5 Changes To Make Now For A More Productive Work Week

Jan 22, 2020Blog, Employee Training

At work, we all probably want to be our best selves every week. 

Our jobs are a large part of our lives, and performing well and enjoying our work is a big part of our personal happiness. 

But if you have a particularly hectic job, you may struggle with balancing your day and being as productive as you’d like to be.

The good news is, integrating some habits now can help you have more productivity at work and you can still reap the benefits of a work/life balance. 

Change #1: Integrate Some Healthy Habits 

Adopting healthier habits in your life is one of the best ways to be more productive.

Try increasing your water intake, packing small healthy snacks so they are readily available, limiting your caffeine, and you guessed it…exercising. 

Way up says,

Regular exercise has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress, increase the production of endorphins, assist with weight loss and maintenance, strengthen your muscles and bones, increase your energy levels, reduce risk of chronic disease, improve skin health, improve brain health and memory, improve sleep quality and relaxation, reduce pain, promote a better sex life, and more.

Making time for exercise can feel next to impossible some days.

I recommend finding a time in your schedule that you do not regularly have other conflicts. Say you meet with your supervisor on Tuesday evenings, your co-workers usually go out together on Thursdays, and your friends tend to gather on Friday nights. Commit an hour on Monday and Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon to do something active.

Put recurring events in your calendar. Treat appointments with yourself like work meetings. Incentivize your following through (for example, treat yourself to a smoothie after your workout, or put $5 toward the shoes you are eyeing every time you go to the gym).”

Change #2: Start With A Morning Routine

Aside from the time you spend exercising or meal prepping, one of the best tips for a productive and stress free work week is how you spend the first 10-20 minutes of your morning. 

The way you spend the first few minutes of your morning sets the tone for your entire day – but many of us open our eyes, reach for our phones, scroll through our emails and social media accounts, and then drag our grumbling selves to the kitchen for coffee.

But by spending just a few quiet moments deep breathing and stretching, jotting down things you are grateful for, meditating, or reading something inspirational, you can calm your mind, increase your focus, and tackle the day with a lightness and a positivity that permeates your work. 

Experiment with a few mornings practices – they don’t have to take long – and see which resonates with you. You’ll be glad you did. 

Change #3: Make A List For The Week

When your work day first starts on Monday morning, take a few minutes and brain dump everything that you would love to accomplish for the week.

But then, circle the items that are absolute priority. You may even want to number these items in order of importance so you can work through them systematically. 

This will help you see which tasks are critical, and which things can wait or be outsourced. 

Now it’s time to start executing! Choose just three critical tasks per day to tackle, and anything else you happen to get to is a bonus.

Change #4: Remove Distractions

Making lists is all well and good, but it can be impossible sometimes to harness the brain power, or drown out the distractions of a workplace long enough to actually complete your critical tasks.

If your workplace is particularly distracting, and there happens to be multiple things being thrown at you at once, have a clarity conversation  with your manager. 

It may be time to lay out some more realistic expectations on how you spend your time. 

Once you feel you have a good direction, put your phone away, and avoid checking your email for a set time period – even 20 minutes of focused work is a great start – and pour all of your energy into your first critical task.

If you have a very noisy, or chatty workplace, try popping in some headphones and listening to soundscapes or instrumentals while you work. 

Change #5: Leave Work At Work 

It can be tempting to continue to check on projects and open your email after hours, but in order to truly recharge and avoid burnout, it’s critical that you leave work at work. 

If you absolutely have to wrap up on certain tasks, give yourself a cut off time of 7:00 pm or so. This way you can eat a proper meal, do some  relaxing activities you enjoy, and get a good night’s sleep. 

Need help finding a job you can be your best at? Contact us at Infinity Staffing and let us match you with your perfect employer today!