3 Tips To Increase Your Productivity At Work

 The morning cuppa has long worn off, lunch lag has set in, and the caffeine drink beside you isn't doing the job. The brick wall is approaching fast....all you really want to do is look at your phone and have some down time. Unfortunately, paid time off is for vacations, extreme illness, or family emergencies. Could we just get some non-productivity pay as well? (Try making THAT suggestion at the next office meeting!)

Being productive at work is important because (hello...) it is what keeps you in a job and pays your bills, but it isn't always the easiest thing to be, given that life happens, even though you might have a job that requires you to be there a certain amount of hours per day, rain or shine. Lack of productivity at work, however, is not the end of the world as long as it is rectified quickly and not left to get worse.

There are a number of things at work and home that can affect your productivity and cause your work to slump. If you feel you are struggling with productivity at work and you're unsure what you can do to correct this, hopefully these few tips will give you an idea of what you can do and get you started working towards a more productive work life.

This is a partnered post. Affiliate and non-affiliate links are used for your convenience.  Image

Make Sure You Are In A Job You Like

A major impact on your productivity is whether or not you are happy in your job. If you're in a job you don't enjoy or if you're in a job that is not the career path you want to be on, then you should make the change to something that does make you happy. Depending where you are in life, you could look at a complete career change. If you're already in the health industry, you could start a new career in emergency medicine or change hospital wards you work on----anything that would make you happier. With easier obtained opportunities to re-educate in new fields, you should have no issues changing careers and picking up any qualifications you might need for a happier life. 

Set Schedules For Yourself

Setting up schedules will allow you to plan your day and tick things off as you work. This helps you to remain focused and also know what you need to be doing at any given time. Frequently, a problem with productivity is not knowing what needs to be done and what time you have to do it. If you have a schedule you know how much time you have and where to slot in the work you need to do.This will allow you to manage your time and increase productivity. Also make a note of when you feel most productive in the day and make sure you schedule your harder tasks for that time to increase productivity when at your best.

Watch Your Health

Although you may not think your health impacts your work, it actually can. For example, if you exercise and eat well, this increases your energy and your brain function, allowing you to be more productive and have increased focus. Exercising before work can help to energize and give you focus for your day. It's often tempting to eat sugary snacks, which are seemingly always put out for employees. It's almost like a booby trap. Rewarding someone with sugary foods will definitely lower productivity over the long run.  Try to bring healthier alternatives and learn to say no to the sugar. Also, getting enough sleep will make a huge impact on how your day goes.

image

 Following at least some aspect of the above suggestions will certainly contribute to a better work day and beyond! What additional tips have you found to help you have a better and more productive work day?

Knowing Your Worth In The Workplace + #MotivatingMonday

In a cancer center somewhere in the U.S., a director of radiology for oncology makes all new female employees--from nurses to department managers--sing  'Like A Virgin' and other silly songs. It  resembles hazing of sorority and fraternity newbies, except this is the workplace!  When he travels with his mistress he is in the habit of asking one of the department managers to bill the trips, along with food and alcohol, to the hospital. At times, he is unable to take care of his patient load because he is too drunk to come in. But no one ever crosses him on any of it. Why would that be? It is because he makes the hospital huge amounts of money! But he's not successful all of the time, as evidenced by this tale.

 Two visiting physicians from two prestigious hospitals were in a meeting with the offending director and a fairly new female department head, let's call her Delores. She had very good credentials and had, in her short time at the hospital, contributed much to the department. To her dismay, her director requested her to sing "Like A Virgin" in front of the two visiting physicians. Rather than give in, Delores told him that she most certainly would not and walked out of the room. One of the visiting physicians followed her and apologized profusely. She said, "You don't have to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong!"  To which he said, "I'm apologizing for my gender. It's embarrassing to think that any man would think it's OK to treat a woman like that." Not long after, Delores gave up her position because, although she was highly esteemed at the hospital, no one would risk taking steps with this director and she wouldn't work there, under those circumstances.

I have nothing but admiration for this woman, who rather than give in to something that was a direct affront to her sense of dignity and worth, chose to leave the position. She had no sooner made this decision, when another hospital was actively recruiting her. She is now in a much better situation, where she can serve without being humiliated and asked to do things against her better judgement.

Here are a few identifiable things you can do to make sure you don't work in a hostile work environment. It's all about recognizing your worth in the workplace.

Know Your Worth

1. You Don't Have To Do It If It Makes You Feel Uncomfortable.  Like this woman,  don't feel obligated to do humiliating or embarrassing things just because your superior asks you to. There are discrimination laws, sexual harrassment laws in place if it falls into any of these categories. You are worth it!

2. Bosses Need To Be Accountable,Too. I thought it was so funny that no one was willing to hold this director accountable. Apparently this had been going on for a long time. When you know of a superior officer or boss who is not held to the same standards as other employees, it's time to find some accountability! It can be tricky and sometimes the job site has put up with things like that for so long, no one wants to change. But at least recognize it for what it is and look at your options. Can you afford to stay in a hostile work environment, where double standards are the norm?

3. Help others to recognize demoralizing behaviors and treatment. If people tolerate demeanig behavior towards others, be assured that it will spread. Instead of thinking, "Wow, I'm glad that didn't just happen to me" or "Better her than me", stick up for your fellow employees. So often employees on the same level feel like they need to compete rather than help one another. It contributes to the creation of a hostile work environment where bad behavior is accepted rather than condemned.

4. Always have a back-up Plan. Keep yourself up-to-date on training, job skills, and work experience. Have someone who can give you a good recommendation if you choose to leave. Keep your ear to the ground for other possible opportunities and make sure to find out what the work environments are like if possible.

Notice that none of  the above tips are gender or race specific. Employee mistreatment happens across all genders and all races. If you can realize that you have worth and so do your fellow employees, you can help to create a workplace where everyone feels comfortable and can be their most productive. 

 Today is Motivating Monday!  We all need a little motivation!  I, for one, love to explore other sites for motivating, mostly non-sponsored posts, tips, pictures and videos!  If I happen to find a great one, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MotivatingMonday hashtag!  It's like being featured!  Sometimes I miss some amazing posts.  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! Don't be shy--I'm really very supportive!  Remember, any link to your posts helps your blog numbers increase!