Your employees are struggling. From expectations to distractions, they're all having a negative impact.
Did you know:
- 28% of each day is wasted on distractions
- 13 hours every week is spent on emails
- 27% of workers feel disorganised
You can boost morning motivation and daily productivity with this advice.
Start the day right
Get a good night's sleep. Your productivity levels are affected by the activities of the previous day/night. Sleep is crucial. Although the recommended sleep time is 8 hours, it is said that:
People who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hr. a night, live the longest, are happier and most productive
Source: Buffer
It is crucial that you continue this right attitude throughout your morning routine.
Never skip breakfast - as your Mum said, it's true that breakfast is the 'best meal of the day'.
Choose food low in glycemic carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. These foods boost memory and counteract stress.
Did you know that one in five UK employees are stressed?
Make the first hour count
Do not open your email inbox. That is the golden rule of a good morning's work.
- The average worker checks their email 36 times an hour
- This totals 13 hours a week spent reading, deleting, sorting and sending emails
Your first task of the day should be a priority or goals list. Set yourself priorities for the day and overarching goals for the working week.
Only once this task is completed set aside 15 minutes to check that inbox. Stick to 15 minute windows every time you check that email inbox. Don't leave it tabbed or open. Shut it down and check once every two hours. Add any extra priorities to your list.
By prioritising your creative tasks in the morning - in place of sitting in your email inbox - you will get more done.
What distracts you?
A bizarre ask, it would seem, but finding out what distracts you can improve productivity. Is it your email inbox? Facebook notifications? Colleagues? The radio? The temptation of online shopping or Twitter? A great way to prevent these temptations taking hold is to schedule your time.
Scheduling your working week can highlight potential issues:
- Find out what time of day you're at your creative/focused peak
- Discover which distractions are taking up your time
- Learn which tasks need more time dedicated to them
Some choose silence, others choose music or the buzz of background noise when working. Your employees need to be happy in the environment they're working in. It may be that some need to work elsewhere to be more productive.
- 61% say loud colleagues are the biggest office distraction
- 86% prefer to work alone to hit greatest productivity
Have you read our ''I'm Too Busy' Syndrome: Become More Productive and Complain Less' post?
Regular breaks are key
The expectation that your employees should be at the daily grind for a full eight hours is false. Be realistic and ensure your team is too, about what is expected. This is why it's key to set priority and goal lists for each day and the overarching week.
The average person switches tasks every three minutes
Source: HubSpot
- Working in 90 minute intervals maximises productivity
- The human mind can only work for 90 to 120 minutes
- The Pomodoro Technique says work on one task for 25 minutes, take a five minute break and repeat this process three more times, before a 15 minute break.
Multitaskers' productivity levels suffer the worst. Some say productivity can be reduced by 40% when multitasking.
Step away from the keyboard
Your lunch shouldn't be at your desk, take this time to step away from the keyboard and enjoy your lunch. Use the opportunity to converse with teammates who are also on a break, or wander the building.
Try berries, avocado or almonds to keep your brain well fed and opt for water over fizzy drinks.
Afternoon productivity will drop if your employees don't take their lunch break.
More than a quarter of employees avoid taking any breaks other than lunch.
Source: HubSpot
The 3pm struggle is real
What is it about 3pm and losing all motivation thereafter?
The average worker procrastinates for 2 hours and nine minutes every day
It takes 23 minutes for the average person to regain focus after this.
By setting yourself goals and making use of 'proper' breaks and a healthy lunch, you can give your afternoon the best chance of success.
The sound of music
Music can be a godsend or gremlin at times. In any office there are different tastes and opinions on music, but it can be great for motivation.
Consider creating a 'office playlist' in Spotify, iTunes or similar. Or, settle on a radio station that everybody is happy to listen to. If someone needs quiet time, then let them have it. The other alternative is headphones. If you have the 👍 ('thumbs up') to use headphones in your office, browse Spotify's 'Mood' playlists.
You made it to 4.45pm!
Clear your desk, check your emails for a final time and even start tomorrow's priority list.
Anything that you can do to start tomorrow better is a great activity for the final quarter of the day.
