Staying Productive at Work

We all have heard the saying that the early bird gets the worm, but what if you’re a night owl? Not everyone works best from a regular 9 – 5 workday. Some are more productive in the morning while others hit their peak creative time at night. Even if you’re an early riser or if you like to stay up late at night, there are a few things you can do to make sure you stay productive at work.

Understand Your Peak Time

If you don’t know when you’re peak time is, ask yourself when you feel the most energized and alert. Also try to find out when you are distracted the least or when you have the fewest interruptions. A big part of being productive means limiting the amount of distractions that deters you from your work.

Maximize Your Peak Time

If you’re an early bird, try to tackle your more challenging and time consuming projects in the morning rather than later in the day once all of your energy is spent. The same thing goes for night owls, you may not want to tackle those big projects early in the morning, but adjust your schedule so you can accomplish more routine tasks, like checking your emails, during your non-peak times.

Switch Gears

If you’re struggling to focus, try working on something new. Studies have shown that your brain can focus for up to an hour and a half to two hours before it needs a rest. Changing tasks when you feel burnt out may be the solution to rejuvenating you mentally to help you get back to work.

Track Your Progress

Keeping a to-do list may also be a solution to keep you focused. Nothing is more motivating than making progress on your projects and checking them off your list (even if it’s in the morning and you’re a late riser).

What are some of the tricks you depend on to stay productive at the office? Let us know and share it with the rest of us!