I like to think that I can be a fairly productive person when I sit down at the desk to get some work done. And yet I still have those occasional days when my mind wants to focus on just about anything else other than work. It’s safe to say we all have these types of days. There can be a lot of distractions in the work place and if we aren’t prepared for a productive day, we can get sucked into wasting the day on a whole lot of nothing. So if you want to reduce the days in which that happens and get rid of some of those distractions, follow our handy tips.
Eat right.
What you eat in the course of the day has a big impact on how that day goes. Since you were a kid, you’ve been told to start every morning with a balanced breakfast and you should still abide by that advice. A health and hearty breakfast gives you a boost of energy in the morning that can help you concentrate on your work. You’ll find as you get closer to lunchtime and your hunger returns, your focus will start to fade, but you need to be careful of choosing the right meal. Eating too much or eating junk will only make you feel sluggish and cause your mind to drift off the work. Keep it sensible and keep it healthy.
Set up your workspace appropriately.
We’ve mentioned countless times how important a clean and organized workspace. The saying goes that a clutter desk leads to a cluttered mind, and that’s not just some cheap psychology, it’s actually very true. The more junk you have on your desk, the more thing you have to take your mind off of the work at hand. When you come into work every morning, take a few moments to set your workspace up in a way that allows you to be comfortable and productive.
Get rid of notifications.
In the age of phones and social media, becoming distracted is all too easy. The constant dings and beeps we get notifying us of a new Facebook post or text message just sucks us right out of what we’re doing. if you can successfully ignore those constant interruptions, more power to you, but if you’re like everyone else who can’t help but check it, try removing the temptation. Turn off the notifications and wait until your break to catch up with the social world. You won’t miss much and you’ll get a whole lot more done.
Tune others out.
There’s a time to be social with your coworkers and there’s a time to get work done. It’s nice to catch up with everyone when you first arrive at the office or at break time, but the constant chitchat can really be a drain on your time. It’s not rude to remove yourself from that environment and buckle down. Close your door to let people know you’re busy. Wear headphones to drown out the other talk.
Stick to your breaks.
When you’re having one of those days unproductive days, you often feel the need to skip your usual break time. You feel like you haven’t earned a break or that you need to skip it to get ahead, but sometimes you just need to step away from the desk to clear your head. If you keep trying to work without a break, you’ll just get tired and be counting the minutes until the workday ends. Don’t take an extra long break or multiple breaks, but allow yourself sometime to step away and then get back with a renewed energy.
Turn off internet.
This might seem a little childish, but sometimes we need to treat ourselves like children in order to get some real work done. Yes, you can just as easily turn your internet back on and jump on Facebook, but that small action will make you second think it and hopefully you’ll realize there’s more important things to be right now. If you need your internet for work, it can be a little tougher to get the same motivation, but try closing all tabs and applications you’re not using.