24 Feb 15 Ways To Be Productive At Work

Guess what? Every body gets stuck sometimes. It’s more common than you think.

The key to being productive at anything is not going too hard on yourself when you are stuck, and renew your methods using these exercises to increase focus.

It’s very normal to forget where you have left off and pick it up again- because distractions will always exist. Distractions make you less productive, and throws your momentum off- everybody can relate to that! Since there is no chance of making them disappear, the decision to staying focused at work is upto you. Here is how you can actually do it:

-Get Inspired By What You Do : Whenever you have a task at hand, always ask “why am I doing this?”. When the goal or output has more meaning attached to it, you can make it your own and can stay focused. With value attached to your efforts, you can find a way to make the task more fun- let your imagination go crazy and be creative! Always find ways to be different, so that you’re fully invested in expanding mental and work goals!

-Prioritize Your Tasks: The first hour of work is where most people tend to be really productive. There is more energy at this time so put all difficult and challenging tasks in the first hour. You may see that it’s easier to place less pressuring or small time routine work after that. Such methods make you stay focused at work, without spending precious time on doing tasks you don’t like. Do this and you won’t be stressed with important projects at the end of the workday.

-Organize Your Desk: Does it make a difference? Yes. Clutter causes stress, so keep the things you need neatly piled.

-Have A Water Bottle Nearby: Water is refreshing! Push away fatigue or stress by sipping on water and then get back to the task at hand. Fill a large bottle of water and place it near you to avoid leaving, especially when you’re in the midst of focusing on work.

-Snack Up: Just as important as the thirst of refreshment is settling a grumbling stomach! To have 90% of your attention at work, eating well within your work area will get you away from unrelated activities. So make sure you’ve got some nutritious snacks at arms reach too!

-Chairs and Tables Matter: Having a good chair with supporting back rest and a table which places your laptop at eye level is important. Although it is recommended to take breaks throughout the day, if an urgent task needs your complete attention, staying comfortable and eye and neck strain is ideal.

-Make Your Computer Distraction Free: You know those re-start pop-ups or anti-virus renewal pop-ups can be very distracting! Keep your laptop or PC always virus-free to save you the hassle of repairs and checks. Also place all files related to each project into one folder, to de-clutter it for easy access.

-Make a TO- DO list: Believe me this works! Start your day by listing down every task you have to do for the day on a notepad.This will give you an idea of how to allocate time for what and where you need to focus more.  Having it on your computer will lead to other online distractions, so keep a list nearby and cross out everything you finish.

-Stay Away From Social Networking Sites: Gifs! Videos! Inbox! Shares!Trending Topics! Social Feeds! All of these things are addictive as you expect to see  something new or funny or interesting to pop up any second. But these sites will not only defeat your purpose of staying focused at work, but deeper thoughts can get your mind unnecessarily disturbed- like a friend who’s going through a bad breakup or someone from work getting a raise.

-Let Other’s Know About Personal Time: Having your own personal working space is great when you want to be left alone for hours while you stay focused on the really important work. But if you want this- you have to let others know. Once you’re on your free time, then you can once again have your discussions. Unless something is very urgent, people will understand that you need some space. After all,they want the same too!

-Use Headphones: To avoid exposure to distracting sounds make sure to get a comfortable pair of headphones. They will ward off surprising sounds that get your mind wandering.

-Go Offline: You may choose to put your phone or IM on offline or on busy mode during the busiest hours.

-Be Smart with your Phone: You could request your work mates to inform your callers that you’d get back once you’re done with work. So, instead of people tapping your back or shouting your name saying you’ve got a call, you’ve got the green signal to work continuously. Once you are done with work, you may choose to call back your previous callers in order to explain your situation, if something important comes up, make sure to write it down. TIP: Always limit phone conversations to less than three minutes.

-Have Mindful Music: For some people listening to music pumps up the adrenaline levels to work at greater speeds. The idea of having music in the background is to create and provide ease and inspiration. So, keep in mind the type of music that works best and not at all distracting.

-Meditate For 5 Minutes After Waking Up: It is going to help you out in many ways! Firstly, it will help in keeping your mind calm, stress-free and focused during challenging days. It will help you to have better communications and not snap because of stress. Meditation helps to keep personal issues like a bad fight or feeling of guilt, anger, unhappiness etc at bay as you have addressed them in the morning instead of attending to it during work.

Nehita Abraham

Nehita is a mindfulness expert who writes extensively on lifestyle management, wellness and ways to lead a healthier and a happier life. She is a part of Aware’s expert team on meditation. She is also an avid artist who spends most her time dribbling amazing stories through art.