Learn about why changing out of your pajamas while you work could improve your mental health; why local honey doesn’t stop seasonal allergies; and shisa kanko, a surprisingly simple Japanese ritual that greatly improves accuracy.
Learn about why changing out of your pajamas while you work could improve your mental health; why local honey doesn’t stop seasonal allergies; and shisa kanko, a surprisingly simple Japanese ritual that greatly improves accuracy.
Working from home in your pajamas is linked to poorer mental health by Kelsey Donk
Local Honey Won't Fix Your Seasonal Allergies originally aired May 23, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/local-honey-myths-nasa-to-the-moon-and-a-bisexual
Shisa Kanko May Look Odd To Outsiders, But It Keeps Train Passengers Safe by Ashley Hamer
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Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/local-honey-wont-cure-your-allergies
CODY: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from curiosity-dot-com. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about why you might want to change out of your pajamas when you’re working from home; why local honey doesn’t stop allergies; and how a surprisingly simple Japanese ritual keeps train passengers safe.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
Lots of us have been working from home during the pandemic. And all too often, working from home can mean working in pajamas. If that’s you, first, we’re not judging. But second, you may want to think about changing your style. Scientists have found that working from home in your pajamas is linked to poorer mental health. And while they can’t say that one causes the other, there’s plenty of research to suggest that what you wear affects how you feel.
This study comes from a group of researchers in Australia who wanted to find out how work-from-home setups affected productivity and mental health. So they studied 169 staff members and students of Australian medical research institutes during the pandemic. And despite our newfound love of working from the bedroom, they uncovered some unfortunate news. More than a third of the study’s participants said that their mental health had gotten worse since starting to work from home.
And what the participants wore mattered. Almost 60 percent of the people who wore pajamas while working said their mental health got worse at least once a week. On the other hand, those who changed out of their pajamas — about a quarter of the participants — didn’t experience a dip in their mental health.
The good news is that pajamas had no effect on productivity. So if your main concern is staying productive and your mental health is A-OK, it might be fine to stay cozy during the day.
Again, this study can’t conclusively say whether wearing pajamas causes mental health to decline or whether poor mental health leads people to wear pajamas all day. Or none of the above! But previous research has suggested that what we wear has an impact on how we feel. For example, researchers have observed differences in hospital patients who wear hospital gowns and patients who get to wear their own comfortable clothes while recovering. When patients get to wear normal day clothes, it can make their depression less severe.
This study does have some limitations. Participants self-reported their feelings of productivity and mental health, and it’s possible that their perceptions could be off.
But for now, this study offers one bit of advice. If you’re in the habit of wearing cozy pajamas during the workday and you start to feel your mental health slipping, try a change of wardrobe. Changing your clothes before starting the day could help protect against the pandemic’s impact on mental health.
CODY: Seasonal allergies are on the way, and along with them? Myths. Myths about honey. We remastered this story from 2018 that I’m sure you’ll hear someone spread soon.
[CLIP 2:06]
If you've ever ridden the train in Tokyo, you might have noticed railway workers performing a sort of choreographed pointing routine. That routine is called Shisa Kanko [SHE-sah KAHN-co]. And while it might look odd to outsiders, it’s really effective at keeping train passengers safe. I know there aren’t as many travelers jet-setting around the world these days, but it’s still fun to talk about the different ways people do things. So let’s get into it.
As anyone who's ever had "highway hypnosis" on the way home from work knows, performing repetitive tasks can be mind numbing. To keep railway workers alert and aware, shisa kanko adds extra reinforcement to each task.
So instead of glancing at a display to check the speed, workers will physically point at the speedometer and announce the speed out loud. To make sure the platform is free of debris or fallen passengers, the staff will point down the track and sweep their arm along the length of the platform, with their eyes following their hand. Only then will they declare that the platform is clear.
Anyway, sure, Shisa Kanko is basically employees in white gloves pointing at things, but get this: studies over the decades have suggested that shisa kanko reduces workplace errors by almost 85 percent. That's no small feat, especially when you realize that Japan's rail system moves more than 7 billion passengers a year.
The exact origins of shisa kanko are murky, but it's generally believed to have popped up around 1900 with steam train engineers. A 1913 railway manual contained an earlier form known as “kanko oto” — or “call and response,” where one worker calls their actions out to another, who calls back. The pointing wasn't added until sometime around 1925.
Despite its age, the tradition has stayed exclusive to Japan—with one exception. In 1996, New York City's MTA began requiring train conductors to point to the "zebra boards" that confirm the train is stopped at the right place (otherwise some unlucky passengers in the rear car might step out into the tunnel). Ride the MTA today, and you'll notice it.
So why does it work? Well, a 2013 study found that when people had to keep different sets of rules straight for different tasks, pointing and calling boosted their reaction time without making their brains work any harder on concentrating. That means fewer errors and — when it comes to train systems — safer commutes for everyone.
Definitely a tip worth considering if other tips like taking breaks or changing the order of actions when performing repetitive tasks isn’t working for you. Maybe point to each email and shout ‘DELETE!’ as you work through your inbox.
Let’s recap today’s takeaways
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CODY: Today’s stories were written by Kelsey Donk and Ashley Hamer, and edited by Ashley Hamer, who’s the managing editor for Curiosity Daily.
ASHLEY: Scriptwriting was by Cody Gough and Sonja Hodgen. Today’s episode was produced and edited by Cody Gough.
CODY: Join us again tomorrow — whether you’re still in your pajamas or not — to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!