Wasting your time playing Angry Birds? It could be

If you thought playing games on your mobile phone while at work was a mindless distraction and waste of time, then think again.

In fact, it has been discovered that if you play the popular game Angry Birds while at your desk – it could make you smarter and a better worker.

Research has suggested that playing such games can make you a more ‘resilient’ employee and help you focus at work.

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review （HBR） cited research suggesting that engaging in some activities that we think are non-productive - such as small exercises - may be a smart way to spend time, particularly at work.

People across the world reportedly spend 300 million minutes a day on Angry Birds, one of the most popular games available on touch-screen smart phones.

Writing in the HBR, Jane McGonigal, a game designer and author of Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, referred to research suggesting these practices can make people better problem solvers, more collaborative, and less likely to give up.