With the recent outbreak of COVID19, many people have been forced to bring their work home. And while it has its advantages, we can all admit that we don’t all have the right mindsets and focus to really stay productive. We all had to adapt - we are all still adapting. Now that things are starting to go back to normal, some are beginning to physically return to the offices. Nevertheless, whether you're staying at home to work or going back to your business spaces, what matters most is that you have ways to increase productivity to be successful in your business endeavors.
How to Improve Productivity?
1. Set a Time and Make a Schedule
First up on our list of ways to increase productivity at the workplace is to have a schedule prepared. Many time management apps can help you achieve this. Setting a time and having a schedule that you follow daily enables you to maximize productivity because it allows you to use your time wisely and focus on the tasks that are essential to your business activities. If you can plot your tasks on your calendar and prioritize, you would not only be maximizing each and every second of the day, you also give yourself the comfort of knowing that you have a solid plan to finish all that you need to accomplish. It can significantly increase productivity for you and your business because it helps you create a structure for your day. You lay down a path for you to follow - a carefully planned path so that you don’t miss any of the most important things you need to accomplish while also leaving some time for you to actually relax and take care of yourself.
2. Organize Your Workplace
Whether you are back at the office or you are still staying home to do your work, our next tip about how to increase productivity is to organize your workplace. There are many websites and articles that you can use to find inspiration on organizing your desk, your shelves, your drawers, your computer files, etc. Optimizing these things to best assist you in your daily activities will help you maximize productivity hours because you will be better equipped and more prepared. The way you work will flow more easily because you know where everything is. In addition, mentally, this is one of the ways to increase productivity because your mind tends to work better if conditioned with the concept that you are working. If you have an organized workspace, you set yourself up for better chances of getting something done.
3. Eliminate Distractions
Our homes used to only be a place where we get to unwind and relax. But since the pandemic started, it has also become our workplace. Considering all the things that come with these circumstances, we can say that the distractions keep us from being productive. We can easily be distracted from our family’s work, the big TV in the living room, or the Xbox just waiting there. But we can also be easily sucked into work and distracted from our time with our loved ones. Thus, we should learn and find a way to eliminate distractions to increase productivity in both aspects. The way you do that is to really find a way to separate one from the other. The earlier tip about having a schedule comes hand-to-hand with this tip. Following a specific timeframe will help you more easily maximize productivity and use your time wisely. You must train yourself to give your full attention to what you are doing to increase productivity at the workplace.
4. Play Some Music
Studies have shown that listening to music helps stimulate the brain. But there are still some people who have been accustomed to the silence that this would not increase productivity. So if you are one of those people, you can go ahead and skip to our next tip. However, if you are open to the idea of listening to some tunes while you are working, then many would vouch for the fact that it actually helps you to work better and maximize productivity hours. You know how most movies or TV series have some background music almost 100% of the time? Think of it like that. Listening to music while working is like having a background music encouraging you to keep going. If you want to do this, find the music you like best to partner with your work or whatever you are doing. You don’t want it to be a distraction. So maybe try to find songs that you don’t know the lyrics of so you don’t end up just singing along with it. There are great songs and playlists out there that you can use to increase productivity daily. Remember that it is supposed to encourage you and make whatever you are doing more fun and enjoyable.
5. Complete First the Task You Hate Most
Among the list of tasks that we have to accomplish, there’s always that one task or activity that we dread to do. Whether it’s a tiring one, brings up a lot of stress, is not your area of expertise, or it’s something you’re uncomfortable doing, it is best to do that first before anything else. By doing so, you help yourself increase productivity for the rest of your day. Whether you start your day super early, midday, or even in the late afternoon, doing this first before doing anything else means that you would still have all the energy. It will make it less difficult and stressful to finish because you aren't completely exhausted and tired yet. Having not done anything else before this task will allow you to really channel your energy (and maybe even your optimism) towards the task and maybe even get it done faster than you have imagined. Finishing this first will allow you to increase productivity for the rest of the day because you have some satisfaction that comes with doing so.
