6 Ways to Make an 8-Hour Workday More Productive

Everybody knows what it’s like to struggle with productivity and not be as efficient as you would like to be at work. It’s very common to get distracted and lose focus on what you’re doing. 

It’s especially easy when you’re at work for eight hours daily with minimal breaks doing the same thing day after day. But it can be managed with some structure, routine, and planning. 

Do this to improve productivity:

1. Give yourself deadlines
2. Take frequent breaks to relax
3. Improve your memory
4. Divide tasks into small manageable chunks
5. Create a clean workspace
6. Try to remove as many distractions from your environment as possible.

Do you often find your mind wandering while you’re at work? Are you constantly counting the minutes till you’re done and you can go home? Do you get bored at work and find yourself being less and less productive with every passing day? 

Well, if yes, you’ve come to the right place. 

In this article, we’re talking about ways you can make your workday more productive. Let’s get started.

1. Plan your day with self-imposed deadlines

Giving yourself deadlines will help induce a sense of urgency. This will make you work harder than you otherwise would because you want to meet the deadlines. As a result, you are likely to be far more productive during the day than you would have been without the deadlines. 

Without deadlines, people tend to slack off no matter the length of the workday. Harvard Business Review found that productivity has more to do with the structure of your day than the time you spend doing tasks. 

People who impose deadlines on themselves are more productive. They keep taking small breaks in between work. This tends to be far more effective than those who worked endlessly. 

During the deadline duration, employees were wholly dedicated to their tasks. No one checked Facebook real quick or sent out a tweet – it was all work. 

After about an hour, people would take a short break when they completely put work aside. It helped them freshen up and dive back in after the break.

2. Plan intervals while working to get some rest

Break down your day into thought-out intervals that suit you best. According to a study by Harvard, the ideal work-break ratio was 52 minutes of work and 17 minutes of rest. 

Everybody who followed this method had a much better focus and grip on their work. Everybody must find a balance between work and life. The best way to do that is by making sure your work doesn’t take up all of your time. 

When at the office, clear out some time for yourself to relax. Take a walk if you find that moving around makes you more efficient. No two people are the same. Everybody has their own way of doing things, and offices are not one fit for all. 

If you’re not sure what your preferred method of working is, we can help you out. You can take a personal productivity course that will help you discover your true productive potential.

3. Maximize your memory 

We all must maximize short-term and long-term memory for productivity. It helps us do things more efficiently. 

If you are constantly trying to remember what you have/had to do, it will take up a lot of time. A few minutes spent trying to remember something doesn’t sound all too bad. However, it starts compounding over the years, and you lose hours every week.

Sure, you can use a log, a checklist, or sticky notes but writing things down takes time as well. It will help ease your troubles, but it won’t necessarily make you significantly more productive. 

The best way to do that is to maximize your memory. That way, you wouldn’t need to spend extra time finding ways of reminding yourself what you have to do.

4. One step at a time 

It’s very easy to get overwhelmed by work, so focus on one task at a time. Approach your work step-by-step. 

If we focus on multiple tasks simultaneously, we spend more time just transitioning between them instead of actually doing work. It also affects the quality of your job as your focus is distributed.

What can you do? Eliminate all other tasks and solely focus on just one. Setting one objective and removing all other work from your mind will increase your productivity and motivate you to finish faster. 

So, start with just one to see the magic happen. 

5. Create a clean workplace

Ensure your workplace is clean so you don’t spend time looking for the tools you need to complete your tasks. 

If your work area is tidy, you are much more likely to be productive and work better on your tasks. A survey found that 94% of employees are happier if they’re working in a hygienic, healthy, and risk-free work environment. 

The happier you are, the more productive you will be. And since being tidy helps with that, it is time to clear out your workplace and make it look nice. 

Trust us. You will be glad you did it.

6. Get rid of all distractions

Put away anything that is taking your focus away from work. 

Looking at your phone while working is a very common distraction. Another one could be one of your colleagues who keeps talking to you. You need to get rid of these distractions. 

Lock your phone away in a drawer where you can’t reach it. Ask your colleague politely not to talk when you’re working on something.

Show up to work well-rested and well-fed. If you’re tired or hungry while working, it will keep bothering you till you deal with it. So, to avoid that altogether, make sure you show up with nothing else on your mind. 

Improving your focus by removing distractions is one of the easiest ways of enhancing your productivity. 

Conclusion 

It’s a very normal feeling to get distracted while working. It happens to everybody, but the good news is that it can be managed. 

Whether you’re struggling with focus or memory or just creating a balance in your routine, we’ve got a solution for you. 

Sign up for this wonderful personal productivity course right here! It will help you attain your productive potential and unlock all those creative juices.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get on the grind!