Over the course of the past year, many people have gotten used to working from the comfort of their own homes and cultivating their private routines. As the promise of a variety of COVID-19 vaccines looms in the air, however, a lot of companies are gearing up for the return of their full-time office employees.
What will that look like? How will employees adjust to the new normal way of office life? More importantly, how can individuals and team leads maintain the same level of productivity in the workplace?
It’s hard to say what that adjustment will look like from the outset. One thing is pretty clear, though. Short-term office space rentals in Ottawa and Mississauga that offer an assortment of amenities such as breakrooms, kitchens, private office spaces, and so on can help make the transition a lot easier.
Here are 10 easy tips to help you and your employees maintain or boost productivity in the workplace.
1. Play Some Background Music for Concentration
It’s been proven that the right background music has the ability to boost concentration. Instrumental, upbeat, and repetitive sounds (it can be anything from white noise to classical music) sharpen mental focus and allow employees to fully concentrate on the task at hand. This not only improves productivity, but also the quality of the work being produced.
Keep in mind, though, that not all music or sounds are conducive to the mental focus of every individual employee. Some employees may benefit from bringing their own music to work and listening to it on headphones. Try to keep an open mind about this to encourage more productivity and happiness in the workplace. Happy employees are productive employees.
2. Stop Multitasking
Studies have shown that multitasking can actually hinder productivity. Employees who multitask thinking it will help them get through their to-do list a lot faster actually end up feeling immensely stressed and overwhelmed, which negatively impacts their productivity, the quality of their work, and their mental health.
Even if it means having to put off one or two tasks until the next day, it’s better to focus on one thing at a time and get it done to the best of your ability rather than trying to do everything all at once and turning in subpar work. Due to depleted brain function and stress, multitasking can lead to faster burnout and increase the number of mistakes and inaccuracies in your work.
3. Take Breaks in Between Tasks
Taking short breaks in between tasks gives your brain the opportunity to rest and regroup before moving onto the next project or undertaking on your agenda. Even just a quick bathroom or coffee break that allows you to briefly step away from your computer can be enough to refresh your brain, so that you’re fully ready to focus on your next assignment and give it your all.
4. Delegate Tasks to Your Team
Don’t try to be a hero by doing everything yourself. You have a team of coworkers and employees working with you for a reason. Delegating tasks to your team ensures that the work will get done faster and to a higher degree of quality. Trying to do everything yourself will only lead to a faster burnout and poor quality work.
If you’re a small business that needs extra support completing certain tasks, consider renting or leasing an office space in Ottawa that offers additional business support resources such as an administrative assistant and fully trained reception staff to help ease some of the burden.
5. Cut Down Your Daily To-Do List
While making a daily to-do list is a great way to stay organized and help you stay on top of all of your tasks, try to avoid adding too much to your plate all at once. Aim to get a reasonable amount of work done throughout the day without overwhelming yourself or your team. Schedule meetings so that they’re evenly spaced out and you have time to adequately prepare for each one in between.
At the end of the day, quality of work trumps quantity. If you’re getting a lot done, but producing subpar work, then you’re just creating more work for yourself and your team if you have to redo it or go back and make corrections in the future.
6. Take Care of the Most Important Tasks when You’re Most Alert
Are you more of a morning or afternoon person? Choose the time of day when you’re most mentally alert to get the high priority tasks done. That way, you can ensure that they’re being completed to the best of your ability with the utmost precision.
Learn to hone your time management skills by taking care of the most difficult and time-sensitive tasks first. Once these tasks are completed to your satisfaction, you’ll feel an amazing sense of accomplishment that will carry you through to the remaining tasks on your list, even if they’re easier and less timely than the ones you focused on first.
7. Eliminate Environmental Distractions
Whether it’s reducing the number of items at your workspace or moving away from a particularly talkative co-worker, it’s important to try to eliminate as many environmental distractions as possible. Not only do these things take up a lot of your time, but they can also prevent you from getting any work done and that can make you feel extremely overwhelmed and stressed. Try to find a quiet space to work that’s conducive to increasing concentration and productivity.
8. Get Plenty of Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep has a vast array of health benefits, most notably improving the functionality of your mental faculties and helping you stay alert throughout the day. It can help keep your mind sharp during the workday and increases productivity, concentration, and the quality of your work.
9. Move Around from Time to Time
Sitting or standing in the same position for hours on end is bad for your physical and mental health. Taking short breaks throughout the day to walk around the office or even stretch can help improve your mental capacity and work performance. If you find yourself getting stuck on a task or losing your train of thought frequently, take a minute to get up and walk around the office. This allows you to come back to your work with fresh eyes and fresh perspective.
10. Look into Office Space Rentals in Ottawa or Mississauga
Renting an office space in Ottawa or Mississauga from Innovative Professional Offices can help take away some of the stress of running your own business. We offer beautifully curated and fully furnished long- and short-term office spaces for rent in Ottawa and Mississauga with flexible lease terms based on your needs. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
