24 May 2011

Miscellaneous

How to Be More Productive at Work

Sat here at a newly uncluttered desk, it always feels better to have a nice working environment. How do we keep this environment positive? At some point in each day we all feel distracted or uninspired, but with deadlines to meet there's only one option, to plough through.

Here are some tips that I find useful, I hope they work for you too.

Eat a healthy breakfast

Whether its toast, egg, porridge, fruit, cereal or yoghurt make sure you don't start the day on an empty stomach because you will regret it later. If you don't eat a healthy breakfast you feel lethargic and you become easily distracted and that's never good.

Get some decent shut eye

I don't know about you, but sleeping is one of my favourite hobbies so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that I get at least the recommended seven hours sleep per night. It's important to get a good rest at the end of each day. If you don't you'll regret it the next day, a good night's sleep will reflect how productive you feel the following day, so relax in the evenings and make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

Exercise regularly

Exercise releases endorphins that give you a feel good factor. A 30 minute walk on your lunch break could relieve the stress from that important meeting you've just had and clear your mind in the afternoon. Or why not go for an evening jog just to clear your head not only that but if you exercise often your body will thank you as well.

Try to keep social media use to a minimum

Social media whilst a great business tool can also be a hindrance on your productivity throughout the day. It's useful to make scheduled time when you can use social media, that way you won't overdo it. It's always interesting to see what's going on in the world, catch up with a couple of friends or see what people are talking about on Twitter. Also, don't leave social media sites open as this will just cause a distraction, set a time to use them and stick to it.

Get yourself organised

Do you use a diary, or do you use your work calendar that works alongside your email system. It's a good idea to get yourself organised, because if you don't your work load will just keep on climbing. It's important to keep your work space, your home and your mind free from clutter as this will only affect your work ethic in a negative way. If you are worrying about things that aren't organised it decreases your productivity and adds to your stress. Keep a diary and make a to do list, that way you will stay on top of your work. It's also important to make a clear note of all your deadlines, that way they will not creep up on you.

Create a work ethic

Everyone works in their own individual way, no one's work ethic is the same and it's important to embrace your own. For instance, I've always worked better listening to music, I worked this out when I was studying for my degree and even no in the work place I still find it helps me to concentrate. For me it cuts out background noise and it helps me stay focused on the task in hand, for me, I find it best to stay out of the office politics, especially when you're busy and have a deadline fast approaching. For me, putting my headphones on and listening to some relaxed music is the best way for me to do this.

Life at work is a stressful one and I find it important to stay as relaxed as you can that way you can concentrate solely on your work and not with anything else that's going on in the world. If you can try and adopt even one of these tips in your life you will find yourself being a little more productive throughout the day.