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Turns out, this icky weather that has been plaguing the East Coast is actually a good thing in some regards!
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, bad weather makes you work extra hard at the task at hand, making you a better employee.
Who would have thought?
Specifically, this study found that bank workers were more focused and alert on days that had bad weather (cloudy, rainy, or otherwise gloomy days) versus days that had great weather (bright skies, sunlight, or otherwise beach-weather days) because there were "less cognitive distractions."
It's pretty simple: when the weather is sunny and beautiful, you might get more distracted or possibly even begin to day dream about all the things you'd rather be doing than sitting at your desk. On the other hand, when you aren't thinking about what you're missing out on, your focus, attention, and productivity end up being stronger.
Most studies about the workplace assume that all those distractions--like killing time on Facebook--can be avoided. However, this study suggests that you can't always control the distractions around any given employee--like the weather.
In the end, researchers suggest that you should try to tackle your more clerical tasks on bad weather days since it will be harder to focus once the sun comes out.
What do you think about this study? Let us know your thoughts and reactions in the comments!
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