Tag: life hacks

A Power Nap Can Actually Boost Your Productivity

Posted on by pankaj.harvard

On a long stressful day, what’s a better way to recharge than to take a quick power nap? Despite its known benefits, most of us feel guilty about adopting this unique productivity tool. However, even famous people like Einstein, Winston Churchill, JFK, and Leonardo da Vinci were all fans of the afternoon brain shut down. So obviously it must not be a completely bad thing, right? In this article, we will cover the top benefits and some tips that can help you make the best out of this productivity practice.

cat taking a nap
Take a power nap
Photo by Francesco Ungaro from Pexels

Benefits of Power Napping:

1. Reduces sleepiness:

It might not be possible for all of us to get a continuous 8–9 hours of sleep every day. A lot of times even if we do manage to get that sleep we do not feel that refreshed in the morning. A quick power nap can help you overcome this energy downfall and rejuvenate you for the day ahead.

2. Improves memory and cognition:

Research shows that an afternoon nap can help you feel more rested and alert. Longer naps can also help in improving your memory and cognition. So for example, if you are thinking of really stretching your day just before exams, that might not be useful for you. When you feel really tired and drowsy during the afternoon, taking a short nap might benefit you more.

3. Regulates emotions:

Remember feeling cranky due to lack of sleep and having a lot of tasks at hand? A quick power nap does a better job in this situation rather than having coffee. Having coffee or anything that can instantly boost your energy might actually worsen your mood. So don’t hesitate to invest those 10–20 minutes at least in order to feel better.

Power Napping Tips:

1. Nap at the right time and for the right duration:

For most people, the duration of 10–20 minutes works the best, typically known as the power nap. The reasoning lies in the sleep cycle. The more you increase the duration the worse you will feel after waking up from the nap. This is because they may wake up from a deeper stage of sleep, which occurs later in the cycle, and feel fuzzy-headed. Also, try to take a nap in the early afternoon. Research shows a nap taken any time between 1:00 pm to 4:00 PM will coincide with one of the energy dips you feel throughout the day. Thus, it will not have a negative impact on your overall sleep cycle and you will maintain a fine balance of your sleep cycles.

2. You don’t need to fall asleep:

For a lot of people falling asleep doesn’t happen in the flip of a moment. It might take up to 14 minutes or even more to actually fall asleep. So don’t worry about it. What actually matters is that you close your eyes and let your body and mind relax. Also napping is a skill you will be able to develop over a period of time as and how you practice.

3. Find the right place:

The quality of sleep or nap also depends on how comfortable you are in the sleeping position. So it matters where you are sleeping and what your body posture is while sleeping. Choose a place that has minimal noise and more comfort. You need not always be in bed to take a nap. A comfortable chair or just lying down on the desk can do an equally good job.

For most people sleeping adequately and taking rest when required helps them feel better and improve their productivity. Instead of avoiding napping altogether, doing it with certain things in mind can help you get the most out of it.

Are you a napper or a non-napper? Do let us know in the comments below!

 

Want to be an All-rounder? Start here.

Posted on by pankaj.harvard

A jack of all trades might be a master of none, but that’s not the only way to look at it. Evidence shows that a lot of successful people are actually good at more than one thing. So is this age-old belief actually valid and that too in today’s world? Let’s find out!

A guy is watching YouTube on a tablet
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Unlike the older times, information is available to anyone who knows where to find it. What matters today is how you use that information to create something meaningful or solve a problem. For example, you don’t need to go through special training to know how to fix a computer. You can learn by watching a video on YouTube. The future is for the people who know how to find knowledge and apply it most effectively. If you do choose to narrow down your focus only on one thing, you will tend to lose out in the long term. An engineer by profession who gets an A throughout might not be that successful as an average person with a broader range of knowledge. He/she will have better exposure to opportunities and thus a better chance at winning. So how to become such an all-rounder?

1. Plan your day:

Photo by Burst from Pexels

Most of us are time-squeezed, feeling that we don’t have enough time for all the things we want to do. However, there are always some people who can manage to do it all. Do they have more time? No, but they know how to time-box their tasks. So instead of skipping those basketball sessions, plan them at a specified time. The rest of the time can be utilized for studies and daily activities.

2. Do what you enjoy:

Small kid playing with basketball
Photo by Allan Mas from Pexels

In life, you cannot always foresee the future. So you might underestimate the importance of certain things that might not show immediate results. If you like art, music or sports, give the necessary time for it. Do not sacrifice them for scoring good marks in your exams. These activities are very important from the point of view of your overall development.

3. Learn from an application perspective:

Photo by Lukas from Pexels

You don’t need to undertake a Microsoft Excel course to know how to use spreadsheets. But you can easily learn a part of it, say if you look up how to make a line chart out of your test scores. This is what is known as application-based learning. For a lot of skills, you don’t need in-depth research to get good at them. Learning from an application perspective is good enough for expanding your skill sets.

4. Do not feel left behind:

Mother and daughter watching something an a laptop
Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels

A lot of parents train their kids from a very young age on specific skills like maths, piano, cricket etc. Of course, there are child prodigies who become a huge success. But being a prodigy is not the requirement to become successful in life. It is never too late for anyone to start doing what they want. Focus on being a better version of yourself every single day. Everyone’s journey is unique. So there is no need to compare yourself to others.

5. Just do it:

Photo by Artem Podrez from Pexels

90% of the people say they want to do a lot of things but don’t know where to begin. The trick is to just start. Our body is a masterpiece of evolution. Once you start doing something, you’ll keep getting better at it. So for example, instead of worrying about whether to take up those dance classes or focus on studies, just start doing both. You might get tired or might find less time to do one thing, but eventually, you will learn to manage both.

To conclude, an all-rounder is simply someone who can do a variety of things well. All you need is consistency and a winning attitude. Do you believe in focussing on one thing or being an all-rounder? Do let us know your perspective in the comments below.