Your to-do list is growing, there aren't enough hours in the day and at the end you feel like you haven't accomplished anything? In this article you'll find out which tips and strategies you can use to increase your productivity at work while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
What exactly is productivity?
Productivity is the relationship between input and output. In other words, the goal of achieving the greatest possible output with the least possible input. It is therefore obvious that many people strive to maximise their productivity in all possible areas in both their professional and private lives.
When we are focussed and concentrated, we not only work more efficiently, but also improve the quality of our work. We can also increase our productivity in our private lives through fixed structures and priorities, thus ensuring a healthy work-life balance and a more balanced and satisfied life.
The "Flow" state as the ideal productivity state
Do you recognise this? Sometimes there are those days when time just doesn't want to pass - especially when the tasks are monotonous or we are faced with a tricky challenge for which we can't find the right solution straight away.
And then there are days when everything runs like clockwork: We are completely absorbed in a task and forget everything else around us. Time seems to fly by and we are full of energy. In these moments, we are in ‘flow’.
The term ‘flow’ was coined in the 1970s by the Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, who describes the state as ‘complete immersion in an activity’.
According to current flow research, the following 3 criteria are decisive for achieving this psychological state of maximum productivity:
Concentration:
In flow, we effortlessly give our full attention to an activity. This cognitive component is often referred to as ‘effortless attention’.
Motivation:
In the task-related component of the flow state, we are highly motivated and full of zest for action.
Satisfaction:
In the state of highest productivity, the activity itself is experienced as “rewarding” because it is fun and gives us meaning.
To summarise, you are in the flow when
- you get your work done faster than usual, but still in top quality and never feel overwhelmed, stressed or bored.
- your perception is fully focused on the task at hand.
- you lose all sense of time and space, so that, for example, two hours can feel like five minutes.
In the flow state, time and self-perception blur.
The flow state is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs particularly quickly when we do activities that give us pleasure in our free time.
It is also possible to achieve this state of maximum productivity in everyday working life. However, the path to this goal varies from person to person.
However, below we would like to give you some techniques and strategies on how you can increase your productivity at work and increase the chances of achieving productive states of flow.
5 tips on how to increase your work productivity
1. Invest in appropriate office equipment
Whether in the office or in homehoffice - a productive work environment starts with the right office equipment! Because it´s a fact, that people who are healthy and have no physical complaints are more efficient and productive overall.
Ergonomic office furniture from Aeris is a real productivity booster! It ensures that you stay moving all day long. This strengthens the muscles and actively prevents back pain and tension. It also promotes blood circulation and oxygen supply to the brain, which allows us to concentrate better and therefore work more attentively and productively.
This is also confirmed by a study we conducted on the Aeris Active Office: 75 percent of the participants stated that they were able to work with greater concentration and productivity at the Aeris Active Office Desk compared to conventional desks.
The regular changes in posture between sitting and standing stimulate the metabolism and increase the oxygen saturation of the blood.
Overall, the improved working conditions with the ergonomic office equipment from Aeris led to a 10 percent increase in productivity among the study participants.
Ergonomic office furniture helps you to work more productively.
2. Adapt your way of working to your needs
As already mentioned, everyone is individual and has different needs. It is therefore important to recognise what you personally need in order to fully exploit your productivity at work.
Find out how and where you can work best: whether in your home office, office or perhaps on the go - by identifying your needs, you can optimise your workplace and the way you work in the best possible way.
What type of worker are you?
- The Silent Fox - concentrated and analytical. You prefer a quiet work environment so you can fully focus on your tasks.
- The Team Bee - collaborative and team-oriented. Open workspaces and the exchange with colleagues motivate you and promote your creativity.
- The travel bunny - mobile and flexible. You like working on the go.
- The songbird - communicative and always connected. It is important to you to be equipped with the right communication technology so that you can network with your colleagues at any time.
- The Chameleon - adaptable and versatile. You feel comfortable in any environment and can adapt well to different working conditions.
3. Minimize distractions
One of the biggest obstacles affecting our productivity are distractions.
Whether it's ambient noise, loud colleagues or the constant notifications as a disadvantage of constant availability - all these factors can reduce our concentration and drastically reduce the chances of achieving a state of flow.
Use noise-cancelling headphones
If you can't avoid the noisy environment at work, headphones can be the ideal solution to help you stay focused despite the noise. You can either listen to calm music or get noise-cancelling headphones to completely block out the background noise.
Schedule focus times
Constant availability and the multitude of notifications not only lead to a sensory overload of information, but also take us out of our focus every time and prevent us from being able to concentrate on a task.
To prevent this, it helps to set specific focus times during which you can devote your full attention to a task without being disturbed. It is best to enter these periods in your calendar so that your colleagues know that you are not available during this time. To avoid further distractions, you should turn off all push and chat notifications during your focus times and activate the "do not disturb" mode.
4. Develop healthy routines
Healthy habits and routines are the basis for a productive and balanced working day. The following five sources of energy are particularly important and should definitely be integrated into your daily routine:
1. Make sure you get enough sleep
Your body needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep - ideally always at the same time. This allows your internal clock to adjust optimally, so that you can get up more easily the next morning and start the day with more energy.
2. Healthy diet
Bring healthy snacks like nuts and fruits to your workplace. These little energy boosters contain important nutrients that help you concentrate better at work.
3. Drink enough water
About 2 liters of water per day are necessary for the metabolic processes and transport routes in our body, so that we have enough energy throughout the day.
Do you find it difficult to drink enough during the day? A water bottle that shows you how much you should have drunk by what time and when it is time to refill the bottle can help you.
4. Sports
It is important to keep your body actively moving while you work – for example through ergonomic office solutions such as the Aeris Swopper .
However, to have a healthy and balanced lifestyle, you should also do regular exercise in your private life. Whether it's the gym, tennis, yoga or jogging - the main thing is to exercise!
5. Take conscious breaks
More work = more productivity? WRONG! It is scientifically proven that regular breaks during working hours are essential to increase our creativity and productivity.
So make sure you make time for your lunch break! The best thing to do is to go for a walk outside in the fresh air to supply your brain with oxygen and recharge your batteries.
5. Organize yourself through clear structures
Proper organization through sensibly defined structures is essential to be able to work productively.
To-do lists and work management tools can help you keep track of your tasks and their deadlines. Prioritize the projects that are most important at the moment and try to avoid multitasking when completing your tasks.
While it was previously assumed that multitasking increases productivity, several studies have now shown that the exact opposite is actually the case: multitasking can severely impair your individual productivity and significantly reduce potential flow times.
It is a myth that you will be more productive and get more done in less time if you do several tasks at once.
To bring even more structure and organization into your daily work routine, there are various time management strategies that can help you work more productively:
Pomodoro Technique:
With this technique, you work in 25-minute intervals, called "Pomodoros," followed by a short break of five minutes. After four Pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
Eisenhower Matrix:
This technique helps you sort tasks according to importance and urgency. Divide your tasks into four quadrants:
- Important and urgent (do it immediately)
- Important but not urgent (plan for later)
- Urgent but not important (delegate)
- Neither urgent nor important (eliminate)
Pareto principle:
This rule states that 80% of the results are often achieved by 20% of the effort.
Focus on the tasks that have the greatest impact and reduce effort on less important tasks.
Your path to more productivity
If you use these productivity-boosting strategies and techniques, you will be able to work more efficiently in the future while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Find out which method works best for you and integrate it into your daily work routine to permanently increase your productivity.
