Productivity is the ultimate buzzword of the 2000s, it’s the metric of metrics, and it’s something that we want to incorporate into all our lives.
Despite its popularity, not many people are good with productivity, and the facts back that up: according to a recent survey by Voucher Cloud, an average employee is only productive for two and a half hours in a day.
So let’s take a look at how you can improve your productivity levels in the office.
- Don’t skimp out on sleep
Say it with us: sleep is your best friend and the ultimate miracle worker. Having eight hours of sleep every night results in improved memory, better physical and mental health, a healthier appetite, and lots more!
On the flip side, if you’re sleepy and groggy throughout the work day, then there’s quite a possibility that you might suffer through burnout faster, make poor decisions, forget things, and make more mistakes than otherwise.
Sleep is not only good for improving your productivity levels, but rather, it can help you improve your overall health (and may even result in you becoming a better, healthier version of yourself). So the better question is, why skimp out on sleep? - Say goodbye to your distractions
The aforementioned study listed several distractions that allowed employees to be sidetracked from their work. Some distractions included looking at social media, calling friends/family, reading the news, hanging out with colleagues, etc.
Now, we don’t want you to lose out on your social life, but you can create healthy boundaries. Allow yourself some time to sit in complete silence without any distractions to see how fast you can get your tasks done.
And then compare this success with your average workday, and you’ll realize how much time you end up wasting on the daily. - Make sure you eat well
There’s a popular saying, ‘you are what you eat’. Well, it is true to some extent that what you eat can directly impact how you function — for example, having junk food regularly might directly result in diabetes, high blood sugar levels, etc.
Food also has a direct impact on your brain and your cognitive functions, which means that it can seriously impact your productivity levels. Here’s a deeper look at how good food can impact your productivity: What you eat affects your productivity. - Get the furniture you need
Office furniture plays a huge role in how our productivity gets impacted. Picture this: you’re free of all distractions, you’ve eaten well, you have your 8 hours of sleep, and now you sit on your work chair to get your work done.
The chair is uncomfortable and wobbly, the lights are too bright and directly hit your face, and the desk is at the wrong height and with sharp edges. Can’t imagine yourself working in that scenario, can you?
For that reason alone, we implore that you invest in high-quality, ergonomic furniture that is suited to your needs. Speaking of furniture, make sure to keep your desk and storage units free of clutter to boost your productivity levels. - Noise cancelling headphones to the rescue
Noise cancelling headphones are a godsend, especially if you’re working in an office with loud coworkers or if your house is always hustling and bustling.
Besides reducing stress levels and improving productivity levels, there are several other benefits of noise cancelling headphones, like the fact they can reduce sensory overstimulation, they help with jet lag and air pressure when you’re travelling, they can help you relax, etc.
To wrap it up
Changes to improve productivity in your lifestyle won’t happen in a day or two. You might need a mix of trial and error, and a long time of practice to understand what productivity hacks work for you.
All that there is to say is that productivity is a journey, and we’re all on it. Not every day will be entirely productive, and that’s okay — the goal is to improve our productivity levels and not max out on them.
