Gaby
Imagine you didn’t sleep all night or were tormented by bad dreams until morning. Yet, despite your exhaustion, you’ll have to get back to work during the day.
Dr. Vladislav Rivkin, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, assures us that lack of sleep will affect your ability to exercise willpower and make decisions. The scientist shared four tips on how to focus on your responsibilities after a sleepless night.
Strategically Approach Your To-Do List
When you’ve barely slept at night, sifting through dozens of emails can feel like a monumental task. Dr. Rivkin recommends crossing off any items from your daily to-do list that require significant willpower.
On such a day, it’s best to stick to simple tasks that don’t demand deep thinking or intense focus.
However, if that’s not possible, tackle the most burdensome tasks first thing in the morning. You’ll still have enough energy to get them done, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Reassess Your Energy Resources
Lack of sleep can lead to diminished willpower for completing challenging tasks, such as maintaining a constant smile for customers or concentrating in a noisy open office.
According to Dr. Rivkin, after a sleepless night, people are less inclined to exert effort on these tasks because they feel their mental and physical resources are depleted.
However, a study conducted by the University of Zurich in Switzerland in 2016 revealed an intriguing finding. It turns out that when a person perceives their energy and willpower as limitless, they feel less drained after using them.
Dr. Rivkin noted that researchers don’t fully understand the limits of willpower. However, nothing stops you from reevaluating your belief about “how much willpower drains your mental energy.”
If You Can’t Change Yourself, Change the Situation
The key to a successful workday after a sleepless night may lie in avoiding situations that require significant displays of willpower to fulfill your duties. This advice includes minimizing distractions to simplify the work on assigned tasks.
The expert pointed out that when you feel sleep-deprived, maximizing the elimination of willpower demands can help boost your productivity during the day.
Watch a Funny Video
Do you instantly feel happier when watching videos of quirky animals?
According to Dr. Rivkin, watching funny clips throughout the day can enhance engagement in the work process, organization, and creativity.
His own research, published in 2004, proved that humorous video content positively impacts employee effectiveness, as it not only improves mood but also alleviates mental strain.
So, Dr. Vladislav Rivkin advises that when you suddenly feel your mental energy waning during a workday after a sleepless night, turn on a funny video on your computer. Just be careful not to get caught by your boss while doing so.
