Rethinking Productivity: Why Doing Less Might Make You Achieve More
Rethinking Productivity: Why Doing Less Might Make You Achieve More
Published for World Productivity Day
We’ve built an entire culture around doing more, faster. Apps track our focus, gurus preach hustle, and our to-do lists now need their own to-do lists. But as we mark World Productivity Day, it’s time to ask a deeper question: What if our traditional approach to productivity is actually counterproductive?
The Hidden Cost of Constant Output
A growing body of research suggests that the “always-on” mindset might be killing our ability to do meaningful work. According to a Stanford study, productivity per hour drops sharply when a person works more than 50 hours a week, and it falls off a cliff after 55. Those who push beyond 70 hours? They get no extra work done at all.
We’ve also seen the toll on mental health. The World Health Organization has linked long working hours to increased risks of stroke and heart disease. So, why are we still measuring productivity by quantity, not quality?
The Neuroscience of Doing Less
Cognitive neuroscientists have long known that the brain needs downtime to process information and form connections – this is called the default mode network (DMN). It kicks in when you’re not focused on a task: daydreaming, walking, even showering.
Ironically, it’s often in these “unproductive” moments that your brain solves problems or sparks creative ideas. One 2022 study from the University of York found that deliberate mental rest improves working memory and idea generation -both critical to productivity.
Micro-Rest, Macro Results
It turns out the secret to getting more done may lie in working with your brain’s natural rhythms, not against them.
Enter the ultradian rhythm: a 90–120-minute cycle during which the body shifts between high and low alertness. Performance peaks during the high phase, but most of us try to power through the slump instead of pausing to recharge.
Newer productivity methods like the “52/17 method” (52 minutes of work, 17-minute breaks) or “focus sprints” backed by the Pomodoro Technique are designed to align with these rhythms. And yes – science backs them up. One experiment by Draugiem Group found their most productive employees didn’t work more, they just took better breaks.
Productivity is Personal (and Political)
We often frame productivity as a personal issue, something to be optimised with planners and time hacks. But increasingly, researchers argue we need to widen the lens. According to a 2023 report by the Behavioural Insights Team, workplace productivity is deeply tied to organisational trust, autonomy, and psychological safety.
In other words: it’s not just how people work, it’s how they’re treated when they do.
What This Means for You (and Your Team)
So, on World Productivity Day, let’s redefine what it means to be productive. Maybe it’s:
- Taking a walk when you hit a wall, not pushing through
- Ditching the 50-tab browser chaos and tackling one thing well
- Giving teams the permission to rest, and meaning it
- Measuring output by outcomes, not time spent online
In a world hooked on hustle, sometimes the boldest move is to slow down. Not to do less, but to do what really matters, better.
Dovetail Recruitment are an independent Recruitment Agency in Bournemouth. Follow us to keep up to date with The South’s Job Market Report, Recruitment in Hampshire & Dorset + HR news, as well as our latest jobs, career tips + everything else related to your working world.
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