You know times when you’re at work, and you get bored, so you open up YouTube and start watching Buzzfeed. Their videos are so addicting, simple, and short that you watch three whole playlists, and now its 7 pm. Great. Another day spent doing NOTHING. If you’re like most people, which means if you have the attention span of a goldfish, then you should probably keep reading.
If you’re struggling with being productive and staying focused at work, here are some tips by Stacey Wonder, a marketing content manager at Essaytigers.
1. Exercise
This is probably the most obvious one because of how important it can be. Exercising doesn’t just physically stimulate you; it also stimulates you mentally by reducing stress hormones. You have to be consistent about this as working out doesn’t just have one benefit; it can help you in several aspects of life.
2. Don’t multitask
There have been many studies that prove that your productivity actually lessens when you try to do more than one task at a time. Give each task your full attention and do it at your own pace. Switch off your smartphone and put it out of sight so that you won’t be tempted to use it.
Bonus: Productivity tools for developers!
3. Make a to-do list
A lot of people love making to-do lists; they’ll make lists for everything, even if it’s just normal everyday chores. It’s a great way to productively plan your day and visualize it. Don’t hesitate to add small effort-less tasks such as “eat breakfast” or “Take out the trash.” Since they’re easy to do, you’re more likely to do them first, and crossing them out will give you a sense of achievement.
4. Reduce interruptions and distractions
Getting a text or talking to a fellow-employee can derail your train of thought and break the amazing and productive rhythm you had going. Take steps to digitally declutter your life by keeping your phone on mute or popping in headphones to avoid any sort of small disruptions.
5. Do the harder tasks when you’re at your best
Perhaps the worst thing to do is to set a difficult task at the end of the day. Deep down, we all know that you were going to push it further away; that’s why you kept it at the end. Bigger goals require more of our confidence and more of our focus, so break that task into milestones and finish those milestones over a period of time. This will make a huge task not so huge and easier to manage.
6. Determine the conditions in which you work best.
Are you more active during the day? Do you like to work in silence? Where do you like working the best? These are all excellent questions if you want your productivity to be at an optimum level. Modify your surroundings according to what helps your brain focus. If you like to work with music, buy yourself a good pair of headphones that don’t hurt your ears. And if you like to work in silence, find a library nearby or a small corner where you can’t hear the useless chattering of your co-workers.
7. Take scheduled and regular breaks.
Taking breaks, in most cases, seems like a waste of time, but notice the word “scheduled” which eliminates any idea of spontaneous procrastination-induced breaks. Working for longer hours can burn you out and stop the flow of your creative juices. Take a 10-15 minute walk or play Tetris. The main focus of your break is to relax your mind. Not only will this provide you a breather, but it will also make the task less monotonous.
You can even work out during your break because it will give you an adrenaline rush and get your neurons all fired up.
8. The two-minute rule is your new best friend
This rule was created by the entrepreneur, Steve Olenski. The rule basically states that you can fill out tiny windows of free time with small tasks that take two minutes or less. Tasks like replying to work-related texts or emails can be done in under two minutes easily.
The other aspect of this rule is that you can develop any habit in under two minutes. It can also be used to prepare yourself for a bigger task. For example, if you want to start a task such as writing a long essay, then gather your things and clean out your workspace in those two minutes.
9. Set deadlines for yourself
Self-made deadlines aren’t as stressful as regular deadlines, which is why they won’t give you a headache. What they will do is help you work faster and with more focus so you can take deep, satisfying breaths after you finish the task.
10. Make use of digital advancements
Digital advancements refer to the apps that can help you stay on track. As mentioned before, people’s most favorite and effective way to boost productivity is to make lists. But do not forget any of the lists can’t help you if you don’t track your progress, which is why it makes sense to use the ClickUp. ClickUp isn’t just a personal thing; it’s for team players and is fully customizable. It can be used to plan projects, assign tasks, and set deadlines, besides getting reminders related to your tasks and even inbox. Be sure, your productivity will be definitely increased by using this tool.
Bonus: 9 Proven Ways to Improve Your Work Performance
Conclusion
To sum up, you need to know what works best for you, and in the process, you might learn something new about yourself. An important thing to remember while finding your optimum productivity is knowing that there’s a fine line between over-working yourself and productively working. Don’t work so much that the next day, you start to despise your job. Sometimes it’s better to have a self-care day then look at emails.
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