these out for the right kind of snacks, and practicing other ways to boost productivity will keep you on point for the whole day.

Start as you mean to go on…

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so living like Ron Swanson and prioritizing breakfast will set your energy levels for the day. Some examples a beneficial breakfast include eggs, which contain a B-vitamin that enhances your reaction time, and salmon, which is jam-packed full of omega-3s, protein and iron (to maintain your focus and improve memory). Regular breaks in your working day are also crucial, not only to rest your eyes from looking at a screen all day, but to help you stay alert. Containing your snacking into these break times can help you monitor portion sizes, rather than multitasking and not noticing how much you’re munching away on. So what should you be feasting on?

Greasy, fatty foods can leave you feeling as lethargic as a Snorlax on holiday. On the other hand, eating a banana in the morning gives you all the glucose that your brain needs to function for a whole day. Supplement this with healthy snacks such as almonds for brainpower, raisins for an energy boost, and carrots and strawberries (full of vitamin A) for improved eye sight. Breads and cereals of the whole-grain variety contain more folate than other carbs, boosting blood flow to the brain and keeping you working at your peak throughout the day. If you’re in need of a sweet treat, dark chocolate contains a huge amount of antioxidants, while milk chocolate is great for improving reaction times and memory capabilities.

But I’m still allowed coffee, right?

Yes, have no fear, you can still have your daily caffeine fix! In fact, there are a whole host of positive benefits that stem from drinking coffee at work. As the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance worldwide, there are many studies that indicate caffeine in small doses (there can be too much of a good thing) could provide a boost in alertness and short-term memory, enhance motor and cognitive performance and increase accuracy of your reactions. If your office doesn’t have its own coffee machine, it might be worth persuading the boss to install one; a recent survey found that 22% of employees leave the office to buy a cup, accounting for an average $15,000 in lost productivity each year! Alternatively, water keeps you feeling fuller for longer and hydrates you so you can stay attentive at your desk.

There you have it; you can actually get around daily productivity roadblocks by snacking your way to success. To learn more about the benefits of document management software and other ways that Workshare can enhance your productivity, click here.