It’s a Friday afternoon, and you just can’t shake the feeling that something is creeping up on you. The dread starts to set in, and the monster you’ve been avoiding all week is suddenly standing directly in front of you. You start to wonder how you got here, and why you didn’t vanquish it sooner.
Even though Halloween is almost here, this monster you’re facing isn’t a zombie or werewolf – it’s a deadline. You’ve had a project that you knew was due, but distractions got in the way, and now suddenly your time is up. How did you get here? What got in the way, and how can you keep this from happening in the future? Here are a few of the top productivity killers and how to fight them off.
While e-mail has made it easier than ever before to keep in contact with people, it comes at a cost. Each time our phone beeps with a new e-mail, or our computer gives us a notification, we are instantly taken out of the work we are doing, and instead our attention shifts to the new email. If you’re someone who uses e-mail a lot, then you could be having tons of mini-distractions throughout the day. Each time you lose focus on your work, even if just for a moment, your brain has to restart in order to get back into the groove.
To keep yourself focused, assign certain times of the day to check your e-mail. Turn off the notifications on your phone and computer, and only look at your inbox during those times. This way, you can handle all of the new e-mails at once, and let your mind focus on your task the rest of the time.
Social Media
We all know how easy it is to become distracted by social media. One minute we are just checking our Facebook notifications, and the next we are looking at pictures of our friends from high school. Even if social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are not allowed at work, somehow we find a way to check them without getting caught. If you really want to stay productive during work hours, you are going to need to find a way to stay off these sites. Try turning off your phone, or blocking the sites in your web browser until you finish your tasks.
Poor Ergonomics
Feeling bad, even if you don’t realize you’re feeling bad, affects your work performance. Many of us have become so accustomed to the aches and pains caused by poor ergonomics that we just take for granted that it’s just the way things are. Stiff joints, neck pain, headaches and more cause distraction and missed days of work that definitely impact your productivity. The same goes for co-workers’ missed days. It doesn’t have to be this way!
If you want to feel better at work, start with the basics: proper monitor height, a footrest if you need one and an ergonomically designed chair. The difference you feel will likely have you seeking out even more ergonomic solutions so you can continue increasing your productivity and be feeling better every day. That’s when it’s time to call in an expert to help you and your whole team work better!
Co-workers
Do you have people in your office constantly distracting you? Perhaps you are friends with your co-workers, and you spend the day talking rather than getting your work done. If the people in your office have become a distraction to you, there are a few things that you can do. First, simply try asking your coworker to give you some time to concentrate on your work – more than likely they will respect that. Second, put on some headphones to block out the noise of the office so that you are not tempted to engage in conversations. Last, if the option is available to you, you can consider working from home – although this can bring along more distractions if you are not careful.
Procrastination
Lastly, there is simply procrastination. All too often we think that we’ll have plenty of time to get the work done, so we put it off, only to have the deadline approach quicker than we would like. To fight procrastination, you need to force yourself to work when you have the time and to get things done early. Try setting small goals for yourself within each project, and taking each one at a time. Even getting a little of the work done will be an improvement from trying to get the entire project done right before the deadline.
Goblins and ghouls are enough to deal with in October without having to worry about missing a deadline. Use the tactics mentioned above to fight the most common productivity killers, and you’ll find that your Halloween season is just a little less scary. For more tips on how to improve ergonomics in your office, you can contact us at any time for an evaluation.
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