10 Effective ways to increase your productivity at work

Career Hacks: 10 Effective ways to increase your productivity at work

MF editorial team

28 Jun 2017

updated the Wednesday, June 28, 2017

1/10
Stop checking you email inbox all the time!
We all check our inbox way more than necessary, as an instinct to make sure we don’t miss out on anything important. Don’t forget that each time you check your inbox, you are interrupting your own work.
2/10
Keep your tasks varied
Are you familiar with burn outs? Here’s another one: the “bore out”. By endlessly doing the same tasks over and over again, we get bored and turn out to be less productive in the long-run. You must make sure to keep your duties as varied as possible, and take short breaks if needed.
3/10
Use keyboard shortcuts
Do you sometimes struggle with your computer? A little slow at typing up the documents you need to present to your boss at the end of the day? If you encounter these problems, keep in mind that there are keyboard shortcuts you can master in order to optimise your time when you are working on the computer.
4/10
Be sure to have the right tools on your desk
Writing instruments, notebooks, scrap pads, post-it notes… if you don’t have the right objects within reach, you might end up going on a wild goose chase at some point, which could eat up a lot of your time! Always make sure your desk is prepared with the right tools.
5/10
Target achievable aims
The more you set yourself targets, the more you’ll confuse yourself. Don’t try to be too ambitious! Setting dozens of targets will only decrease your chances of success. You will get that unsatisfactory feeling at the end of the day in front of this endless list that is far from being completed. Be reasonable!
6/10
Delegate!
Feeling overwhelmed and don’t know how to pull yourself out of this struggle? We might have the solution. Try delegating some tasks to someone else if you think your colleagues are able to do them better than you. Show them the objectives and ask them if it is possible for them to help out a little.
7/10
Organise yourself
Your planner is your best friend. Planning your work ahead of time will help you to be more effective at work!
8/10
Make lists
Prioritise what is most important and leave the rest for later by writing a to-do list. Again, it’s a matter of organisation that will keep you from diverting off-track.
9/10
Don’t forget to take breaks
Not giving your brain a break can severely impact on its thinking process. Information overload will slow it down and make you feel lethargic as the day wears on. After every hour of hard work, stand up and stretch -- look at something else other than your laptop! You also need to give your eyes a break, or your eyesight will suffer.
10/10
Stock up on healthy office snacks
Sometimes, if you are swamped with work, you might decide to stay behind during lunchtime to complete your projects. If that’s the case, make sure you have healthy snacks on hand to keep you fuelled for the long day in front of your computer. You don’t want to run out of energy halfway! Keeping yourself well-fed will also help your brain to work better.

Stop checking you email inbox all the time!

Overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to get through? Don’t know how to schedule your time? Discover 10 hacks to boost your work effectiveness!

According to researchers, a lack of organisation and time management is the number one primary source of all our stresses in life. By not planning ahead, the amount of work on our desks start to pile up and time starts to run out. At the end of the day, you come to a shocking realisation that you haven’t completed your responsibilities, so you have to stay late or come into the office early tomorrow.

If you are indeed this type of person, you need some positive pointers! Head up to the gallery to discover 10 hacks to increase your effectiveness and complete all your tasks on time!

Kahina Boudjidj (Translated by Mathilde Virantin & Angela Goh)

Photos: Getty Images

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