How to be More Productive at Work?

Work, is well, work, and no matter what you do for a living, you going to have days you going to feel like it’s a struggle to be productive at work. We spend, on average, forty hours a week at work, and if we don’t find ways to enjoy our work there is a good chance you won’t have the energy to maintain your productivity daily

For most of us, our pay depends on productivity so this is a key leverage point for success, and having a job that you don’t enjoy can increase stress, anxiety and lead to depression in the long term.

So, if you’re not having fun at work, it can be bad for your wallet and your health, thankfully there are ways to improve your productivity at work, here are eight things you can do today.

1. Take a Time Out

One of the best ways to improve your productivity and reduce stress is by taking a break. If you working at a desk all day, it can do wonders if you get up and take a walk around and breathe some fresh air and move your body. Why not take a walk during your break, not only is it good for your health, but it is a great way to clear your mind which improves your focus.

Whatever you chooce to spent your break doing whether walking, snacking or just getting some time away, taking regular breaks can help you disengage from your work long enough to feel ready for the next challenge. If your work involves looking at a screen all day, then it is even more important for you to spend some time some time away.

2. Brighten Up Your Workspace

If you have a desk or designated working area, then you should focus on making that space as comfortable and fun as possible. Being surrounded by things that make you happy will help elevate your mood and energy. A picture of a furry friend looking at you when you look up from your work can be enough to brighten your day?

So, decorate that workspace as much as you can, and surround yourself with pictures of people you love and improve your mood at work.

3. Develop Positive Relationships

I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of this, but we all have to stop sweating the small stuff. There are only 40 hours in a work week and sometimes that means that some projects don’t get done right away. So, that email that you sent to the team that has a typo in it should not drag you down. We often beat ourselves up over the smallest mistakes and add stress to our lives unnecessarily.

So, let go of what is outside of your control and stop being so hard on yourself, focus on what you can do and watch your energy and attitude improve.

My previous job was very stressful, but you know what kept me coming in every day with a smile on my face? My co-worker Lauren did. We developed a positive relationship and supported each other during stressful work periods that helped keep me motivated to get through the day.

Also, having good relationships with your work colleagues is also helpful when discussing questions you may have but may not want to go to your boss about.

Co-workers make great friends because you see them every day, and they know exactly what you’re going through at work because they are going through the same thing.

5. Leave Your Work At The Door

This is probably the most challenging to do, and it is simultaneously the most effective to reduce your stress levels. When you come home from work, make sure you turn off your laptop and stop answering your phone.

Sometimes this isn’t possible if your job is on-call, but make sure you find time away from work to decompress without stressing about what tomorrow will bring. With more people working from home these days, leaving work at work isn’t all that easy. To combat this, set up a designated workspace in your home and only work in that area. Then, when the workday is done, walk away.

If you want some pointers to help you declutter your brain from a hard day at work, read our article 6 Tips: How do I declutter my brain?

6. Get In The Groove

Not all employers will allow their employees to listen to music, and with some jobs it’s not possible. If your employer will allow you to, then take advantage of the opportunity to create a positive work environment.

Listening to your favourite songs while working can definitely change your mood which can increase your energy and ultimately your productivity, a little music can go a long way to elevating your workspace.

Anyone that’s had a long list of chores to do at home knows that listening to your favourite tunes can lighten the task at hand, the benefits are easy to recognize. Find out more about music in the workplace in this BBC article : Does Music Help Us Work Better? – It Depends

So, put that power playlist on and watch your workday fly by.

7. Start A Competition

Sometimes to be more productive at work all we need is a little motivation, and a workplace competition can do exactly that. No matter how your work is tracked, it is always possible to find ways to create a competition. It might be that the office competes to complete specific predefined criteria:

  • Project by a Specific Date
  • Number Units Sales
  • Service Response Time
  • Services Delivered
  • Positive Customer Feedback
  • Territory Coverage

Honestly, it doesn’t matter how you choose to measure the competition, as long as it is fair and offers a prize and recognition, it will motivate people to do their best.

8. Get Active at Work

Taking time to exercise during your workday is great for your physical and mental health. If you have already eaten, then don’t be afraid to exercise during your lunch break. Whether it’s a walk around the building or something more intense, exercise can help elevate your energy level and give you the drive to get through the day.

Most people tend to leave exercise before or after work, but you should really do it when you have the most energy. For a lot of us, that’s the middle of our workday. Use your lunch break for a cardio workout and see how good you feel. It is always important to listen to your body and not to exercise when you feel unwell or fatigued, it might be a sign you need rest.

9. Remember to Rest

When it comes to improving how you feel at work, rest is by far the most underrated and ignored strategy. No one’s a ray of sunshine when they stressed out and short of sleep, it’s a combination for a disaster, and can seriously compromise your focus and increase the accuracy of your work.

Rest is also critical for recovery from exercise and to assist in your balancing all your body systems.So now you have a good excuse to give yourself a break, see taking time to rest and recover as a necessity to maintain long-term health and productivity.

Make The Choice!

As human beings, our energy and focus constantly ebb and flow and maintaining a positive mindet is a daily challenge! If you have strategies as outlined above, you can make your work experience a more enjoyable one.

Remember the choice is yours, you can’t change other people choices, but you can choose how you respond. No matter what the situation, there is always something you can do to improve things at work.

Do you want to be more focused?


We all want to achieve more in life and business, but to achieve more you need focus, and to be focused you need to know what prioritize when! If you want to learn how to do exactly that, follow the link below to get the low down no getting things done:

What is Focus Time – 5 Ways on How to Achieve More

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