Take Ten at 2:30

Posted May 7, 2015 & filed under Work Environment

It is 2:30pm on a weekday and where can you be found? Perhaps nodding off in a cubicle or slowly sipping your second cup of coffee in the break room. 2:30 is the most dreadful part of most workdays, a time when your brain shuts down and your body longs for rest. At this time, most offices become silent and productivity comes to a screeching halt; fortunately, we are not most offices.

At 2:30pm each day, any one of our team members is welcome to come up with a game for the entire office to play. This often happens silently at a desk and then is  announced for anyone who wishes to participate. Almost always, the loser will face a dreadful (yet appropriate) challenge. Ten minutes later, we are back at our respective desks with restored energy and fresh ideas; thus, causing a ripple effect, and productivity skyrockets.

According to John J. Ratey, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, moving muscles sends hormones to the brain, which mix with brain-derived neurotrophic (BDNF). This process is in large part responsible for mood regulation and learning, among other things. Ratey refers to BDNF as a “fertilizer for the brain” (Asp, 2014). Therefore, by getting up and playing games, we are actually stimulating our minds to be more productive!

Still not convinced? Take this study done by Stockholm University for example: two dental offices were asked to devote two and a half hours per week to physical activity. Results showed that although employees were using 2.5 hours for activities, rather than working each week, their number of patients treated actually increased (Von Thiele Schwarz, 2011). While 2.5 hours is a tad unnecessary for most offices, a quick 5-10 minute activity should be sufficient to boost a little brain power on a slow afternoon!

Additional Benefits
After starting this daily activity time in your office, you will find that there are added benefits apart from just getting more work done than ever before! Employees have reported feeling refreshed and able to generate more creative ideas. Activities are also a great way to build lasting relationships throughout the office – especially when it comes to new hires! On top of these already-exceptional results, employees have reported getting sick less and therefore, taking less time off. Overall, the entire office will feel better and in turn, work better. That’s all one can hope for, right?

How You Can Get Involved
Not sure exactly where to start? Some great examples come directly from our office. A few of our favorite activities include crab or skipping races, wall sits, and water balloon tosses. With a basketball hoop indoors, we are able to host brief free throw competitions, even on the rainiest or snowiest of days. We have found that teamwork exercises, where everyone works together or has to choose at least one partner, are the best activities on a new hire’s first day in order for them to get acclimated to our exciting group.

Get Creative
Have a little fun with it! Come up with new and exciting ways to play old games. Sentence the loser to a dreadful fate, such as eating an entire popsicle in under one minute. This is sure to generate competition and laughter. We are always looking for new ways to have fun around here, so let us know your favorite activity to get your brain stimulated at work by commenting below!
References
Asp, K. (2014, February 21). How Exercise Boosts Your Brainpower. Retrieved May 6,
2015, from http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/how-exercise-boosts-your-brainpower.
Von Thiele Schwarz, U. (2011, November 10). Exercise at work boosts productivity.
Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.su.se/english/about/2.291/press-releases/exercise-at-work-boosts-productivity-1.23633.

Written by Breanna Meade