Smart Ways to Improve Productivity at Work
There’s no better feeling than being contented and satisfied after a long day of work. Imagine yourself crossing out all of the tasks you listed for the day and still having the energy to go for a night of fun with your colleagues. You’re very motivated and you feel like there’s nothing that can stop you from conquering and owning the next working day.
However, sometimes you feel like even though you are exerting the best effort, you aren’t getting the outcome you are expecting. But don’t fret! I’m telling you, it’s completely fine and normal. Being productive at work isn’t really an easy task, especially with all the internal and external factors affecting our focus and concentration. However, don’t let these distractions get the best of you.
We’ve compiled a list of tips on how to be productive at work. These tips are curated to get your gears moving throughout the day and feel that satisfaction and contentment as you wrap your day up.
Stop Multitasking
We know, it’s really tempting to juggle multiple tasks all at once, especially if them seem like small and can be done in a few minutes or hours. But that isn’t always the case. Sure, there are tasks that can be done simultaneously, but finishing that presentation while taking a phone call? The trick might not work on that. You are prone to making (and missing) mistakes and errors when your focus and attention is divided. Studies have shown that multi-tasking can reduce as much as 40 % of productivity due to mental blocks occurring when switching tasks. In another study conducted by University of Sussex in the UK proved that multitasking can physically harm your brain.
So, drop that phone in your hand (or kindly ask your colleague to answer it for you) and focus on finishing that presentation. You’ll see how productive you can get when you redirect your entire attention one task at a time.
Prepare a To-Do-List
Now, this is a method I apply on my daily routine. I create a list of tasks and duties I want to accomplish for the day (or the following day if you prepared your list overnight) to serve as my guide. Not only that it will help you be organized at your trudge through your day, but it will give you a feeling of satisfaction as you cross out each task one by one.
Set Small Goals
Looking at the bigger picture of your tasks and assignments may make you feel overwhelmed overall. For instance, if you are handling a big real estate project, instead of thinking how enormous the project is, try to slice it up into little pieces where it’s easier for you to digest. Break it down into ‘smaller tasks’ and try to get each one done one at a time (remember, do not multi-task). Achieving small tasks (which can also count as your small wins) will make you see your progress and will feel motivated to be more productive.
Eliminate Distractions
We all know the importance of focus and concentration in the success of a task or project. But the more important thing is to know where those distractions are coming from. In this digital age, the most common distractions (not only at work) are the use of social media and emails.
In order to be productive, you need to shoo away these distractions. Allot a specific amount of time on when you can use social media. Turn off those phone and email notifications to get your full head wrapped around your work.
Exercise
Yes, you read it right. Exercise. Studies have shown that stretching your limbs (or any physical activity for that matter) in between work periods will increase brain function. This in return, will improve your concentration, creativity, and the ability to learn things faster.
If you are feeling slight off-track from your daily goal, lift that butt up off the office chair and take a good five-minute walk around the office.
Implement the Two-minute Rule
Implementing the two-minute rule at your workplace is like hitting two birds with one stone. Not only that you are conquering the small, easy tasks but you are also effectively killing procrastination overall. Now, for this rule to be effective, think of the tasks that you can finish within or exactly two minutes.
Another benefit of this rule is that it pumps you to get something start. We get it, not all goals can be achieve in 120 seconds but every finish line is crossed when you sped through that starting line, right?
Listen to Calming Sounds to Help You Concentrate
Now, this is another staple in my workspace. In fact, I’m listening to a Panic! At the Disco playlist while I’m writing this article. While I enjoy some guitar shreds and banging on the drums while doing my tasks, studies have shown that listening to music without lyrics can improve your concentration as blocks out any external sounds that can burst your focus. For some personal recommendations, check out the works of Debussy and Chopin. However, at the end of the day, you do you. So, plug in those earphones, play your favorite playlist and let music guide you through a day of productivity.
Take care of the biggest tasks when you’re most alert
We sometimes set aside the bigger tasks for a while when feel like not confident doing it at the moment. However, after finishing the other tasks on your waitlist, you already feel tired and burned to even take care of the main event. And that’s how our work gets stretched out into days with our productivity slowly slipping away as each day flew by.
If you are a morning person, then it’s better to start getting things done early in the day where your attention, focus, and motivation are on ‘full tank.’ Same thing goes for the night owls out there. Understanding when you are going to be on your full blast is one of the key to be productive.
Bonus: Treat Yourself
You know, our daily achievements shouldn’t always be grand or extravagant to awards yourself with some token of appreciation. It’s important to reward yourself with some treats for every small win or milestone you conquer for the day. Sure, it’s exhilarating if we get to close a large deal with a client and that really calls for a celebration, but pulling yourself up to show at work is more than enough to give yourself a pat in back.
By tapping into our emotions with these rewards, we ‘train’ our brain to be more goal-oriented. And just receiving rewards in general will make you feel really good and accomplished.
So, there you have it. The next time you are feeling that you are not doing enough, relax, you are doing just fine. You just need some kind of ‘push’ and your gears are going to run exactly how they should be — for a more productive self at work.
