How To Stay Productive At Work

Have you ever finished up a long day at work and realized you didn’t get nearly as much done as what you had planned to do for the day? You’re not the only one. We all have the best intentions to be productive, but sometimes time slips away from us. 

We put together a few tips to help you take your productivity at work to the next level.

It can be overwhelming when you write out your to-do list and see everything you need to get done that week. It helps to list each task out by writing the most important tasks with the soonest deadline first and the minor tasks last. Then take a look at each of these tasks you’ve listed and ask yourself if you’re the person that needs to get these done or if they need to get done at all. We tend to load up our calendars with tasks as we go, often overlooking the why or the reason these things need to be done in the first place. You might be surprised by what you’re able to take off your plate. Remember, you can do anything but not everything. 

Once you have your list narrowed, start by knocking out the list from most important tasks or the hardest tasks with the highest lift and finish the least important, easier tasks last.

Is your workday sprinkled with meetings all day? It can be extremely difficult get anything done when you only have 20 minutes in between meetings for productive work. Don’t cancel the existing meetings, but schedule blocks on your calendar ahead of time solely meant for focusing on productive work. When you have blocks of time already scheduled on your calendar, your co-workers are likely to acknowledge that you’re not available during those times and schedule meetings when you do have openings.

The biggest hindrance to productivity is distraction. During your focus times, turn off your notifications, mute your team chats and let go of daily worries about things like laundry and bills for that time period.

The Pomodoro Technique was created in the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo. It’s named after the tomato-shaped timer Francesco used to record his work intervals in college. The technique suggests 25-minute intervals of deep focus with 5-minute breaks in-between as the best approach for making the most out your time. After four 25-minute rounds of focus, take a longer, 20-minute break to reset. The timer promotes a sense of urgency, encouraging deeper focus on the task. Avoid mindless scrolling during your breaks. Instead, step outside, take a short walk or grab a quick snack.

Exercise raises the heart rate, gets blood flowing to the brain and releases endorphins, giving you increased energy and alertness. The more energy you have, the easier taking on the tasks of your day will be. Extended periods of sedentary behavior negate the effects of one large workout during the day. This means if you want your workouts to have the most positive impact on your brain as well as your body, you should get up and move throughout the day. Taking short breaks to do a couple of jumping jacks or take a quick walk can greatly improve your focus at work.

Our environment greatly affects how we feel. The way we feel in general is directly linked to how we feel about our environment. If your work area is cluttered, you’re more likely to feel like your mind is cluttered, too. Plus, you might be distracted by all the organizing and cleaning that needs to be done around you rather than focusing on your work.

Studies show that humans are physically unable to multitask. We just move from task to task quickly. This may seem like multitasking, but it actually reduces focus on each task and has a higher potential to reduce the quality of your work.

You’re more likely to get all of your tasks done with better quality when you focus on one thing at a time. You’ll probably finish quicker too when you’re not bouncing around in between tasks having to readjust and refocus each time.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself is the most important tip to stay productive. When you give your body the rest and nutrients it needs, it reduces your chances of being sick and missing out on important days at work. Make sure you’re getting at least 8 hours of sleep and eating lots of fruits and vegetables. The better you feel, the more energy and focus you’ll be able to apply to any work task that comes your way.