How to be more productive: Turn up the heat

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There are so many factors that go into being focused and productive that it's probably impossible to pin them all down. But one good place to start? Your thermostat.

The colder it gets, the more errors you're likely to make and the less productive you'll be, according to a study conducted by Alan Hedge, a researcher at Cornell University's human factors and ergonomics laboratory.

In the study, findings of which were presented in 2004, Hedge measured computer keystrokes in their real-world work environment.

As the temperature changed, so too did the quality of people's work. When the mercury increased from 20 C to 25 C, typing errors dropped by 44 per cent and typing output jumped 150 per cent.

When Hedge repeated that study in 2010, looking at a law firm and a sales office, he found the same pronounced difference. At 21 C, people keyed approximately seven keystrokes per minute; at a balmy 28 C, keystrokes rose to between 12 and 16 keystrokes per minute. "There's a really strong effect here," Hedge says.

Why is it that cooler temperatures result in more typing errors and lower overall productivity? There seems to be a pretty clear relationship between temperature and our ability to focus. "If you're comfortable and warm, you do more. When you're cold, you're more distracted," Hedge says. "You're distracted by [the cold] and you slow down. You think more slowly and you do things more slowly."

While it would be interesting to know what happens when the temperature is too hot, Hedge hasn't manipulated temperatures to find that answer. One thing his study did find is something you may have already guessed. Regardless of temperature, the week has its own rhythm.

"People tend to do more work on Monday, and it goes down throughout the week," Hedge says.

In other words, if you want to do your best work, put on a sweater and make the most of Monday.