Staying productive in any working situation can prove to be a task for many people. Anything can be a distraction, even if you are working alone at home or in a coworking, things pop up and draw your attention away from your work.
We definitely need a break every once in a while, but staying productive is essential to quality work. So for that reason, we’ve put together 10 easy tips for staying productive.
Try to Avoid all the Distractions
There is a huge difference between working at home and in a coworking space. At home, you might be completely alone or with a few of your family members, you can still easily get distracted, in my previous post you can also read about these distractions.
Working at the coworking space is the opposite experience. It is all about the distractions you are going to feel first-hand and these interruptions will make your planned tasks more difficult to complete.
And the very first distraction is noise. You should concentrate on your work and use either headphones, earphones or even earmuffs. Headphones would be the best choice for those people who prefer to listen to music during work. However, if you easily get disturbed from any source of sound, you should use earmuffs.
The next distraction is yourself. Lots of people distract themselves by doing things not related to their work. Therefore, you must work on your self-discipline. It means no watching YouTube, no chatting on socials, no visiting third-party resources. Just you and your work.
Another distraction can be the tiring people in the coworking. Coworking is the place where lots of different people work and in most spaces there are tiring people, who can draw you away from your work with some questions, suggestions, etc. The best idea is to avoid them, you can tell them that you are focusing on your tasks or you can also put a warning sign that says “Please do not detain from work”.
Learn to Prioritize Tasks
Much of the average worker’s time is spent on non-essential tasks that don’t produce noticeable results. Make a list of the tasks you do that actually accomplish measurable results, and block 80 percent of your time for these tasks. Reserve the other 20 percent of your time for busy work, such as returning phone calls or answering emails. This prioritization assures that the important stuff actually is finished.
Avoid Multitasking
Workers often believe that they are more efficient when multitasking, but studies show that workers multitasking are actually less efficient. As discussed, the brain has trouble switching between unrelated tasks. Additionally, when multitasking you’re never fully focused on any one task, increasing both the time it takes to do each task as well as the errors you make on each item.
Control Your Time Effectively
Create a daily schedule—and stick with it. It should list all the tasks that you must complete during the work. Plus, it should take into account the breaks that you will have.
If you can’t control your working time manually, you can download several apps that will do this job for you. Just switch it on and never watch the time, you can fully focus on your work instead.
Fight Procrastination
Procrastination is a trap that many of us fall into. In fact, according to researches, 95 percent of us procrastinate to some degree. While it may be comforting to know that you’re not alone, it can be sobering to realize just how much it can hold you back.
How to Overcome Procrastination:
Step 1: Recognize That You’re Procrastinating
You might be putting off a task because you’ve had to re-prioritize your workload. If you’re briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely good reason, then you aren’t necessarily procrastinating. However, if you start to put things off indefinitely, or switch focus because you want to avoid doing something, then you probably are.
Step 2: Work Out WHY You’re Procrastinating
You need to understand the reasons why you are procrastinating before you can begin to tackle it. For instance, are you avoiding a particular task because you find it boring or unpleasant? If so, take steps to get it out of the way quickly, so that you can focus on the aspects of your job that you find more enjoyable.
Step 3: Adopt Anti-Procrastination Strategies
Procrastination is a habit – a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior. This means that you probably can’t break it overnight. Habits only stop being habits when you avoid practicing them, so try as many of the strategies as possible to give yourself the best possible chance of succeeding.
These strategies can be:
- Commit to the task. Focus on doing, not avoiding.
- Promise yourself a reward. If you complete a difficult task on time, reward yourself with anything you like, such as a slice of cake or a coffee from your favorite coffee shop.
- Forgive yourself for procrastinating in the past. Studies show that self-forgiveness can help you to feel more positive about yourself
- Ask someone to check up on you. Peer pressure works!
- Get those tasks that you find least pleasant out of the way early. This will give you the rest of the day to concentrate on work that you find more enjoyable.
Keep Your Workplace Tidy
Studies that show that working in a tidy environment can do wonders for productivity. There’s nothing worse than trying to work on a project or a specific task and being demotivated by the chaos of paper, tech and waste wrappers all around you. It makes it harder to focus on the task at hand, and searching for papers or documents can slow you down.
It’s well worth the time to make sure you sort through and file all your paperwork. Maybe even categorise it if you tend to have a lot on your plate continuously. You will find it much easier to find what you need, therefore saving time and ensuring you’re more productive. A clean and tidy workspace is much more welcoming for you and will increase your mood and motivation each day.
Take Regular Breaks
Sitting at a desk all day can be damaging for your physical health, but it also does nothing for your focus and productivity. A sedentary lifestyle, that’s adopted accidentally when we work from a desk all day, can cause neck and postural pain as well as increase our risk of other health problems.
So, it’s recommended that you get up and move around regularly, whether that’s taking a walk outside, stretching for five minutes, or breaking for a coffee in the kitchen.
In fact, it’s recommended that you break for five to 10 minutes every hour to give your body and brain a rest. Stepping away from your screen gives your mind a chance to reset and makes it much easier to give tasks your full attention when you come back to work.
Final Thoughts
Coworking is on the rise, and the flexibility and collaborative environment it provides makes it a great place to work. But it can still be hard to get to the bottom of your to-do list when you’re in a collaborative environment, so staying in control of your workday requires a little extra effort.
These tips will help you focus and put all of your attention on your job, so you can get more done in the same amount of time. With Collabor8district, you will have all the amenities you need to be comfortable and productive, all while enjoying the freedom of coming and going as you please.