Do you feel, on some days, that you haven’t been able to accomplish everything you needed to do at work because you’ve just felt unproductive? If the answer is always, try these following tips.

How To Increase Productivity At Work

• Take regular breaks

Working longer hours (or straight hours) won’t help you get more work done. In fact, it only drains our energy more because we’re forcing ourselves to get the job done! This ironically decreases our productivity levels, making us believe that we need more time to complete tasks.

Taking regular breaks will help refresh our concentration levels. Take a 5-10 mins break  every few hours or so. Use it to take a walk around the office or to stretch! This will help boost your mood and energy levels.

• Work smart

Being productive doesn’t mean you have to work hard; you need to work smart. By working smart, I mean, get your tasks done faster at a shorter time rather than dedicating more than enough time necessary into one specific task. If you want your job to be completed quicker, the trick is to find the easiest possible way to do it and in good time. Here are several ways you can work smart:

• Mange your time well

Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks. Apply the ‘two minute rule’ when necessary. This in basic terms is: if you can do that task or action within two minutes then do it now! This will create more time for the more important tasks.

Split your more time consuming work into batches and give yourself less time than you actually need to complete work (you’ll be able to complete it faster that way!). Try 90 minute intervals for example.

Tackle the heavier tasks when you’re most alert, don’t force yourself to do them when you’ve just started your shift. Get yourself settled on simpler tasks at the start of your day before going into the bigger tasks. 

• Stop multi-tasking

We think by multitasking, we’ll be able to get more things done, but the reality is, we’re actually left with trying to juggle and divide our attention into multiple tasks. This habit makes us work slower because we’re doubling and even tripling up our time. Just focus on one task at a time and manage your time well in doing so.

• Keep notes to yourself

Noting down tasks you need to do is one way to work smart. Avoid uncompleted small areas of work and the question of ‘Wasn’t there something else I had to do?!’ by jotting down your upcoming tasks, especially if you have so many to keep track of.

This method will keep your mind prepared for the workload you’ll be dealing with, as well as, knowing how to go about organising your day properly to complete those tasks. It will also help prepare yourself for the next working day! You don’t need to go home thinking about what you have to do tomorrow when you’ve already written it down.

Keep notes to yourself in a notebook, diary or even on apps! Getting yourself organised ahead of time will help you to work faster and will create more time for you to work at a calm pace. If it’s easier for you, you can also leave sticky notes at your desk or use the sticky notes app.

• Reduce distractions:

Keep casual conversations to a minimum especially when you have a lot to do. Avoid using your personal social media (unless it’s a part of your job!). Keep phones on silent and away from your desk if possible. Most importantly, avoid thinking about non-related work things like what you’re going to eat later or what you need to do at home after work, like laundry. You can schedule a laundry collection anyway!

If you have any tips to being productive at work, please let us know in the comments sections! 🙂