When you work in an office, it can be easy to feel like you don’t get much done. Many people find that working in an office environment seems to make days drag, sapping away their productivity. If you are one of the people who feel this way, here are a few things you can do to make yourself more productive throughout the day.
1. Set Mini Goals
When you work in an office, many times your projects are meant to take weeks of work. This can make it hard to feel like you are making any headway and can make it difficult to give updates to your boss as well. This can all be avoided by breaking up each and every projected into a series of mini goals. Divide it by the number of words, the number of pages, or the number of sources that you need and then set a goal for each day. This will make you feel like you have accomplished something each time you leave the office.
2. Create An Easy To Follow Routine
Make sure to check your e-mail at the same time every day, always check with your boss for updated by 10am, and have a weekly meeting with your team. This routine will make it easy to know what you need to do and will help you prioritize your workload as well.
3. Get Up And Stretch
While this may seem a bit counterproductive, getting out of your seat and stretching or moving to a new area may actually make you more productive. This is because physical activity will stimulate the brain, making it easier for you to think and complete your work. The same can be said for quick naps if you work in an office that offers a long enough lunch to squeeze in a nap.
4. Make Better Meal Choices
Try and eat lighter meals than you are used to when you are at work. Heavy food will make you feel tired after lunch, pushing you into a “food coma.” This will cut down on your ability to work and will make the time drag by. Instead, choose foods that will gill you with energy and keep the creative center of your brain hard at work.
5. Reward Yourself For Finished Work
Make sure that you are always rewarding yourself for the work that you have done. If you finish your entire project early, get through a particularly rough section, or come out of a meeting feeling your presentation was perfect, you should give yourself a reward. Try to avoid making them food based, but instead choose something that will relax you after work and help you maintain a healthy separation between your work and home life.
All of these should help you become more productive in the office. If you are a trainer or manager who wants to try and increase productivity among their workers, these are also great suggestions to aid in office-wide productivity.
