by 
Overwork at work affects us all to some extent at least once in a lifetime. Either we stay over the schedule to complete a difficult task, or we have not rested enough, labor productivity is influenced by a combination of factors. Even if we can’t always control all the factors, there are some measures we can take to be productive, even on days when stress reaches its peak and we are overwhelmed with tasks.
Affiliate disclaimer:“This post contains affiliate links/Amazon ads. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks.”
Here are some suggestions that you can implement to use your time, energy, and resources more efficiently:
How can you increase labor productivity?
1. Wake up early
Waking up early is a common practice among successful people around the world (Barack Obama, Oprah, etc.) and there are some pretty good reasons to adopt this practice.
If you wake up in the early hours of the morning, you will have more time for all the tasks during the day and you will be much more disciplined once you get used to the routine. It can be hard at first for people who like to go to bed late, but with a little effort, you can reap the many benefits from this decision.
2. Set a goal, a set of goals and tactics to achieve them
Whether we are talking about a career in general or a day job, it is important to come up with a plan. In your career, you need the answer to the question, “What do I want to do professionally?”
In order to achieve your goal, you need to set some precise goals such as – “I want to do X work in the next 3/6/12 months”, and then tactics to achieve them. In the case of tactics, you have to answer the question “What do I need to achieve my goals?”. In the wider context of the career, a possible answer would be specialization courses, participation in conferences, etc.
A well-established plan for your career in general, but also for a normal work day helps you to better visualize your tasks, the steps you need to follow, as well as to increase your work productivity.
3. Take frequent breaks
Do you know the expression “Long and frequent breaks, the key to great success”? Well, there is a truth behind it. At first glance, it may seem that frequent breaks adversely affect productivity and have the opposite effect, but this is not the case at all.
Short but frequent breaks, especially on days when you have difficult tasks that require a lot of attention, help you focus better and maintain a constant level of performance. This has also been demonstrated by researchers, and as you may have guessed, if you work hard on a task without taking a break, you will have much lower productivity.
The next time you feel the need for a coffee break, you don’t have to feel guilty. Science is on your side.
4. Avoid multitasking
A common myth is that if you do several things at once, you increase your productivity. Nothing more false! Research has shown that productivity can be affected by up to 40% for people who perform multiple tasks at the same time, such as talking on the phone while answering emails.
One little known but quite worrying thing is that the mental blockages created when people move from one task to another quickly can lead in time to a decrease in IQ, according to a study conducted at Stanford University.
5. Organize your tasks
Creating lists with the tasks you have and the order in which they must be performed helps you to organize your time much more efficiently. If the specifics of the job allow you, you can create this list the night before to be prepared for the next day’s tasks and improve your concentration.
Write briefly, preferably by hand to better remember, the necessary explanations and the steps you can follow to complete the tasks. The next day you just need to look at the task and the explanations and you will know what to do.
6. Eliminate distractions
At work, there are many elements that distract us and can affect our productivity. The most common factors that affect our concentration are noise, excessive time spent on social media or replying to emails.
If your job doesn’t allow you to ignore your email or turn off notifications for a long time, at least try to spend less time on this activity when you’re focusing on difficult tasks.
The same can be said about social media. You can set a time period (15-20 minutes) in which to deal with this, and then return to the initial task. This way, you will organize your time much more efficiently.
7. Exercise during or after work
Physical activity helps your brain to function better and improves your ability to concentrate. If at the company you work for, you have access to a gym during lunch, you get many benefits if you go regularly – better concentration, you become more creative, you learn better and even, surprisingly, you relate better to your colleagues or with superiors.
If you do not have the necessary resources to exercise at the company you work for, at least try to be as active as possible after finishing the program. You will have the same benefits for the next day.
8. Get enough sleep
The hours spent overtime, the large number of responsibilities, as well as the daily stress make us sleep less and less or even have long-term sleep disorders. Each of us has felt on our own skin the negative effects of lack of sleep at work.
As you probably know, lack of sleep affects productivity, concentration, memory, the ability to make rational decisions or perform mathematical operations.
According to a study published by the US National Library of Medicine, a single night in which we do not get enough sleep affects our ability to find innovative solutions to problems, makes us think more rigidly or make certain mistakes.
Adults aged 26-64 need, on average, about 7-9 hours of sleep. If you fail to follow this rule because of the schedule, a one-hour nap during the day can help you feel invigorated again.
9. Decorate your office to your liking
It may seem hard to believe, but several studies have shown that beautifying the office with aesthetically pleasing elements, such as plants or other decorative objects, has a positive and not negligible impact on productivity – it can increase by up to 15%. . Decorate your office with pictures, flowers, scented candles or anything that makes you happy. You will work harder and feel at home.
We hope that the tips covered in this article will help you organize your time efficiently, increase your work productivity and complete all the tasks you have set for yourself.
You can also read:
- Valuable Content Marketing: Strategies And Content Formats
- Business Models: Online Store And Sale Of Physical Products
