How To Improve Your Work Productivity Without Even Trying

Everyone thinks there is some kind of magic formula or a secret method that will help increase your productivity and ensure you get all your work done within a specific period of time, but *spoilers* really there isn’t one! Sorry! The key to being productive is simply taking better care of yourself, listening to your own body, working to your rhythms and most importantly when you’re not being productive walk away, reset and come back. You won’t do yourself any favours trying to power on through this won’t help.

What does being productive actually mean? I’m referring to workplace productivity, looking largely at how much work is accomplished in your home office, during your working day. We all know some days we are more productive than others and some days it can be harder to stay on track, yet other days we can fly through our to-do list. So what can we do to keep the momentum going every day?

How To Improve Your Work Productivity Without Even Trying:

Working To Your Own Rhythm and Time Schedule: Whether you are an early riser or a night owl, you should always work to your own personal rhythm and time schedule. Having a structure to your day, very much like you would when going into the office, helps to put you into a work mode mindset.  Every day write a to-do list, that you work your way through with the top tasks being the most important. Having a list also helps with motivation as you tick off each finished task.  If you struggle with finding a work/life balance or stress about time consider completing a Time Audit. What is a time audit? You simply write down and block all the activities you do over a period of several days in order to get a clearer picture of how you spend your time. It enables you to examine and analyse how you are actually spending your time versus how you really want to spend your time. This is where you find you spend a bazillion hours on social media instead of doing the tasks that earn you money! (True Story)

 

Being Warm and Comfortable: I talk a lot about having some kind of proper office set-up as this helps give the illusion of “going to work”, your family knows you are at work AND if you are lucky enough to have a separate room you can shut the door at the end of the working day, providing a clear distinction between work and home life. It’s a bit of a joke on Twitter, freelancers wearing scarves and fingerless gloves whilst working from home but hey guys if you want to be productive you need to be warm and comfortable. An efficient boiler will not only save you money but also keep you warm while giving you peace of mind that you won’t suddenly have to cope with cold water or a freezing home. Bbright offers you a smarter way to heat your home, with next-day new boiler installation and instant quotes available.

Take Regular Breaks: It’s not rocket science, sorry. BUT having said that how many of you don’t take regular breaks? How many times have you sat desperate for the toilet but you don’t go because you NEED to finish something? If you aren’t meeting your most basic needs then how can you possibly be working at maximum productivity. Usually for me, if I’m unproductive; not completing tasks I NEED to do in order to get paid but rather scrolling through social media and pretending I’m productive because I’ve commented on three posts – true story.   Either set a timer or after you complete a task do the following;

• Get up from your desk.
• Go to the toilet.
• Get a drink.
• Go outside for 5 minutes (as it warms up it’s nice to sit outside and take a break).
• If it’s lunch DO NOT eat at your desk.
• Walk around and stretch your legs (or consider investing in a standing desk to stop sitting down for long periods of time.
• AND if you’re not being productive walk away, reset and come back.

What tips do you have to stay on top of your productivity?

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