Being Productive: Let us talk about this very thing that everyone craves and dies to become. Getting oneself to be productive at the office or any other workplace always seems like a big daunting task which involves taking a U-turn wherever you are and starting afresh.
Replacing your office chair for a better one will surely help boost your productivity, but that’s just part of the big picture. Studies have shown that what holds us back from achieving our goals at the office aren’t the massive logistical issues but petty problems like lack of energy and never-ending distractions.
Getting ahead of this day to day complaints is often easier than you think. By making basic changes to your workplace, you can significantly impact your productivity and see yourself doing more with the less you have.
Here are a few tweaks that will allow you to get more work done on time and also help you reduce the time you spend on unnecessary tasks.
Ritualize and Create a Statement With Your Workspace
What does culture have to do with productivity? Well, basically everything. Culture connects you to the workplace and gives you the ownership feel of your office. Make the whole or part of your workspace the “work-only” place and only move there when you need to get work done.
When rethinking your office design, take culture into account and create an environment that calls you out of bed in the morning. Start simple by including the colors you identify yourself with, later add more artwork to your scheme and create your “heaven at work.”
Invest in a Plant(s)
Human beings find nature relaxing and stress relieving. Other than adding a visually appealing green color, plants purify the air around you by removing harmful toxins.
Combined with the benefits of improving memory retention and minimizing depression, plants are the way to go if you are after a low-budget productivity enhancement option.
Invest in Quality and Functional Furniture
This point is pretty obvious but critical to the success you need at the workspace. If you are not comfortable where you are seated, then get a good seat. If your desk isn’t big enough, then get a bigger one. If you get distracted because of your open office, get higher cubicles that offer everyone their own workspace. If your storage space is not enough for all your needs, get shelves, cabinets, boxes, and other solutions to meet your needs.
Get Proper Working and Collaboration Tools
Having the right tools to get your tasks done helps you perform your duties more efficiently and on time. While you can drive a nail using a shoe, getting a hammer is the better option. A nail gun makes the work effortless. Nothing sucks like wasting a whole important five minutes of a meeting just because you have a slow printer.
Specialized, modern, and high-quality equipment constitutes a swifter and stress-free workplace that will see an uptick in your productivity levels.
Set Some Tone With Color
We can’t find strong words enough to emphasize the effect that color has on your productivity. Color matters and should be considered whenever one is designing or upgrading their workspace.
Color sets the general mood of a space, and when selecting your pick, consider shades that make you happy and motivated. According to science, blue makes a room vibrant and can help keep employees motivated. If you work in an open office and have little to no control over the color, try to get personal accessories like pens and coffee mugs bearing colors you love.
Light it up!
Offices with lots of fluorescent lights can be quite a deal-breaker since they are stuffy and create a trappy feel. Natural light, on the other hand, increases energy and thus productivity.
Being productive involves staying comfortable for long hours. Unfortunately, tasks like staring at a computer for long hours can cause eye strain which in turn affects productivity.
Proper lighting will make a huge difference in enhancing your mood, reducing eye strain, affecting and improving your general productivity at the office.
Delegate Tasks and Follow up
Assign tasks to qualified employees and those with a proven track record of delivering good work, and follow up to ensure the tasks are done as expected.
This helps you get tasks done on time and builds your staff’s experience, which is a plus for your business.
Stay Hydrated, Always
Coffee is the go-to drink at the workplace, but trust us when we say water is way better. More than 70% of the human brain is made up of water, and slight dehydration can affect an individual’s mental performance and physical energy. Staying hydrated also keeps your body fresh, and that’s why you should have at least a bottle of water with you at your desk.
It is sometimes hard to keep track of the amount of water you have drunk; in this case, scheduling apps can help, or just keeping the water bottle within sight will keep you reminded.
Wear Headphones
Noise always finds its way into a productive place. In some situations, we can control the noise, but when it is just above us, that’s where headphones set in.
And we are not just talking about any headphones on the market but modern, over-the-ear, noise-canceling ones. Headphones have a unique way of drawing you in and filtering the outside world from your inner thoughts, allowing you to focus on what matters and get it done.
Hang Inspirational Art
Feed your self-esteem when you are at the workplace by hanging inspirational art. It could be a simple quote from your favorite author but also the fuel to keep you motivated and proactive at work. Science has shown that wall art in an office space can boost productivity and the overall mood of the staff.
Don’t Multitask
Multitasking always seems like a great option whenever we have limited time. While it may help get work done, multitasking often leads to many errors which require more time fixing. Tailor your desk to encourage working on one task at a time before shifting to the next. It may not be realistic to block off a certain number of hours for a single task, but it’s better to focus on a task for 10 minutes and get it done than juggle between numerous tasks and end up with more errors to address.
Start Journaling
We’re creatures made to celebrate achievements and gratitude triggers the release of dopamine which makes us happy. Research has shown that people who write about their day and celebrate their “small wins” are more likely to make progress in their overall goals.
Take Care of Temperature
There is no joy in working in a freezing environment which makes you focus on dealing with the cold instead of focusing on the tasks at hand. Too hot is also not good for your health and will have you sweating all day long.
Depending on the weather conditions at your workplace, find the optimum temperature to keep you comfortable and productive when working.
Sit, Stand, Sit, Repeat
Scientists have told us that sitting is the new smoking; associated with all sorts of illnesses from diabetes to heart attack. Sitting ergonomically will help but not every bit; you’re advised to take breaks and walk around the office before embarking on the next task.
This prevents accumulation of pressure on your muscles and improves the general blood circulation in the body.
Stay Focused and Get Things Done on Time
You now realize that working on your productivity at the workplace doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. That it is not always about the big sweeping modifications and upgrades, but sometimes minor tweaks, which you may even have assumed at some point.
That’s how you make your office productive, put these tips into practice and enjoy the productivity rewards of a healthy workplace.
