Here’s a productivity tip we can get behind: Researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan found that looking at kawaii — the Japanese word for cute things — can make you more productive. The research is highlighted in a piece on The Next Web exploring “strange but effective productivity hacks.”
Researchers studied the power of kawaii — specifically images of baby animals — on participants’ focus and concentration. They showed 48 students photos of adult and baby animals in between tasks that required a great deal of focus: a fine motor task (a children’s game where participants used tweezers to place pieces within small holes), a non-motor visual search task and a reaction-time test. After looking at kawaii images (like kittens and lion cubs), participants showed a 44 percent improvement, on average, on the tasks.
While there are endless hacks, tips and tricks to make your workday more productive, if science says spending just a few minutes looking at adorable animals (like you just did while reading this article) will help you get more done, then maybe all workplaces should embrace the power of kawaii.
Read more productivity tips on The Next Web here.
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com