Who can say for sure that, out of an 8-hour workload, 8 hours are actually productive?
Perhaps it was an illusion to say so. After all, how many tasks are part of our routine? What about stress, tiredness? External interferences, such as concerns about family, health? Time devoted to often unnecessary meetings?
A survey by an American software company, Workfront, questioned its 600 employees about hours worked and productivity. The survey found that only 39% of the workday is actually productive.
Research has shown how time ends up being spent unproductively. For example, 21% of the time with meetings, email checking 16% and administrative tasks 11%.
They also classified “other tasks” occupying 8% of the total working time. What can be from socializing to surfing the internet, watching videos, or social networks.
Do you want to know the best tips to increase productivity at work when you feel tired? We have separated 7 of them so that you can continue showing good results in your professional routine!
1- Take breaks
It is useless to force productivity if your mind and body are exhausted. To prevent this from happening, schedule short breaks, especially in the middle of long tasks. Breaks can help improve your mood and your concentration at work.
Another tip is to observe what you will do in this “off” period within these breaks. After all, fiddling with your cell phone or other technology may not help your productivity at all. But if you use 15 minutes of your lunch break, for example, to go for a walk, this attitude can help you relieve stress, clear your mind and regain focus and creativity for the time you return.
2- Focus on one task at a time
Being multitasking is not always synonymous with skill, much less one of the tips to increase productivity at work. Instead of thinking about several things at the same time, focus on one task at a time. You will find that you will fulfill your responsibilities more quickly when you leave multitasking.
Thinking about everything you have to deliver is totally unproductive and arouses anxiety that is not healthy either inside or outside work. So when you stop to do your job, focus on the task at hand and do the best you can before moving on to the next.
3- Set small goals
You probably have big goals inside and outside the company. But dividing these big goals into smaller tasks is much better with productivity in mind.
That is, do not think of a project as a project. Think of it as several tasks that complement each other until you reach the final goal. Having this perception is important to make you feel safer when producing and so that the bigger goals don’t become so scary.
4- 2 minutes rule
A recommendation called the “two-minute rule” is created by entrepreneur Steve Olenski, who helps with productivity. She says that if you see a task or action that can be done in up to two minutes, do it right away.
Completing this task on time will take less time than having to come back to it later. Another detail to note is that anything can be started in less than 2 minutes. Of course, you will not complete everything in 120 seconds, but starting new goals is the first step to completing them later.
5- Avoid distractions and interruptions
It is one thing to take a scheduled break to relax and procrastinate tasks in the workplace. Usually, this second happens because there are countless distractions around us, such as social networks, internet memes, videos, and colleagues to talk to.
Avoid distractions and interruptions while you are focused on a task. Disabling cell phone notifications is another tip to increase productivity at work. After all, no one can resist that peek when they turn on an alert on the screen, right?
6- Plan your routine
Trying to plan your routine is ideal for increasing productivity at work. If possible, make a list of the activities ahead of you the next day to set priorities. You can also start calculating how much time you spend on each type of task, so you are more alert to what requires more of your time.
If you have too many meetings on your calendar that you find unproductive, try to do them over the phone or on Skype to optimize time. It is important to decide your actions based on defined objectives and work priorities.
7- Understand your moment and what makes you feel good
The last of our tips for increasing productivity at work involves getting to know yourself better.
Understanding how, when, and in what environment you work best is essential to maintaining good levels of productivity. For example, if you are a morning person, you should organize yourself to do the tasks that require more creativity or dedication this morning.
In the same way, you can create an environment that is pleasant for you to work better. Let it be a plant in the office, a photograph that reminds you of something positive, or sit in front of the window. The important thing is to know that each one has their own profile, and not always what is ideal for one is for the other.
Leave Your Comment