Being unproductive in the office space is something that happens on a regular basis for many people. Sitting around doing nothing and then a meeting pops up and you have to scramble to get the tasks done. There are many ways to become more productive in the workplace and take advantage of your day in the office. When becoming more productive, don’t think that it will happen overnight. Productivity is a learned trait, you can’t just wake up and do everything on your to-do list. It takes persistence and a will to become more willing to work on things you may not even want to work on. After testing out productivity hacks, I have five that I have used and that have helped me the best: making an objective list every morning, minimizing time-wasting activities, avoiding multi-tasking, moving around during the day, and finally making good conversation with your co-workers.
One of the things that have consistently brought me results was having an objective or to-do list that you are able to add to and cross things off throughout the day. It is a visual aid to help you see what you need to get done and when you are done with a task, crossing it off of the list feels like a weight being lifted off of your shoulders. Once the task is off your list and you feel good about finishing a task, you will want to finish another one, and before you know it all of your tasks are complete.
Moving around during your day can boost your brain activity and your mood. Something as simple as a fifteen-minute walk around the outside of your office building would do. Anything to get your blood pumping and your endorphins releasing. Once you have gotten your heart rate up drink some water and get to work. Exercise has been a proven mood booster and is greatly recommended especially when working in an office setting. With exercise or anyone in general, you need to make sure you rest and recover and you can do that with a good night of sleep. Having a very consistent time you go to bed and wake up can dramatically affect your day.
Minimizing time-wasting activities gives you more time to do the things you need to do before you get hooked and start doing what you want to do. Going on your phone, watching a video, or even texting someone can get anyone on their phone or electronics distracted and before you know it, it’s been thirty minutes on your phone. Avoiding your phone at work is something that you have to be aware of and maintain. Keeping yourself accountable is super important.
Multitasking can seem very productive but when doing multiple things at a time can be very counterproductive. Having your attention to detail and focus on one task can enhance the quality of the outcome. This also means that you have been wasting time on three things at once when you could have completed each task individually and could have been able to start a new task or even take a break. Taking a break in between tasks is okay as long as the break doesn’t last very long, if the break lasts too long you have a much better chance of becoming distracted.
Working in an office setting doesn’t always have to be sitting and doing work, and your co-workers don’t want to be bored at their desks either. Going and talking to your co-workers is a great way to take the stress off of your shoulders and learn more about them. Better commodity between co-workers will also create a better workspace which will, in turn, lead to better productivity. Once you’re done talking to your co-workers, return to your workspace and feel good about your work.
As you start to become more productive you may find it hard to keep up with all of the tips, so try them and see which ones are working the best for you. Focus on doing the ones that make you the most productive because everyone is different. Productivity will increase with persistence and will. Pushing through objectives is so much more rewarding than scrambling to finish it right before your meeting.