In today’s post we bring you our top 10 tips to increase productivity in the workplace. The majority of these ideas can be easily incorporated into your routine and they have many other benefits alongside improving your work rate.
1. Complete your least favourite task first
Often when we’re faced with tasks that we don’t like, we do everything in our power to avoid them. However, putting these tasks at the end of your To-Do list and procrastinating for hours – or even days on end, is only going to hinder your productivity and hold you back. Instead of avoiding tasks like this, do them first. It might sound strange, but once you actually get started they usually aren’t as bad as you expected. Morning time is the best part of the working day for this as you are usually more alert and it also leaves you with the rest of the day to focus on doing things that you find more enjoyable.
2. Organise your desk
We are firm believers that a clear desk means a clear mind. Take two minutes each morning to organise yourself and remove any unnecessary clutter from your workspace – coffee cups, old or useless pieces of paper, wasted pens etc. Also, while we’re on the topic of work-spaces, plants have been proven to increase happiness and productivity in the workplace so why not consider purchasing one for your desk? Working from a clean, organised space will allow you to find things quickly, reduce your stress and increase your productivity.
3. Set and record goals
This tip is pretty self explanatory. Setting goals for yourself gives you a clear outline of what you need to achieve which can be a great way to motivate yourself. If you’re still struggling, think about how achieving these goals will benefit you and your company in the long run.
4. Make a To-Do list
Think of your To-do list as a short term plan of action for achieving your goals. List your tasks in order of importance and cross them off as they’re completed. To-do lists give your day structure and often increase productivity as people are eager to complete their designated tasks and cross off their entire list before the working day is over. We use our whiteboard wall to display our to-do lists, meaning our goals for the day are always kept in view.
5. Prioritise
Prioritising is something we mentioned briefly in our previous tip and a major key to success. Without prioritising, you can find yourself bogged down and frustrated, carrying out mundane, unimportant tasks that are holding you back from doing other more important things. Once you have drawn out a To-Do list each day/each week, go back through it and number each task in order of its importance. That way you can get the things that really matter done first.
6. Batch similar tasks
Next up is a great productivity hack. When going about your day, organise your To-Do list so that you “batch” similar tasks together, meaning you get them done faster. Emails, phone calls, paying bills, editing and internet browsing are all perfect examples of tasks that can be batched together. For example, answering ten emails in an hour is a lot quicker than answering one an hour for ten hours. Try it and thank us later!
7. Find your prime time
The majority of us have certain times of the day at which we do our best work. Some of us are night owls whereas others work most efficiently early in the morning. Find your prime time and schedule your most important tasks during this part of the day. Similarly, allocate tasks that are of less difficulty or importance for times of the day when you’re not feeling your freshest – late afternoon etc.
8. Take breaks
Taking breaks is really important for anyone who wants to increase their productivity. Studies show that taking regular two-minute breaks can improve productivity by up to 11%.
9. Use helpful tools
In today’s world, technology is evolving by the day. There are now millions of apps and extensions designed to increase your productivity and make life easier. Two that we find particularly helpful within our office are Google Calendar and Momentum. Google Calendar makes planning your schedule ten times easier, with built in task lists, meeting notifications and more. It can also be connected to your email account making it easier to stay on top of several things at once. Momentum is a google chrome extension that displays itself each time you open a new tab. It comes with a built in section for to-do lists and a ‘focus’ section along with displaying motivational quotes and beautiful imagery each day.
10. Exercise
Last but not least on our list of 10 tips for increasing productivity is to exercise. Exercise keeps you alert and focused by increasing your blood flow to the brain. It also increases energy levels and helps you to find a good work-life balance. Making time for a walk or jog, the gym, yoga classes – whatever you’re into, will increase your productivity. Exercise has so many positive benefits not only for your physical health, but also your mental health and it’s something that everyone should make time for.
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