Organise and declutter your workspace
Take a couple of minutes every day to organise and declutter your workspace. Having a clean, clutter-free area where you can easily access everything you need will decrease your stress levels and help you to produce better results.
Plan ahead
Use a planner (written or digital) to book in tasks ahead of time. This will help to ensure you don’t over-commit yourself to work that you don’t have time to deliver, and will also act as an easy reference to jog your memory on what you need to get done each day. While some people prefer to write this out by hand, using a digital planning tool, like ResourceGuru or Float, makes it easy to access your calendar on-the-go (and stops you being caught out by a forgotten notebook!).
Set small, concrete tasks
Breaking long-term overall goals into small, concrete tasks can help to make your workload feel more approachable and achievable. It also reduces the likelihood that you will procrastinate or defer tasks because you feel unsure where to begin.
Take regular breaks
While working longer hours might feel like you’re getting more done, the quality of your work will decrease without regular breaks. Studies show that taking regular breaks boosts your concentration and mood. So, take a quick walk around the office to stretch your legs between tasks, or spend 15 minutes getting a cup of tea or coffee – your work will be better for it!
Identify your most productive periods
Different people are at their most productive during different times of the day. Some may feel the most motivated in the morning, for example, while for others it is in the afternoon or evening. Identify which hours of the day you feel the most alert and attentive, and dedicate these to your most important and/or complex tasks.
Turn off unnecessary notifications
Instead of reading each message and e-mail you receive as it comes in, turn off notifications when you’re focusing on a task. Constant alerts popping up on your phone or desktop can break your focus, even if they aren’t urgent. If you’re worried about missing an important message or call, many platforms (like Teams and Slack) allow you to mute and unmute notifications based on the channel, team, or person involved.
For more tips to help you succeed in the modern world of work, check out our article on Six soft skills you need in the post-pandemic workplace.
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Six soft skills you need in the post-pandemic workplace
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Details
- Publication date
- 15 July 2022
- Authors
- European Labour Authority | Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
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