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Secret to working less and still being successful

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Working fewer hours means you’ll be more productive and successful in your workplace, a new study has found.

The research found that productivity per hour declines sharply when the working week exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours there’s no point in working any more.

So people who work as much as 70 hours (or more) per week actually get the same amount done as people who work 55 hours.

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The Productivity of Working Hours study, by John Pencavel and Stanford University, revealed that successful people make time to be with family and friends and make sure they recharged and prepared for the working week ahead.

“This paper has suggested for an optimising employer to care about the length of working hours (because) employees at work for a long time may experience fatigue or stress that not only reduces his or her productivity but also increases the probability of errors, accidents, and sickness that impose costs on the employer,” the study said.

“This is certainly not a new argument – but it seems to have been neglected in contemporary models of labor markets.”

The study has revealed strategies used by successful people at the weekend to ensure they start the working week with a bang.

Disconnect

Remove yourself electronically from your work. Making yourself available to your work 24/7 exposes you to a constant barrage of stressors that prevent you from refocusing and recharging.

Spread out chores

If you complete your household duties throughout the week, they won’t pile up at the weekend leaving you overwhelmed.

Reflect

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Get the blood pumping to relieve stress. Photo: Shutterstock

Weekly reflection is a powerful tool for improvement. Use this insight to alter your approach to the coming week, improving the efficiency of your work.

Exercise

No time to exercise during the week? You have all weekend to put on your runners and head outside or hit the gym for a workout. Exercise gets the blood flowing, inspires you and clears the head.

Hone in on that hobby

Do something you love that doesn’t feel like a chore – pick up the guitar and have a strum, go bushwalking for the afternoon or hit the road and cycle to your favourite cafe.

Family and friends time

Making time to catch up with friends or spend quality time with the family will make you feel better and help you switch off from all things work. Take the kids to the footy, or schedule in a special dinner with your partner.

Wake up at the same time

It’s tempting to sleep in on the weekend to catch up on your sleep, but having an inconsistent wake-up time disturbs rhythm which can make you feel groggy.  If you need to catch up on sleep, just go to bed earlier.

Prepare for the upcoming week

Most of all, allocate some time to assess how you will approach your working week and set some goals you want to achieve.

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