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You just settled into your new job, and you love it. You’re constantly learning and growing and loving the work. But if you’re like most people, after a little while on the job, something happens—the spark goes away. You no longer look forward to going to work in the morning. You find yourself checking your email at all hours of the day. Or maybe even leaving it on overnight. Before you know it, you’re spending most of your day distracted by that constant stream of emails, wondering if you’re missing out on an important message that came through.
If you’re feeling like you’re in a rut at work, with your productivity in the toilet, there are actually some easy things you can do to boost your productivity every day. And that’s what we want to talk about today.
1. Get a comfortable office chair. If you are looking for ways to be productive at work the best way to start is by making yourself comfortable because if you are not comfortable you will not concentrate well. And concentrating well is exactly what you need to do to be productive. Of course, there are tools that can help you concentrate better, but these are just tools which are not as effective as they are made out to be. The key here is to entice your mind which will not be possible if your body feels uncomfortable. Therefore, the first thing that needs to be done is to ensure that you have a comfortable office chair. When it comes to choosing the right type of office chair, experts recommend buying one that can cradle your body.
The funny thing is, there are so many types of chairs available in the market today yet very few of them are designed using the body shape of people in mind. This means that there is no chair that will feel like it was made for you alone. If this is causing discomfort, then it is time to change your office chair.
2. The second tip is the easiest one. And that is if you’re feeling really groggy or just sluggish at work, keep a little pack of crackers, peanuts, or other snacks on your desk. And when you’re feeling really sluggish at work—or you need a little boost of energy—eat a few handfuls of nuts.
3. Talk to your co-workers. We’ve covered this before, but it’s worth repeating. No one at work likes being a hermit, and no one likes a hermit, either. Socializing at work helps build camaraderie and a better working environment that keeps spirits up.Here are four times when talking to colleagues about non-work topics makes sense.
- When you have a question. It’s nice when someone has already figured something out, so find an answer the next time you have a question at work. If your boss or someone in a higher position can’t help, but it’s something you could ask your peers, put the word out. This way, someone else might know the answer. It will also give you a chance to get to know them better.
- When you need help on a project. Whether you share an office or not, if you’re working on something that requires more than one person, ask for help. Even if all they do is answer one question in the whole process, it’ll be worth it in the long run.
- When you want to share good news. This one is easy—share the latest scoop or success story with your coworkers. Cheering each other on doesn’t cost money and helps build stronger relationships with your co-workers.
- When you want to get better at something. If you see someone doing something well and aren’t sure how they do it, ask them about it—they’ll either know or point you to someone else who can help. The main idea is that getting better at work and at life requires support and encouragement from friends and co-workers who understand what you do and why it matters, so use every opportunity to engage with them and learn from them throughout your career.
4. Use your lunch break wisely. Your lunch break is an amazing resource if you use it properly. Good productivity here means good productivity all day long. But what happens when we don’t use it wisely? Maybe we bring our laptops and look at the same old websites and then check Instagram before we even finish our food. We don’t utilize it for its true purpose: to recharge and refuel so we can be at 110% for the rest of the day..
5. Play a Card Game Every Day. Research shows that having a regular routine can boost productivity. And what’s a better routine than starting your day with a quick card game?
In fact, playing a card game such as those found at Solitaire.Org might be exactly what you need to get out of that mid-afternoon slump. In one study, researchers from the University of Alberta asked two groups of participants to play solitaire for five minutes. The first group was instructed to play quickly, while the second group was told to play slowly and take their time. Five minutes later, the researchers gave each group a task that required them to think in a creative way. The researchers discovered that participants who’d played quickly in the card game were much better at coming up with creative solutions for this task than those who’d been told to take their time.
The reason for this is that when you play card games fast, you have to be creative in how you strategize and approach gameplay. In other words, when faced with a difficult task, it’s often much better to just get started rather than over-analyze things and get stuck in analysis paralysis.
Side note:My most favorite Solitaire game is popular among most people; they usually just call it “Solitaire” or sometimes “Klondike“. This is the one my most favorite Solitaire game because it has my most favorite type of challenge compared to other ones. It is a challenge to have my most favorite patterns made by suit and rank cards at the same time. Every suit has its own ranking (Ace, 2…10) and follows suit by suit. Starting with any card of any suit, I arrange them in piles increasing by rank of each suit, first spot having Ace of it, second spot having Two of it, etc.
6. Go for a Walk. How many times have you been at work and found yourself staring at a computer or a piece of paper wishing you were somewhere else? Go for a walk. Getting up from your desk and exploring the world outside the office, whether it’s going to grab a cup of coffee or going to grab a healthy snack, can help to stimulate your mind and give you a creative boost.
Wrapping up
With all the to-do’s on our plates, it’s easy for work to feel overwhelming. Some days, you can hardly find time to break for lunch. And then you have that spreadsheet that just won’t balance. The good news is, the above steps can be taken to increase the amount you get done in a day. So, before you punch out, make it part of your daily routine to try one of these six strategies to boost productivity at work.
You may also like: 4 Work Breaks That Help Replenish Productivity
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