Productivity has an important role in the progress of any business. Productive employees can complete their tasks efficiently, increase profits and competitiveness. Employee productivity is all about being efficient and effective. But to reach the point where every employee can have sufficient productivity, they must have their own strategy. We can start by motivating each employee to keep their good work, or facilitating them to achieve their best productivity. This article will discuss how to be more productive at work.
Why do people struggle to be productive at work?
Productivity is something that is difficult to maintain. Many people struggle to maintain their productivity for many reasons such as mild anxiety, depression, discomfort at work, or lack of motivation. Every employee needs to examine their problem as to why it is difficult to maintain their productivity so that it does not have a negative impact on their long-term performance.
How to stay productive all day at work?
You have to find the problem first. It's natural for every employee to experience reduced productivity at different points in their life, but it would be a problem if they were consistently unable to be productive. There are four common reasons people struggle to be productive. Technology distractions, lack of direction, boredom with tasks, or starting too late in the day.
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Tackle the problems one by one before you can stay productive all day. Until you can solve your problems, you cannot keep your good performances. After you can overcome the existing problems, you can do one of the 10 ways how to be more productive.
10 ways how to be more productive
High productivity will bring many benefits to individuals, teams and companies. Let's look at some ways to be more productive at work.
- Put away your phone
Most of the distractions arise from the gadgets we have. The biggest distraction when we work is our phone. We are used to social media, games, or whatever is on our cellphones. Even though we don't have any special needs, we seem to have to hold our cell phones for a false sense of calm. When you start working, put your cellphone out of reach, for example in a locker, in a drawer, or leave it in your manager's office. This may apply only to workers who do not need telephone access while they work.
Some companies can stipulate that their employees are not allowed to hold smartphones while working, but there are still many employees who steal a little time to play with their phones. You can make your own rules, for example you will only use your phone after you have worked for at least three hours, or only during break time. Discipline yourself until you get used to not playing with your smartphone while working.
- List your crucial results for the day
Crucial results are several objectives that you must complete during the day to get closer to your goals and move your projects further. Make notes to list your top 3 crucials for each day. This will help you to plan your priorities and maintain focus on the most essential tasks each day. Use a calendar or tool to schedule your day and ensure you're maintaining focus until you get crucial results.
- Eat healthy foods throughout the day
The food we eat can be a major factor in our productivity throughout the day. Healthy food can ensure you get a booster for your brainpower and additional energy through the afternoon. Junk food will only affect your weight, reduce energy and productivity. Keep healthy snacks or fruit at your office to stay focused and fueled for a productive day.
- Morning huddles with team
Take time every morning for 15 minutes to huddle together with your team, and discuss what they will do to achieve crucial results for the day. This helps employees to get on the same page and let coworkers know whether they need help in their work.
If you don't have time to huddle with your team, you can find a special time to sit down with individual members and discuss any lessons about the previous week. Discuss how to set your expectations and goals for the next week. You can share with coworkers to manage your time and measure your productivity.
- Get out of the office
A workplace that never changes can foster boredom and reduce productivity. You can request the manager to change the layout of your work area, or if you work remotely, you can work in a cafe or place other than home. Get out of the office or home for a few minutes to refresh your mind and calm down for a moment before returning to your work. Everyone will face burnout in their workplace. You can handle this by looking for fresh air or moving the layout of your work desk.
- Wake up early
Every successful person has one thing in common, namely they wake up early. You can have time to start your day right. Start by rehydrating, then have more quiet time to do things without distractions. Fill your time by reading books, eating a healthy breakfast, exercising, before you start working. Waking up early will make a huge impact on your daily life.
- Listen to calming sounds while working
A bit of calming background music can enhance your focus. Studies show that music instruments work best for repetitive tasks. Choose music that describes your mood and something to make you feel good. Some examples of music that can calm your mind are the sound of rain, the sound of crickets in the wood, the sound of flowing water in a river, or the sound of a gentle breeze in spring.
- Time break
Sometimes difficulties at work will cause burnout and stress. Taking a break by going to a special room to sit or having a cold drink are some things that can reduce tension. 10-15 minutes is a suitable time to recharge your mood in the break room. You can take a snack or fruit to regain your focus, then you can ask your manager or coworkers for help about the difficulties you are facing. A calm mind will be able to solve problems and maintain your productivity.
- Stand more
Sitting at a work bench for more than 5 hours makes you tired and loses focus. Stand up more when you feel a little sleepy, your posture starts to wane, your focus starts to become scattered, or you can't find a solution when there is a problem at work. Standing does not burn calories, but it can reduce other health risks such as cardiovascular disease, shoulder and back pain, obesity, diabetes and cancer. You can give work intervals every 90 minutes and you have to stand for a few minutes.
- Organize your work environment
Employees can work more focused and productive when their work desks are clean. Sometimes employees can lose their concentration because they forget to put away some work supplies such as staples, paperclips, scissors, pens, etc. A messy workplace will reduce space for working and can increase anxiety. Declutter your work desk to waste less time searching for items or misplaced documents. Throw away unnecessary paper, some stationery that is no longer needed to see if it can help you be less distracted and increase productivity.
There are many factors that cause employee lack of productivity. But if you can overcome the problem, then you can restore focus and maintain your productivity. Some of the methods above are how to be more productive from SMEBrother. If you want to learn about how to thrive your business to the next level, or all the things needed for a small to medium business, visit the SMEBrother site and get the information you need starting from finances, leadership, to licensing.