6. Stop Saying “Yes” to Everything
It’s a common mistake or tendency for people who want to find ways to increase productivity to say “Yes” to each task that they are asked to do - sometimes, even if it’s beyond their responsibility. While completing many tasks and accomplishing different activities can mean that you could maximize productivity hours of the day, sometimes you don’t realize that you are sacrificing quality over quantity. You stop focusing on how well you do each and every task, your only concern is that you finish it so you can move on to the next task. In addition, saying “Yes” to everything can also be counterproductive. You can’t say that this is how to improve productivity because sometimes, having too many tasks can be so overwhelming that you end up not getting anything done at the end of the day. Thus, to truly increase productivity at workplace, you should learn to say “No” as much as possible.
7. Keep Doing You
Most of the time, when we are surrounded by our peers and colleagues, we have this tendency to do what they do and go with the crowd. Who doesn’t want to fit in and belong, right? However, when we talk about how to improve productivity, one size truly does not fit all. That is, no matter how much you want to be like everyone else, you aren’t. There is a uniqueness in you that you have to exploit to truly increase productivity. While there isn’t anything wrong with adapting to the best practices you learn from those you work with and/or you work for, you can’t force yourself to do everything the way they do. Because in reality, just because it is being done by the majority does not mean that you should do it too - or even that it is the right way to do things. You have to not let yourself be caught up in the peer pressure of it all. The best way to maximize productivity is to do things your way because it will always be the best way.
8. Work Smart
Sometimes, we tend to be so immersed in doing things the traditional way that we forget that, for some tasks, there are modern-day tools that can help make the job easier. Remember that just because you are more tired does not mean that you were able to maximize productivity. Thus, it isn’t enough for you to just work so tirelessly hard. You also have to be smart about how you work. This is one of the many ways for you to increase productivity. If you can find more efficient ways that still result in effectiveness and good quality work, you significantly can increase productivity at the workplace. The less energy you exert on a particular task because you worked smart on it, the more energy you will have for the following tasks that you need to accomplish. Take advantage of all the tools that you have access to. After all, these modern-day inventions were created to make life easier and make tasks easier to deal with.
9. Learn to Take a Break
Working too much will eventually lead to breakdowns (and pimple breakouts!) See, and this is especially true in work-from-home setups, we sometimes are so focused on accomplishing the tasks at hand that we forget to take a break. Most people will say that taking a break cannot possibly be one of the ways to increase productivity - but it truly is. See, taking a break will give you the necessary rest that your body physically and mentally needs. It doesn’t have to be a fanciful or excessive break (but it can be, every once in a while). You can give yourself a few minutes of letting go of work-related stress. Go eat a meal, get some coffee or ice cream, talk with a friend, browse through social media or watch an episode of your favorite sitcom. No matter what you choose to do, you will increase productivity with this because after those few minutes, your mind and body will be refreshed and recharged to get more work done.
10. Take Care of Yourself
This shouldn’t even be a tip, but a norm. Nevertheless, the reality is that many of us have been conditioned to think that taking care of ourselves will not maximize productivity. Society has been programmed to think that taking care of yourself is a complete waste of time - but it isn’t. And you would do well to remember that. By taking care of yourself, you protect yourself from sickness and missing days of work. You equip yourself with the right physical and mental health to do better work and increase productivity by taking care of yourself. Take care of yourself and see how much it helps you be productive at work and all other aspects of your life.
How to Increase Productivity With Strikingly Simultaneous Editing
- Sign up or log in to your Strikingly account.
- Open your Site Editor.
- Go to Settings, then access “Team”.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
- Add your teammates.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
You can even assign roles for each of your teammates. This helps increase productivity of the whole team.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
- Have your teammates accept the invitation.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
To increase productivity at work doesn’t always mean keeping busy 100% of the time. Sometimes you can be very productive within a brief period that you really exert efforts on activities that make a difference rather than a more extended time doing anything just to say that you are busy. We hope that this article will help you to maximize productivity wherever you go and work. And with tools like Strikingly, not only ensure your productivity and efficiency, you also share it with the rest of your team. Sign up with Strikingly now, and let’s be productive together!
