This Unexpected Productivity Hack Will Have You Feeling Better In No Time

Feeling stuck or rigid after looking at a screen all day? You're certainly not alone. Especially when you've been sitting for a long period of time, it's easy for your mind to slide down the low-energy path. Recent studies show that sitting all day with little movement can be severely detrimental to your physical health, even going as far as to say that it ages you by eight years, as explained by Men's Health.

A remedy to this issue comes from an unexpected source — quick dance breaks. Recent research shows how beneficial dance sessions are not only for the body but also for productivity. According to Inc., in an experiment designed to showcase cognitive ability, researchers found that, when one focus group took a dance break between two sets of tests, they scored higher on the second test than the control group. Even more intriguing, different types of dance provide different types of benefits. When faced with a problem that has a set solution, like a math or science equation, choreographed dance can aid in finding the solution. Whereas when teams are looking to boost creative thinking and find various solutions, improv and fluid dancing is most helpful (via Inc.).

Taking breaks throughout your workday, particularly if you sit at a desk (especially with your legs crossed), is clearly imperative to maintaining a healthy body and mind. When you get up just to walk around, these movements are mainly the same functional rhythms that you do on a daily basis like getting water, walking over to the office, and grabbing lunch. For instance, when are you going to shake your hips on your trip to the coffee machine? That's why dance helps keep you engaged in a deeper way. 

Peter Lovatt, PhD, tells Inc., "When people are sitting for hours, they stop processing information so well. For screen-based office workers, that's not great." When you add different movements, it keeps the brain active and the blood flowing. 

The fact that most regular dancing involves high levels of adaptability means that it keeps you sharp in more ways than one. According to Time, a study found that aging adults who performed various mind-body movements and exercises tended to have stronger global cognition than those who did not. Dancing involves fluid, intuitive movement that connects your feeling body to your thinking mind, allowing the whole system to work together with greater ease.

Set a timer for a five-minute dance break today and see how your mood shifts!