A year ago our lives took a complete turn and things haven’t resumed normalcy since. Most of us are still working and studying from home and boundaries between personal and professional life have blurred. Instead of taking coffee breaks between work, we are now taking breaks to cook lunch or answer doorbells, thus reducing our productivity and leaving us drained at the end of the day.
So here are some tips to boost your energy and productivity at work:
1. Prepare a to-do list the night before
Jot down the things you have to do the next day, in order of importance, before going to bed. This will ensure that you are mentally prepared for the day ahead and you focus on the important tasks first. Go the traditional way and use a diary and pen or you could use apps like Todoist or TickTick to organize and list tasks and set reminders.
2. Take regular breaks
Take breaks to actually relax and not just to finish household chores. Set aside 5 minutes every hour to do some deep breathing exercises or walk around your room, house or office space. And every few hours when you take a longer break, watch a funny video to make you laugh and reduce your stress.
3. Follow the 5 minute rule
If there is a task you can complete in 5 minutes or less then finish it right away! Whether that is replying to an email or scheduling an appointment. That way you to do list won’t keep increasing as you will instantly remove small tasks out of the way.
4. Beautify your work space
Tidy up your work space at the end of the day so that when you start work the next day you don’t waste time sorting things out. Also, clutter drains energy so besides ensuring that your desk is neat and clean, jazz up your work space with plants, pictures, flowers or candles. Give yourself something nice to look at and smell while working.
5. Refuel
Keep sipping on water and give your body the required energy to function optimally by snacking on healthy options like nuts and fruits at regular intervals and not skipping on meals no matter how much work you have on your plate.
6. Eliminate distractions and quit multitasking
Contrary to popular belief; multitasking does not increase our productivity. It in fact increases stress, decreases productivity and can even cause brain damage as we force our brain to jump back and forth between tasks, focusing briefly on each instead of entirely on one. So shut out all distractions and give all your attention to one task at a time and give it your best.