Everyone has had bad days at work, where they postpone tasks and are difficult to concentrate on, but you need to find a way to have better productivity at work.
Imagine this: It’s an ordinary day at the office.
You are sitting in your chair, observing the big mess on your desk – documents in small print that you can’t read without a magnifying glass, unfinished papers, colorful markers, pens with no ink, your morning coffee cup and leftovers (how old is this food?).
You feel like you can’t do any work, you lack motivation and you can’t seem to stay concentrated.
Procrastination is common no matter what field you are working in.
Everyone has had the awful feeling from not doing what they are supposed to do.
After a while, this will influence your mood. The chances of you getting grumpy are high.
In this article, you can find a few easy tips for achieving higher productivity at work.
They are simple, you can incorporate them in your everyday life – no excuses anymore. It’s time to break the procrastination cycle and start working!
You have probably heard this tip a hundred times before.
But it works and is important – that is the reason it’s the first one on the list. Having a productive and well-spent morning can impact your day to a great extent.
Not turning your phone for at least an hour in the morning is a must.
If you wake up and start scrolling through social media you will be more likely to keep doing it the whole day.
There is so much information that you don’t need to assimilate this early. Instead, stop (don’t snooze!) your alarm.
Go wash your face, make yourself a hot cup of coffee and allow yourself to have a few quiet minutes.
Take a few deep breaths. Then try to accomplish one of your tasks.
When you have already done at least one thing before lunch you will feel inspired to keep going.
This one thing can be anything that makes you feel good or you think it’s important.
Go to a yoga class, do the paper you have been avoiding all week, clean the kitchen, walk the dog, do some work, meditate.
But don’t check your social media or your news app before you do that one thing.
This is only going to drag you down and you will get lost in all that information. Make sure that mornings are time dedicated to you only.
The new week has started. You know you have tons of work to do.
This makes you feel overwhelmed, your head is heavy because you can only think about what you should do next.
At the end of the day, you may find yourself having done no work.
If you want to keep your head clear and fresh, you should put all the thoughts you have on a paper.
This way you wouldn’t feel worried about missing something while in rush.
You can buy a planner or make your own. If you like to draw, it may be more fun to do someday.
Buy an empty notebook and fill the pages. Make sure everything looks colorful and lively.
This way when you open your planner you will feel happy and ready, to begin with, the tasks. Or of course, you can buy a pre-designed notebook.
You can plan your whole month, week or plan day by day. Make sure you write everything you have to do.
Focus on your most important tasks, write them first in your to-do list.
But don’t just write 100 tasks – you won’t be able to do all them and you will stop feeling motivated.
Write the 3 most important ones for the day and try to accomplish them. Ticking-off stuff from your to-do list is one of the best feelings ever!
Phones have made procrastination even easier than before. One can lose their time in pointless day browsing.
But phones can also be very helpful if you use them in the right way.
You shouldn’t be using your smartphone for at least an hour after you wake up.
Also, you can replace your social media apps with apps that are going to keep your productivity at work.
Google Calendar is one of the very best. It is a very simple and practical calendar that you can use anytime, anywhere.
It’s made for the people who want to plan their goals but don’t have the time or they don’t like to write down every single detail.
If you get distracted by your phone Plantie is the application for you. It is a time management app, which grows plants when you turn it on.
If you touch your phone while the timer is on, the plant will die. You wouldn’t want this, right?
So when you are at work just load Plantie and try to resist the temptation of distracting yourself.
There are a lot of other applications which are as good as the ones above.
But the point is for you to download one or two, not to search in the App store for hours on end, losing your time.
Sleeping sounds so easy and yet is still very hard for most people.
The truth is that staying awake until the small hours of the night is only going to make you feel grumpy.
It is scientifically proven that mornings are the best time for finishing your tasks.
That is another reason why you should make the first hours of the day count.
Going to bed early will make you feel fresh and energized.
And as anyone can guess, when you have energy, you are going to be better productivity at work and you will be less likely to procrastinate.
If you are one of those people who can’t go to bed early, make a routine. Every night, go to bed an hour earlier than the previous one.
It sounds hard but it is not. You just have to be consistent.
When your workspace is clean and tidy you are going to be more motivated to sit down and get things done.
There will be no distractions and will have good productivity at work.
But If your desk is looking like a junkyard, you will feel disgusted and less motivated. No one likes to be untidy.
Sort your documents; put the papers in their respective folders and get rid of all trash.
Make sure you know exactly where your pens and blank sheets are. Spray some fresh perfume in the air.
Put the distractions away. Now your desk is clean and you can start doing your work!
Eating fresh foods is going to give you a whole new level of energy. Your body needs all the necessary substances to function properly.
When you only eat junk, you are going to get moody and sad. You will start feeling bloated, you will get sleepy.
And of course, none of the important work will be done. You will start beating yourself down for eating unhealthy food and not carrying out your tasks.
On the other hand, protein and vitamins are only going to make you feel satisfied.
Healthy and light meals will give you energy, therefore motivating you in achieving your daily goals.
That means you are going to take care of both your body and mind.
And don’t forget to drink your water – this is way more important than you think for your productivity levels. Hydration equals efficiency.
It’s as easy as that. Leave energy drinks. Of course, one cup of good old black coffee can’t do you wrong.
Don’t overdrink though. Always put your water bottle first!
If you only work and never rest you will never feel good.
It may be very important to stay focused and concentrated but if fatigue gets to you, make sure to take a break.
This is important because your brain is not your computer. Allow it to rest and refresh.
Remembering new information and doing productive work is going to be a lot easier.
You should work for 40-45 minutes and then take a break.
Grab a coffee, go outside for some fresh air or just stay in the office with your favorite magazine.
Whatever you choose to spend your time on, make sure it makes you feel relaxed and refreshed.
The break should be five to ten minutes maximum. Just don’t lose your whole day “resting”.
You can try Iris to keep your eyes healthy and shielded from harmful screen irradiation.
Iris is software that protects your eyes from blue light and allows you to have greater productivity at work.
Iris has an option that reminds you to rest, you can use it if you often forget to rest while you work.
As important you work is there is nothing better than looking forward to the end of the week.
Prioritize your work, but never put yourself second.
No matter how much you work, if you don’t spend quality free time you will eventually start feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
That’s why you should go out with friends, visit the spa or the cinema, get a new manicure or hairstyle.
It doesn’t matter what activity you choose – just make sure it’s fun and makes you feel happy!
If you want to have better productivity at work, these tips should be at the top of your priorities list since they are easy to follow.
We live in a world full of opportunities, but they are for those who can stay dedicated to their work.
That is why you should stop wasting the most precious thing in your life – your time. Stop procrastinating and start working.
These tips will not only help you boost your work performance but also brighten up your mood and increase positivity.
As urgent work may seem there is nothing more important than you and your favorite people, so make sure you spare enough time to have fun and keep up with the hard work!
Author: Anaa Tsaneva
Publisher: Tanya Atanasova
Read more:
11 Tips for higher productivity.
Regular breaks, productivity, and eye health