Boost brainpower in the workplace

According to a British study, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, workers distracted by phone calls, emails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, the study said.

A survey of 1,100 Britons found that constant interruptions reduce worker productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic. But the mental toll didn't stop there.

In 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King's College London University, monitored the IQ of workers throughout course of the work day.

And as reported by the UK Press Association, he found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by a full 10 points -- the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the 4-point fall typically seen after smoking marijuana. The drop in IQ was more significant in men.

"This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," Wilson said. "We have found that this obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, will damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness.

The survey also found:
• Almost two out three people check their electronic messages after office hours and when on vacation.

• 50 per cent of workers respond to an e-mail within an hour of receiving it.

• One in five will interrupt a business or social engagement to answer a message.

• Nine out of 10 people believe colleagues who respond to messages while in meetings are rude, while three out of 10 consider it not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency.

Operating at your peak
IQ levels rise and fall during the day, depending on worker distraction and other factors, according to the study. How can you operate at your peak, even when your day is chaotic? Here are six ways to boost your mental acuity, according to CareerBuilder.com.

Schedule a time for messages. Try to resist the urge to check your messages continually. You will be more productive if you schedule blocks of time throughout the day to retrieve and respond to them.