Some days we’re just not as productive as we’d like to be. Whether it’s the Monday blues, a lack of sleep or just an off day, your office productivity levels can vary. It’s not hard to get your productivity levels back to where they should be and crank out some quality work. Try giving these five little things a try to increase your office productivity, improve your work and get things done!
Jump Start Your Office Productivity With a To-Do List
To-do lists are great ways to visually see all of the things you need to get done for the day. If you dread making to-do lists or you find they only stress you out more, try getting creative with your to-do list. Using fun colored paper or interactive list apps can take your office productivity tools from drab to fab. You can even take your to-do list to the next level by categorizing the things that have the highest priority and doing those first. You should also limit how many items you put on your to-do list so you never feel overwhelmed and always have that great feeling at the end of the day of crossing everything off.
Take Frequent Breaks
Often when we want to get a lot of work we push through and treat our tasks like a sprint. In reality, we should be taking on our tasks one at a time at a marathon pace. Instead of pushing through and working hard for long periods of time to be productive, taking frequent breaks is a good way to rest and build up your office productivity. Small and frequent breaks where you take the time to eat a healthy snack, stay hydrated and even get outside can boost our office productivity, clear mental fog and jumpstart creativity.
Getting Motivated Can Help Boost Your Office Productivity
There is no productivity without motivation. A great way to increase your office productivity is to set achievable goals. Are you up for a promotion you really want? Do you need to finish a product that could impress your boss? Are you saving up for a family vacation? All of these goals can lead to great productivity in the workspace and a heightened sense of purpose. Working towards something can motivate you to complete your work and increase your productivity.
Learn Your Weaknesses
We all procrastinate, there’s no doubting that. We just do it in different ways. The next time you find yourself procrastinating instead of being productive, take the time to pay attention to what exactly is diverting your attention. Is it cute cat videos on the internet? Gossiping with your coworkers? Online browsing? Texting your mom? Whatever it may be that is keeping you from your work, do your best to identify the culprit and remove any temptation. Put a block on un-work related websites that are sucking up your time, leave your phone in your car, and let your friends know that you’ve got some work to get done.
Know When to Stop
We’ve been talking a lot about how to get started increasing your office productivity, but you should also know when to stop. An important part of being productive is not overdoing it and knowing your limitations. You should only do the tasks that need to be done for the day, don’t try to work ahead too far, and leave your work at work. If you’re being productive enough during work hours, there’s no reason why you should need to stay over time or bring your work home with you at night. We all need a break, and finding a good stopping point can often lead to more work being done in the morning.
For more ways to optimize your office productivity, check out our blog post “4 Creative Approaches to Staying Organized.”