Long hours (75-hour working weeks are the norm for bankers but many other people across the capital put in significant hours too) combined with lengthy commutes and pressure from a high cost of living often results in burning the candle at both ends.
Given there may not be anything you can do about the pressures upon you for the moment, how can you cope? In particular, how can you keep your focus when you’re no doubt tired, stressed and distracted?
In this article, we’ll examine the issue, discuss potential solutions and nootropics.
But first, why is life in London so pressured…?
Long Weeks…
On average, Londoners work a total of three weeks more every year than the rest of the UK. These are numbers released by the ONS and reported by the BBC, so they’re not exactly plucked out of the air.
When you dig a bit deeper, you find out that this extra 104 hours a year is including part-timers, which skews the results.
This means the reality of full-timers in London is probably a lot more. Bankers aren’t the only workers in the capital expected to put in a lot more hours than elsewhere in the UK.
The working day gets even longer when you factor in the inevitable commute.
Research shows that the 74-minute daily commute into the capital is almost double the worldwide average of 40 minutes. That’s an awful long time to be crammed into overheated trains, tubes and buses, fighting for space at rush hour.
It’s not surprising that 2 in 3 people who commute to London find the journey to-and-from to be the most stressful part of their day. Standing shoulder to shoulder for over an hour after a long day in the office is not what anyone would call ideal. A grim commute can even be bad for your health.
Why the Long Hours?
So why do Londoners sacrifice so much of their life for work? For some, it’s those opportunities we mentioned earlier. London attracts young, hungry and ambitious workers keen to build a successful career and happy to put in the hours to do so. At least for now. Of course, working such long hours is still tough even if it’s by choice, and if this is you, you’d likely still benefit from the nootropics we mentioned earlier too.
For many people, however, the biggest reason for the average Londoner working three more weeks a year can be blamed one thing: Property.
Property prices are what drive many to work crazy-long hours. The average house price in the UK is over 8 times more than average annual earnings. That’s bad enough, but live in London and that ratio grows even more, with homes coming in at more than 13 times the average salary. No wonder we work all hours – we must do if we are to ever afford our own homes.
The Stress Factor
These hours and the mounting pressure to earn more to buy the home you deserve… yeah, it doesn’t exactly lead to a zen lifestyle.
But it’s becoming clearer that stress is more serious than just losing out on sleep or being on edge at work. And ultimately, this lifestyle will lead to constant, underlying stress.
Stress affects how the brain functions; one result of this is that our focus starts to slip significantly, and this leads to only one thing at work: under-performing.
Not only does stress harm your ability to focus, but over-working alters the way your brain handles tasks… it becomes trained to multi-task constantly. This might sound like a good thing, but it’s not.
David Rock, author or Your Brain at Work says this on multitasking: “[over-working] reduces our intelligence, literally dropping our IQ,” … “We make mistakes, miss subtle cues, fly off the handle when we shouldn’t, or spell things wrong.”
So now we know the equation:
Longer hours = more stress = poorer focus = under-performance
(which probably then means more hours to catch up – a vicious circle!).
So, what is the solution? Given that many of us can’t change the factors above, how can we maintain our focus and ensure we’re not harming ourselves in the meantime?
The Solution
Without flexible hours or asking to change your working pattern, the equation above is a difficult challenge to tackle. But it’s important to realise your mental health is vital in order to achieve all those things that are driving you to work long hours in the first place.
We’d suggest trying to introduce the following into your day:
- Try taking a regular break every couple of hours, go for some fresh air or stretch your legs, and pull your attention away from work for five minutes.
- If exercise was a drug it would be compulsorily prescribed to everyone. Try to elevate your heart rate for 20 minutes three times a week with some light cardio.
- Make sure your diet is providing all the nutrients your body needs to function at its peak.
- There’s also a possible way to sharpen your focus without taking more time you don’t have: Nootropics.
Nootropics
Let me give you the download on nootropics.
Nootropics are substances – vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals, herbs, amino acids and drugs – that influence how well people process information, boosting cognition, memory, focus, and mood.
The last few decades have seen huge leaps in the research and development of cutting edge supplements that have real-world brain-power impact. These substances should be free from side effects and healthy for your brain.
The right nootropics might just solve the “London problem”. The best nootropic supplements don’t just enhance your processing power and alertness, they also protect, repair, maintain and nourish the brain. Unlocking brain power, motivation and drive, as well as clearing the brain fog caused by long hours, days and weeks at work.
Allowing you to perform at work, enjoy the part of the week that matters and stay alert on those Friday drinks after work.
The key is to know which nootropics would work for you. The world of nootropics is vast and can be confusing, however, which is why we recommend buying a ready-made and proven nootropic stack. Simply put, a ready-made pill stuffed full of proven nootropics that work.
David Tomen of NootropicsExpert recommends that people choose supplements backed by science that are tried-and-tested to work. Not bad advice, especially since David is one of the leading experts in the growing nootropic field.
The Importance of Sleep
We’ve all heard the saying: “you spend a 3rd of your life asleep”.
I don’t know about you, but that 3rd of my life is often way less restful than I’d like, and I end up paying for it in the following days. Focus is easily shot when you struggle to keep your eyes open.
No-one can focus when they’re working with 2-3 hours of sleep. One of the best time investments you can make, which delivers the biggest return, is sleep. Make sure you choose a reasonable time to go to bed each night – a study by Watson et al concluded that adults should sleep at least 7 hours per night.
Conclusion
Keeping a tight focus while working in London is all about balance. Make sure you’re doing everything you can to create the best environment for brain health, and to train your mind like a muscle.
When it comes to nootropics, make sure to research products before pressing the ‘buy now’ button; by the time a pill is consumed, you should know exactly which ingredients (and their dosages) are the product you take.
Ultimately, nootopics can offer elevated cognition, recovery, resilience from stress, as well as restful, reliable sleep. Ideal for those having to navigate the hectic and often exhausting lifestyle of working in London.
Allowing you to live the life you want to, both in and out of the capital.
