Are you having one of those days (or weeks) at work where you’re in a complete slump? Brain fog is at its worst, the days seem longer than usual & nothing can motivate you to finish that growing to-do list. We get it, we’ve all been there before. Nothing dampens your mindset like finishing a day at work feeling like you’ve achieved the bare minimum, if that.
It’s human nature to feel unmotivated at times because to put it simply, being productive can be hard sometimes, and let’s face it, sometimes external factors are taking up some of our attention. When that irking feeling just won’t budge & the thought of going into the office is becoming dreadful, that’s when it's time to get serious about making a change.
We’ve asked some of our members their favourite ways to change their mindset and boost their productivity in the office.
Too often we get stuck in the mindset that more hours at work means more work will get done. Before you know it, you’re having lunch at your desk, and staying back after hours is the new norm. The truth is, we are less productive when we don’t take breaks. Research has shown that micro-breaks, lunch breaks & longer breaks all have extreme benefits on your day at work including boosting your mood, helping you retain information & preventing stress. Take this as an excuse to take that 15-minute break to breathe some fresh air and grab a coffee!
Have you ever planned to work on a specific task for the morning & when 5 pm roles around you’re still working away at it & you’ve achieved nothing else? We’re guilty of that too. Time blocking is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a time management tool where you divide your day into blocks of time. Each block of time is dedicated to working on a specific project or completing a specific task. It sounds so simple yet it's so effective. The more you schedule a chunk of time to work on a single project, the more you build the mental muscles required to stay focused. Not only does it allow you to spread your cognitive resources over a variety of tasks, it also allows you to see how you're spending your time at work!
Our day is often filled with ‘shallow work’, aka those things that are urgent but not important to achieving long-term goals. This can be things like sending off an email, filling out paperwork, or scheduling a catch-up call. Despite being quick & easy to knock off our to-do list, we often let them pile up until we become overwhelmed and we're not sure where to begin. The biggest game-changer we’ve noticed to stop this from happening is ‘The Two Minute Rule’. When you remember a task that you need to do that will take two minutes or less to do, complete it right then and there. This will stop you from procrastinating and trust us, you’ll feel a lot more productive at the end of the day!
This might be one of our favourite hacks to ensure our day at work runs as smoothly as possible. How you begin your morning matters as it sets the precedent for how the rest of your day will run. Morning meditation helps you start your day off with a clear & calm mind. This can be as easy as deep breathing for 5 minutes or writing down what you are grateful for. Even if you’re not a morning person, we’re sure you’ll fall in love with this simple hack when you see how much it can impact your day.
Not every day will be productive, positive, or run smoothly but by controlling what is in your power & implementing these small hacks will help you start chipping away at your to-do list and really begin to thrive.
Now excuse us while we go take our 15-minute break that you should take too.
Want to boost your productivity and ensure you are making the most of your day? Enjoy a complimentary week trial at The Cove and try it out for yourself!
