Have you ever had Monday blues? Don’t understand why the weekend is shorter than the week? You may be in the wrong job or you may just need some motivation! We have some tips to help you boost your productivity at work:
Give yourself time in the morning. Arriving in a fluster and trying to get your brain into gear simply doesn’t work and chances are you won’t recover all day. Take time to make a coffee and check the news before starting work will help you settle into the day and remain focused throughout the day.
You may not believe it but we are far more productive in the morning! Prioritise important tasks for the start of the day so that you are able to give them your full concentration.
It is essential to have a game plan and having a routine is even better. Set yourself periods of time every day to do specific tasks. This may mean responding to urgent emails at 9am or making that important client call at 11 and it should definitely include making a to do list at the end of every day.
Be sure to provide variety in your routine and don’t focus on one task for too long as you can get less productive as time goes on.
Men and women alike, STOP multi tasking. Giving one task you full attention is far more productive than sharing your energy between multiple tasks over a longer period of time. Basically, don’t run multiple programmes at once; it will slow your system down.
Take a break. It is important to take short breaks throughout the day. Go on a 2 minute walk, make a drink or get some air. Whatever you do make sure you get away from your work and reset.
A tidy desk = a tidy mind. If you feel in a jumble then clear the decks. It is impossible to focus when you are in such a chaotic environment. Get those papers filed away so that you can access them, one at a time, when you need them. This includes those desktops.
Ever felt as though your brain is so full it could burst? Maybe you’ve run out of gigabytes?
Keep a record of important things that need to be done or jobs you have to return to. This leaves your brain clear to focus on the task at hand. You could consider using a diary, planner or device to do this.
There is no need to put in extra hours or take that work home when you optimise your time throughout the day! Please let us know what you do to optimise your time by commenting below or tweeting us at @SearchabilityUK.
Danielle Napthine (Digital Resourcer)
