With every job these days being so high-pressure, staying on top of everything you need to do can be a challenge. For many of us, it often seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the working day to get it all done. Being productive at work can be difficult as there are so many potential distractions that can prevent you from being fully focused.
To help everyone out there who is struggling to keep up at work, here are some of the top ways to become more productive at work.
1. Come in 15 Minutes Early
The first way to become more productive at your job is to come to work 15 minutes early. In most offices, the first 15-30 minutes are usually the least productive as people are saying hello, getting their computers ready, making coffee, and just psyching themselves up for the day. By arriving just a quarter-hour early you will be able to make your tea or coffee when the machine is free, have your computer set up and your work ready to go before the majority of people start arriving. As they are all chatting and getting ready, you will already be up and running.
2. Make a Strict Schedule
Many people these days work in jobs where they will have multiple tasks to get done throughout the day. Often it doesn’t matter in which order these tasks are completed as long as they get done. This can seriously affect productivity as you can end up working slowly because there is no strict deadline. Make a schedule for yourself which you follow each day so that you can focus on your different tasks at the same time each day. For example, 9 am-10 am can always be for sending and answering emails. 10-11 am can be the time slot for speaking to new customers.
3. Create a Comfortable Workspace
Having a comfortable workspace can greatly improve your productivity as you won’t be fidgeting or dealing with any aches or pains. Creating the perfect workspace is particularly important if you work from home as you will need a home office that is comfortable and free from distractions. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, many people in Australia have been working from home and so the perfect home office has become a hot topic. In order to increase productivity, people have been turning to Australia’s most versatile sit stand desk as this provides different working options. Sitting all day can take its toll on the joints so being able to adjust your desk to standing height can help you to feel more comfortable, and as a result, will increase your productivity.
4. Bring Your Lunch to Work
Being productive is all about utilizing every minute of the working day and some of the least productive time is the ten minutes on either side of the lunch hour. For the ten minutes before lunch, people are checking their money and talking to colleagues about where to go, while the ten minutes after, people are getting ready for their afternoon’s work having just returned to the office. By bringing your lunch to work rather than going out to buy it, you will be able to save this time and also save yourself a lot of money throughout the week.
5. Avoid Social Media
While computers have transformed the way we can work positively, they have also made a whole load of distractions instantly accessible to us. Social media can seriously affect productivity as many people are addicted to checking their newsfeed or scrolling for no reason. The best course of action is to avoid social media altogether during your work hours. There is very rarely anything important going on anyway so just save your Facebook and Instagram browsing for your lunch hour or the commute home.
6. Turn Off Your Cell Phone
Unless you absolutely need your cell phone, turning it off at work is a great way to increase your focus and positivity. Even if you don’t look at social media, you may receive push notifications to your phone or Whatsapp messages from your friends which can be very distracting. If you need to leave your phone on for emergencies or as part of your job, at least turn-off notifications from applications that you don’t need at work.
The world of work is changing and we are all having to find new ways to adapt. Whether you are working at home or in the office, staying productive can be a big challenge for even the most hard-working person. Follow these 7 easy tips and you will soon find your productivity goes through the roof.