The start of a new year is the perfect time to refocus your energy and make improvements in your work life. One thing that all workers struggle with at one point or another is work productivity. If you want to make 2022 your best work year yet, then you need to work better, not harder. You need to learn how to be more productive at work.
In this article, we will go over 5 ways to boost work productivity: set goals, follow a schedule, communicate with your team, take breaks, and relax during time off. To increase your work productivity, you need to define what you want, practice time management, focus on your personal development, and take breaks when needed to avoid burnout. By following the 5 methods below, you will be able to boost your work productivity and focus while still living a balanced life, whether you’re working in an office or from home.
How to Boost Productivity at Work
1. Set achievable goals
To work productively, first you need to know what you’re working on. Many people set goals in the New Year, and you can set goals for work as well! Set goals for your individual performance, team, or entire business. However, you must also record how you plan to achieve your goals–identify what specific actions you need to take every day, week, quarter, etc. to fulfill your goals. You can also set smaller daily or monthly goals that are easier to accomplish.
Make sure that the goals you set are achievable and not overly complicated. You don’t want to look back at your work goals in December and realize you weren’t able to accomplish any of them! Keep track of your progress regularly, adding additional notes or adjusting your objectives as-needed. If you’re writing your goals down on paper, put each one on a separate page so you have room to add extra details and track progress.
2. Invest in a scheduling app
One of the best ways to ensure productivity at work is to set a schedule for the day, week, and month. You can do this on your desktop or mobile device with a work schedule app. Online work schedule makers let you set your agenda, identify projects and goals, and set deadlines for each step. This is especially important if you’re setting a work from home schedule and must set the pace for your own work.
There are many different kinds of apps that can help you set a work schedule; project management apps, time trackers, and employee schedule apps are among the most popular. I use Asana to set a calendar for the month and fill in each daily task and due date. I check my calendar at the beginning of each work day to check which tasks I need to focus on. When I’m done with a task, I can check it off from the calendar view. This both keeps me more focused on the work I need to do and gives me a little serotonin boost each time I check off a task.
3. Communicate more effectively with your team
Good workplace productivity necessitates good workplace communication. Your team will complete tasks more efficiently if they communicate well with one another, keeping everyone up-to-date and seeking help when needed. Even on solo projects, it always helps to have a team member that you can go to for advice or a quick pick-me-up if you’re feeling stressed.
The best way to improve team communication is to invest in a team communication app, especially if your team is working remotely. Slack and Microsoft Teams are the two most popular workplace communication apps, though several teams have recently switched to the free chat platform Discord. You can add other apps that integrate with these platforms for further functionality, such as Droplr. Droplr lets you take screenshots and screen recordings, save them to the cloud, then share them by pasting a short link. Droplr screenshots preview in Slack, Teams, and Discord, letting you quickly demonstrate a problem or share an idea on your screen with your team.
Compare Slack vs. Microsoft Teams, Slack vs. Discord, and Microsoft Teams vs. Discord in our How-To Guides. You can also read up on how Droplr works with Slack and Discord.
4. Take breaks
Daily breaks at work are vital to keep employees motivated, productive, and happy. According to Forbes, a daily lunch break is one of the best ways to boost productivity and avoid an afternoon slump. Employees gain focus and energy when they take breaks. Another study by the University of of Illinois found that taking a brief break–about 10 minutes–every hour “vastly improve[s] focus”. Taking brief mental breaks helps you renew focus when you get back to work.
So don’t skip your lunch break or feel guilty for taking a few minutes to close your eyes. These breaks are necessary to keep you working at your best for the rest of the day, and you’ll actually get more work done if you step away from your desk for a while! Just be sure to spend your break time doing something that regains energy, such as eating or exercising.
5. Use time off to destress
Just as taking lunch breaks helps you work more effectively the rest of the day, time off and vacation days help you recharge and be more productive when you return to work. According to clinical psychologist Francine Lederer, “most people have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation”. Additionally, studies have shown that weekend time off and shorter work weeks are vital for employee productivity; productivity turns sharply negative once employees work more than 40 hours in a week.
Of course, you need to make sure that you’re truly turning your mind off during these breaks. Don’t check your email or think about work while on break if you can help it. You need time to truly relax and focus on activities that aren’t work. So, please, submit a time off request and use those saved up vacation days to take time for yourself. Your work can wait, and you’ll be able to work faster and more effectively when you come back.
Get More Out of Your New Year
Do you want to make 2022 your most productive year at work yet? Following the above steps will help, but if you’re looking for more concrete advice, we’ve got you covered. Check out Droplr How-To Guides for the latest information on workplace tips, work-related apps, and advice for employees and managers alike. Read up on how to motivate employees to adopt new technology and how to build a successful remote team. And if you’re ready to try out Droplr and discover how you can get work done faster with cloud-based screenshots and recordings, you can start our free 3-day trial.