9 Simple Ways That Will Boost Productivity At Workplace Dramatically

There are only 24 hours in a day, and you don’t have all those hours to do your work. Do you? No, you don’t. In fact, nobody does. We all have a certain number of hours to complete tasks at our workplaces. So you have to make the most out of time you have got at your workplace, meaning you will have to be more productive. How can you do that? Well, my friend, being more productive is not rocket science. You just have to make some changes in your work habits. In today’s article, I’m going to discuss nine simple ways that will improve your productivity dramatically. Without further ado, let’s dive in: 1- Quit Multitasking rnYes, you read it right: you need to quit multitasking if you want to be more productive. Though some people think that multitasking helps them complete more tasks in less time, it is scientifically proven that multitasking kills productivity. According to research by Stanford University, multitasking makes people less productive than completing one task at a time. Also, the research concluded that people having many streams of electronic information find it difficult to pay attention, recall information, and switch from one task to another. So quit multitasking if you want to be more productive and efficient. 2- Follow A To-Do List No matter what some people say, to-do lists are a good way to boost productivity. Should you spend time on deciding what you should do when you reach office in the morning? No, you shouldn’t. We are full of energy in the morning, so we should utilize it properly. Having a to-do list ready helps you start working right away when you start your workday. As you will not have to spend time on deciding what you should do first and what you should do later in the morning when you’re fully charged, it helps you complete more tasks in a day. Also, when you cross off a task from a to-do list, it provides you with a sense of accomplishment and drives you to finish the next task quickly. You should always make a to-do list the day before and have some space in your list for urgent tasks that may turn up. 3- Don’t Check Emails Frequently Though they are necessary and you cannot avoid them, checking emails frequently and replying to them is a big time-killer. Rather than refreshing your Inbox every two minutes, you should make a fixed time for reading and replying to your emails. If you receive emails that require urgent responses from your end, you can check emails more frequently. How often? This entirely depends on the nature of your work. The point is you should avoid checking emails every two minutes. 4- Know Where You Spend Time To be more productive, you need to save time. And to save time, you should know where you spend time. Though people think that they are good at gauging how much time they spend at their workplaces, only 17% people are able to accurately track the passage of time, according to a study. Start tracking time you spend on daily tasks. This will help you understand how you spend your daily time at your workplace and where you can improve to save time. 5- Minimize Interruptions Having a colleague for a brief chitchat sounds innocuous, but believe me, you have to pay the price for it. According to a study, even brief interruptions can cause you stress and frustration, which can eventually take a toll on your productivity. Minimize interruptions, which means letting other people know that you are working and don’t want to be disturbed unless it is important. Being more productive is all about using your time smartly and judiciously. 6- Drink Coffee Believe it or not, having coffee at your workplace can boost your productivity. How? According to a report published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Diseases, there is a connection between cognition and caffeine. Though caffeine doesn’t have any role in improving learning and memory, it increases physiological arousal that helps you pay attention. When you need an attention booster to finish tasks quickly at your workplace, just grab a cup of coffee, it will do the trick. rn7- Limit Time on Social Media rnDo you frequently check your Facebook or Twitter feed? If you do, please stop doing it if you want to be more productive. Social media is one of the biggest time-killers at a workplace, and it is affecting the workplace productivity. According to Statista, the daily social media usage of global Internet users was 135 minutes per day as of 2017. You can save a good amount of time if you limit your time on social media. 8- Follow Self-Imposed Deadlines Nobody likes deadlines, but many times deadlines help us complete tasks on time. A manageable self-imposed stress helps us meet our work goals. However, following self-imposed deadlines are easier said than done. Here are some strategies to stick to your self-imposed deadlines: ● Set mini milestonesrn● Find accountability partnerrn● Create a sense of urgency ● Include rewards and consequences Start following self-imposed deadlines. You will see a drastic improvement in your productivity. 9- Take Regular Breaks Taking planned, brief breaks helps. According to a study, brief diversions vastly improves focus. When working on the same project for long, our mind starts to lose focus. Taking a brief diversion helps us invigorate and we can tackle the task with more focus. However, you should understand the difference between breaks and interruptions. Breaks are something that you need to earn. Breaks mean going to grab a cup of coffee once you have crossed off a significant number of tasks from your to-do list for the day. Being more productive than your former self is something that offers multiple rewards: you will be satisfied, your manager will be happy, and you will grow faster in your professional career. Follow these simple ways, and I’m sure you will be more productive. Do you have any other tip to add to this list? Please leave it in the comment section. I’d love to know about it.