Being productive at work can be challenging. It can be hard to know where to start managing your time in ways that are conducive to your productivity. No matter who you are, it can be a struggle to understand how to structure your time effectively. No matter who you are or what you do for work, you need to be on point with how to manage your time. Here are five of the best ways that you can dramatically increase your productivity.
- Turn Off All Distractions: Every time an email pops up on your screen, every time your phone buzzes, or when your office door opens, your train of thought is destroyed. We all like to believe that we can both participate in a group chat and write our presentation, but the truth is, we can’t. Your best work comes with silence. If you want to increase your productivity, then you have to turn off all the distractions.
- Stop Multitasking: It can be incredibly tempting to want to try and take care of several tasks at once. However, it has been proven that multitasking just doesn't work. If you think that you can efficiently juggle phone calls, emails, and presentations without losing your productivity, you're fooling yourself. If you want to increase your productivity, you need to focus on one task at a time.
- Take Breaks: You might think that spending more time working will help you get more things done; however, when you're burned out, you will never work as well. Studies show that taking regular breaks during the day will dramatically help increase concentration and boost your mood. To help boost your productivity, take short breaks and walk around the office or grab a mid-day latte.
- Implement the 2-Minute Rule: Make the most of your time by filling those tiny windows of downtime with actual tasks. Finding and completing tasks that take less than two minutes to finish will save you time during the day. If you have tasks that you can complete in two minutes or less, just jump in and do them.
- Tackle the Biggest Tasks When You’re Alert: Understanding when you work best is key to completing the big projects on time. No set schedule works for everyone. If you're a morning person, tackle your big tasks when you first start your day.
Not every day will be productive, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, try to refocus your energy and implement these productivity tips into your day. Once you find what works for you, you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done.