Tip of the Week: 5 Smart Productivity Tips to Slash Stress Levels

We all know the story of the overworked employee. They put everything they have into their job, but they still don’t know why they can’t get everything done on time, or why their work productivity suffers. The truth of the matter is that they are pushing themselves too hard.

If you want to be truly productive, you need to work smarter and more economically. Don’t burn yourself out by working too hard.

Instead, do things the right way, and you’ll never feel like you’re working again.

Start a Routine
If you are just haphazardly completing tasks one after another, you probably won’t be able to notice the difference between “completing tasks” and establishing a routine. The difference is that a routine is optimized for efficiency and maximum production, where completing tasks is likely frantic and disorganized. Wake up at a certain time every morning. Spend a set amount of time checking your email. Try to keep your routine as consistent as possible.

Create a To-Do List
On a similar note, you should outline your days, weeks, and even months ahead of time, if you can. Assign large projects to particular days, and you won’t have any trouble remembering that they must be done. Having a solid schedule will also let you stay busy without overburdening one particular day to finish a project on a tight deadline.

Prioritize Tasks
Going along with the first few tips, look at what needs to be done and what is most important. You’re busy, and you know what tasks should be completed and prioritized. Hand off lesser work to others who are capable. This also promotes more teamwork and collaboration between departments, which can be beneficial in the long run.

Set a Deadline, and Stick to It
This is an absolute necessity for large projects, and even smaller projects. If you don’t tell yourself that you need to get something done, you won’t get it done. It’ll just sit there and collect dust until you finally set a deadline for it, and then you’ll scramble to get it done on time with subpar results.

Instead, work on it a little bit every day with an overall deadline in mind. Set this deadline a few days before it is due to ensure that you come up with the best quality work that you can.

Keep Your Work at Work
Central to any successful smart working scheme is to separate your work life from your home life. While at the workplace, avoid distractions such as social media, text messaging, phone calls, and Internet browsing. You’ll find yourself accomplishing more in the workplace and relaxing more at home, away from the stress that the workplace causes.

By sticking to these five rules, you’ll be able to drastically improve your productivity in the workplace, and cut down on stress. You’ll find yourself enjoying work and your free time more, all because you changed up the way you do things a little bit. For more tips and tricks on how to boost your workplace performance, contact Macro Systems at (703) 359-9211.