It can be a struggle to get back into work mode after a break or holiday, even more so after the challenges of the past couple of years. So, what can you do to increase productivity and motivate yourself when you return to work?
Here are some quick productivity tips to help launch you back into the new year.
Heads up: they can be used all year-’round!
Get out of bed earlier
The quiet morning hours can be a productive time if at work before people arrive, and you get distracted. You may not be a morning person, but most bodies are designed to rise early and retire to bed before 9.00 pm. If a 5.00 am wakeup is a bit of a stretch, try setting the alarm for a half-hour earlier, just for a week – and go to bed earlier to compensate.
Circadian rhythms influence our sleep-wake cycles, the release of hormones, body temperature, and other important body functions. They impact our alertness and productivity. Most people are productive between 9:00 and 11.00 am, but not so much mid-afternoon. Get your planning done early and leave the easy, repetitive, and fun tasks until the afternoon.
Prioritise what’s urgent and what’s important
Most things that are urgent are not important, and most things that are important are not urgent. The key is deciding which is which by evaluating tasks against the urgent/not urgent and important/not important criteria.
Tackling the urgent tasks first can help take the pressure off and enable you to prioritise the rest of your workload into manageable tasks.
Turn off your social media notifications
For most businesses, social media is a necessary tool to help you reach and stay connected with your community. It can however be a distraction if you’re checking it every time you hear the ‘ping’ of a notification.
Unless your business relies on instantly responding to messages, turn the notifications off and instead set an alarm to check them at regular intervals, depending on your business needs. That way you can continue with your work without interruption, knowing you won’t miss anything important.
Organise your business
An uncluttered and organised working environment creates space in your mind and can free up energy and time, increasing your productivity. Think of all the time you spend moving, sorting, and finding stuff! Do a big sort out, get things organised, then keep the space clear and clean daily – preferably last thing in the day.
You may be surprised to find that once you get organised, creative thoughts start popping into your head and you can think more critically as well!
Take notes
Keeping a notebook or a notetaking app on your phone can help keep your mind clear throughout the day. It can be stressful to try and keep track of all the niggly ‘to do’ items that pop up in your business. If you can get them out of your head and down on paper (or phone) as soon as they appear, you’ll keep your mind clear for immediate tasks.
Get ‘appy!
For just about every function of your business (and life) there is an App that can help you be more productive. By the time you read this article, there will be new apps, so we’re not going to suggest any specific ones here. Instead, we suggest asking your business network, staff, family what their favourite apps are and how they help them save time and improve productivity. You may be surprised what you’ll find!
Bartercard can help improve your productivity
Bartercard provides an innovative way of combining modern technology to help increase your sales and conserve cash while connecting you with a global network of business owners.
For more business tips, ideas, and support, visit our blog!