It’s been another long year of pandemic, uncertainty and changes and I think it’s safe to say that we are all feeling the strain. With only a few days now until Christmas, for most of us, there will be a natural break coming up to hopefully enjoy some relaxing time away from the office with friends and family.
With the shorter, darker days, it’s easy to fall into a habit of feeling unmotivated but you are not alone! So this week we thought we would talk about how to launch into the New Year with productive days and share our top tips on getting the most out of your workday.
- Don’t hit the snooze button – with the dark and cold mornings it’s really easy to not feel like getting up when the alarm goes off, however, hitting snooze could well be capping your productivity for the day. Getting up early enough to get a few things done around the house, have a shower and enjoy a coffee rather than being rushed can help put you in the right frame of mind to get things done throughout the day.
- Put your phone and any distractions to one side and time block – time blocking is a fantastic way of getting stuff finished and closed off. Not only that but it also gives you clarity on when you’ll be working and how long for. This method can also be known as the pomodoro method, where you set yourself a set amount of time to work and after this time you take a break or move onto something else. To learn more, click here.
- Stay hydrated – although it seems obvious, staying hydrated is key to productivity. Symptoms of dehydration include brain fog, headaches, fatigue, and confusion amongst other more serious conditions. Make a goal each morning of how much you should drink during the day and set yourself milestones. The easiest way to stay hydrated is to keep water readily available, especially when working long days. The recommended amount is around 3 litres a day and tea and coffee would also be included in this.
- Move your body – it’s so easy to get stuck at your desk, especially if you work in an office role that involves a lot of computer work. The day can pass and before you know it, you haven’t got up from your desk before lunchtime. Getting up and moving around will increase blood flow and reset your mind and body. Refer to time blocking above as these come hand in hand. Why not use your lunchbreak to take a walk, pick up your lunch from a café further away or use the time to do a short HIIT workout? These are all great examples of how to stay active during busy days.
- Make time to do at least one thing you enjoy each day – when leading such busy lives, it’s easy to become almost machine like and just work, work, work. However, this blog should be a reminder that there’s always more to life than work and taking time out each day to do something you enjoy should not be a luxury but a requirement for our mental health. We have grown to feel guilty about taking “me time”, yet It’s key to keeping our mind and bodies in tip top shape.
- Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day – at the end of the day, we are only human, and we can only do what we can do so be kind to yourself and allow rest where needed.
If you want to find ways of being more productive in the workplace or want to help your employees improve their productivity and wellbeing, we have a great line-up of workshops and activities to suit everyone’s need, learn more by clicking below.