4 WAYS TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AT WORK

For many people, returning to work after the Christmas break can be a rather stressful and anxiety-inducing prospect. A week in, and you’re still not feeling motivated? We get it.

People up and down the country returned to work this week, whether in their home office, actual office or a spare bedroom office. And while getting back into the swing of things may be a relief for some, for many people, returning to the working day is quite stressful.

“How to be productive at work?” we can guarantee is the age-old question plaguing employees around the world. Regardless of where you work and what you do, the majority of people are always looking for new ways to be more efficient and effective, particularly after a lengthy time off.

Here are a few (not so obvious) ways to make the transition a little easier.

Plan your day the night before.

Although it seems tedious, spending your day at work to come home and plan the next isn’t appealing. Waking up with an organised day will pay dividends and ease you back into the working habits and routines that may have subsided while eating turkey and opening presents.

Eat the Frog
Not an actual frog, a metaphorical one.

Mark Twain once famously said: “if it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest first.”

Get your most significant and undesirable task out of the way first. Doing this will give you a sense of accomplishment which has the opportunity to fuel the rest of your day. Getting the ball rolling early will motivate you to complete your other tasks.

Turn off your notifications.

According to a Gallup poll, more than 50 percent of US smartphone owners admit to checking their phones a few times an hour, even at work.

Switching off your notifications during work hours is an excellent way to prevent you from checking your phone all the time, allowing a stronger, more productive focus.

Can you work the Pomodoro way?

This method is excellent for long projects that cannot be broken down into smaller chunks or sprints. Instead of reducing the workload to make it less daunting, you’re keeping the same workload but making it a lot more managing by making the work time smaller.

Follow this method:

Choose a task.