Every company wants to increase their productivity. But the best way to do it may not be trust falls or stale retreat ideas. Instead, the solution just might be gaming.
One study by BYU found that playing video games together for just 45-minutes may increase a team’s productivity—by 20%! Curious why games are such productivity boosters? Read on for the answers.
Taking Breaks Is Good For Your Brain
While our hustle-culture today can encourage continually grinding, it may actually be more harmful than helpful. In fact, taking consistent breaks may help improve your productivity. The best breaks are ones that are engaging and fully get your mind off work. This means gaming can be a great option, since it’s easy to immerse yourself while you play and truly start to relax.
It Can Increase Your Attention Span
You know the stereotype of a distrated, lazy gamer? Yeah, it’s totally false. One study found that simply playing a game for an hour can increase your focus. Encourage employees to game while they lunch, or even offer a gaming hour when they feel sluggish. It may give your business the boost it needs. This can be especially useful if work requires heavy attention to detail, like programming or even medical work. Stay sharp by having fun, instead of exhausting yourself mentally without giving yourself a chance to refocus.
Gaming Encourages Teamwork
There’s nothing that can kill productivity more than a team that hates working together. If the chemistry in your office feels off, playing games together could be the answer you’ve been searching for. Something very interactive, like poker, can let everyone get to know each other and build deeper bonds. Set up some employee gaming times, whether it’s over lunch or an afternoon every other week. Once everyone gets along, working together can be easier, more enjoyable—and more productive.
Happier Employees Are More Productive
Unfortunately, it’s a common misconception that people that are happy may be less serious, focused, or ambitious. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. When you’re miserable, it’s hard to get anything accomplished (and you may even begin to experience burnout). However, actually being happy can help you get the job done. A study done by the University of Warwick found that happy employees saw a 12% spike in productivity. If there is one thing gaming can do, it’s help make people happy! When you take some time throughout the day to relax, play a video game, and have some fun? The rest of the day may be full of more hard work, new ideas, completed goals, and results.
Let Video and Digital Games Improve Office Productivity
There’s no reason increasing productivity has to be done with boring, stressful or over-used options. Instead, break the mold and try something new by encouraging everyone to play games. From poker, Mario Kart tournaments, or simple mobile puzzle games, the options are endless. Step away from the spreadsheets, stay clear of trust falls, and find out how fun increasing productivity can be!