Curb the Frustration: 6 Habits Damaging Your Work Productivity

improve productivity at workYou finish your day exhausted, yet feeling you have accomplished nothing.  You are constantly in a rushed and panicked mood over everything that has to be done, and just as you think you are settling down to get to that super important task you have been putting off, something else always seems to come up.  You know you are putting in a lot of effort, but there has got to be a better way.  For many hard working people in the world, there are ways to improve your productivity at work without expending more energy.  Here are some habits you may not realize you are doing that are damaging your productivity at work:

1)  Multi-tasking

In an effort to get as much done as quickly as possible, many people multi-task on the job.   But while you may feel you are accomplishing more this way, most people actually lack the ability to multi-task efficiently.  The energy it takes to constantly switch back and forth between tasks is wearing out your brain, and interfering with your productivity at work.  Instead of partly focusing on a few things, try completely focusing on one thing at a time, setting aside a certain amount of time for each task.

2)  Over-planning

Many of us have an unrealistic expectation as to how much we can accomplish in one day.  While when we look at our to-do list it may seem we have enough hours to get everything done, there are usually interruptions and unexpected tasks that come up throughout the day.  Because of this, employees can feel like they never measure up to their own work productivity standards.   Try instead filling up half of your work hours with tasks that must be completed, and allow yourself to be more flexible for the rest of the day.

3)  Scheduling too many meetings

Many workers schedule too many meetings in their day, or make their meetings longer than they need to be.  This can damage productivity at work because they may not get a long enough block of time to concentrate on their work and accomplish as much as they should.  So when someone requests a meeting, make sure there is a clear purpose, and that it is not scheduled for a longer period of time than is necessary.

4)  Failure to Delegate

By trying to accomplish everything on your own, you are hurting your productivity at work and wasting energy on unnecessary tasks.  So take a look at your responsibilities, and decide which ones are the most important and most relevant to your role.  Then see if there is anyone you can delegate some of your less important, less relevant tasks to so you can focus your energy where it is truly needed.

5)  Delaying difficult work

As the day goes on, your willpower and energy decreases.  So by always doing your easiest tasks first, and continuing to put off your most difficult work, you are hurting your productivity at work.  Not only are you wasting your most productive hours of the day on tasks that require less brainpower, you are making yourself more stressed by constantly having tough projects on the backburner.

6)  Failure to Reflect

If you never take the time to slow down and analyze your day-to-day activities, you won’t know what to improve.  Set aside some time at the end of each day to see where there is any need for adjustments or changes that can enhance your work productivity.

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Jessica Cody

Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.

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