Looking for tips for a more productive work day? It is no secret that while working at home, we come across many distractions. The work productivity diminishes due to less accountability and communication barriers. But that doesn’t mean you’re always having your best productive days at the office. You could be less productive due to several reasons. Some of them might include:
- Tensions with the manager
- Personal issues
- Demotivation due to an unattractive salary package
- Unskilled team members
Productivity comes in waves, with days or weeks filled with focus and growth, but then there are times when no matter how hard you try, you feel that you’re stuck. However, the good news is, you can change this pattern, by setting yourself up for success. If you are suffering due to unproductive days at work, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
Here are the top 9, simple yet amazing tips for a more productive work day:
Tip #1 Leverage the Power of Intention
According to a study conducted by Atlassian, employees generally spend around 31 hours in unproductive meetings every month. One of the best practices is to go through the upcoming calendar, and have a look at the appointments, meetings, and calls that are scheduled for tomorrow. This is because it helps you be mentally prepared for the upcoming day, thus enhancing your productivity level.
Productivity expert, Tony Wong once said that you should use the morning time for focusing on yourself. And you shouldn’t start your day directly by going through emails, instead it is best to have a good breakfast, read the news, and meditate or work out. This will make you feel relaxed and prepare you better for your workday.
Apart from this, you can also start your day a little earlier, like 15-20 minutes. During this time, you can plan your entire day. This helps avoid exhaustion and panic, no matter how busier the day gets.
Tip #2 Keep Your Personal and Professional Lives Separate
We’ve often heard that setting boundaries for keeping your personal and professional lives separate increases efficiency at your workplace. Therefore, one of the most crucial work tips is to keep your personal life separate from work life. This is because it allows you to concentrate more on your career growth while being stress-free.
Are you too suffering at work because you’re going through a rough patch in your personal life? Don’t worry, at some point in time, we all go through this phase. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you keep your personal and professional lives sorted:
- Avoid spending extra time at the workplace so that you have sufficient time for your family, friends, and personal matters.
- It is best to practice a very high sense of professionalism at the workplace.
- Do not discuss your personal matters with your coworkers.
- If you have a work phone at home, practice a ‘ditch the work phone’ policy at home.
- Be firm, and learn to say no if your manager forces you to stay late for work or for other unreasonable work requests.
- Avoid checking your personal email or attending personal phone calls at work for minimizing distractions.
Tip #3 Take Short Breaks
To achieve success, many of us try to work 24/7 at work by skipping lunch breaks, or chaining ourselves to our work stations, but that is certainly not a good idea. Do you know why? This is because without taking sufficient, short breaks from work, your employee productivity, mental peace, and overall work performance begins to suffer. Besides this, moving around at the workplace is significant for your physical well-being as well.
Unsure how to enjoy short breaks at work? Below are a few interesting tricks that can help you take adequate breaks at work without minimizing your productivity level:
- Stand near your work desk, and stretch your arms and legs after every two hours throughout your day.
- Exercise your eyes after every hour as constantly looking at the screen might hurt them.
- Take coffee breaks for socializing with your co-workers.
- Take a 5-10 minutes break in between different tasks to refresh your mind.
Tip #4 Work Out Regularly
It is a known fact that clutter and disorganized tasks can impede your productivity level, and have a negative impact on your emotional state. Therefore, to stay intact and positive, you should try to incorporate work out in your routine as it allows you to relieve stress, and makes you feel relaxed.
Apart from this, working out regularly enhances your energy level, boosts creativity, and improves brain power, thereby helping you perform better at work.
Tip #5 Learn to Say “NO” When Needed
Do you feel overworked and exhausted all day? The simple reason behind this is that you’ve probably taken a lot of workload on yourself that deters focus, and your productivity at work.
Therefore, you should be assertive, and learn to say no when needed. Refusing does not mean that you are running from your work responsibilities, or being rude or unkind. It basically means that you want to work in a way that maximizes your output as you know your potential best.
Let’s face it! We are no robots and have a limited level of energy, therefore one must work accordingly. Overworking would not just hurt your mental health, but can affect your physical well-being as well.
Do you find it hard to say ‘No’ to your manager? There’s nothing to worry about because we have got a list of a few best ways of saying no to your boss without losing your job:
- If you want to say no to a new work responsibility, then explain to your boss by sending them your progress report, so that they know your work status.
- Don’t lie to your boss; explain the exact reason for not being able to accept more work.
- If you are saying no because you don’t have the required skills to get a particular job done, then face the truth, and let your manager know.
Tip #6 Wear Comfortable Clothes at Work
Don’t we all miss the work from home, COVID times, when we could simply work with our PJs on? This is because comfort is key even when it comes to dressing at work.
If you are at your office and dressed uncomfortably, then it is quite evident that you might not be able to give your best in terms of performance and productivity. Therefore, if you want to ensure that your clothes do not stop you from working properly, then you should wear clothes that are comfortable.
All in all, it is vital to note that comfortable dressing includes underclothes as well. So your underclothes, like your boxer briefs, should be very comfortable and easy on the skin, otherwise you might suffer from skin infections.
Tip#7 Batch Your Time
It is no secret that batching your time can help you in minimizing distractions and interruptions. This is because you will be determined to achieve the required goal in that particular time period.
The best way is to group similar tasks, such as responding to emails or scheduling social media posts together so that you can knock them out easily. You can assign the first half of the day for the tasks that require attention-to-detail, as during that time your mind is fresh. Grouping similar tasks not only aids in time management, but also prevent context switching, thus enhancing your performance.
However, it is important to note that while allocating your time, don’t forget to take out some time for getting some fresh air or grabbing a healthy snack.
Tip #8 Get Enough Sleep
According to Business News Daily, sleep deprivation is a productivity killer that costs the U.S. economy around $63.2 billion every year. It is a known fact that sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on your work performance. This is because a lack of sleep reduces your ability to focus, working memory, and logical reasoning. Therefore, it is crucial that you get enough sleep to be at your best throughout the day.
Apart from this, getting sufficient amount of sleep, improves your mood, and makes you more energetic. This helps you in dealing with challenges at work in a better and proactive way. So, if you feel tired at work often, you should definitely improve your sleep schedule.
Tip #9 Eliminate Distractions
How irritated do you feel because of annoying emails or phone calls at work? Don’t they just break your work tempo and make you lose your focus? Therefore, the best way to enhance productivity at work is by eliminating such distractions from your working hours.
One of the best practices is to get rid of the surrounding noise and unnecessary communications, and focus on your tasks. Here are a few ways simple ways that can help:
- Keep your communication with coworkers sweet and short.
- Prioritize your tasks, and allocate time for completion.
- Avoid using the phone during work hours.
- Don’t use social media while working.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking to maximize your productivity level at work, then you need to start working on it today by applying the above-mentioned tips. You can simply maximize your output per day by organizing your to-do tasks. Besides this, it is best to get rid of those time-sucking and irrelevant activities that distract you from your goal goals.
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