5 ways to increase your workplace productivity

For some people a 24-hour day isn't enough, and for some others 24 hours in a day is way too much time. If you find yourself in either of the above-mentioned two categories, you're compromising on your productivity. Making the most of your time is critical as you need to make time for a life outside work as well. Being more productive isn't rocket science, and yet so many of us are terrible when it comes to managing our time. If you're productive on a daily basis, you're bound to experience a sense of accomplishment which will make you happier and more content with life.

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Here are the top 5 ways to increase your productivity levels:

Create time blocks

Every morning, take a look at your task list and assign time slots to the various tasks you need to accomplish. Research shows that not everyone can accurately estimate the passage of time, and if you're one such person, you'll want to create time blocks so that you don't end up spending too much time on a single task. Also, always tackle the most difficult task when you're fresh in the morning so it is out of the way once and for all.

Step out for lunch

Never eat lunch at your desk while reading your emails or completing some or the other task. Make it a point to eat in the cafeteria with your colleagues. Doing this will ease your stress levels and refresh your creativity. If you can, take a 10-minute walk outside your office premises to clear your head as this will help you re-focus once again.

Take regular breaks

When you're scheduling your tasks in the morning, make sure to schedule in a few breaks as well. Sitting at a desk continuously for two-to-three hours can not only affect your physical health, but it can also lead to a steady decline in your performance. On the contrary, when you take a break after every one hour, you're more likely to have improved concentration levels.

Learn to say no

There will always be a colleague or a senior who will want you to help them out with their tasks, but you should know when to say no. If you constantly say yes to helping everyone at work, your own task list will be thrown off-schedule and this will do no good for your stress and productivity levels.

Minimize distractions

In today's world, distractions are aplenty. Most of our jobs require us to spend maximum time working on a computer, and social media can prove to be a great distraction in itself. Apart from Facebook and Instagram, chatty colleagues and loud music during work hours are some other factors that tend to interrupt our flow of work. If you want to increase your productivity levels, you need to minimize interruptions as much as you can.

Instead of putting in longer hours at work, think about ways you can work smarter, not harder. When you try to beat the person you were the day before, you automatically increase your day-to-day productivity.

Read Also: 7 habits to supercharge your productivity