Photo by Andreas Klassen on Unsplash

Did you know that 85 percent of the workforce isn’t actively engaged at work? According to this Gallup study, that’s quite true, which results in a $7 trillion annual revenue loss. 

If you find yourself struggling to be productive at work, or generally lacking in productive results, the tips shared in this post will help you. 

Eliminate All Forms of Distractions

This is the first major step to increased productivity. You need to do a work activity and environment audit that’ll reveal the key things causing your lack of productivity. 

Ask yourself questions like is the room too cold or hot? 53 percent of workers attribute a loss in productivity to excessive cold. If you’re working in an office, is the open floor office plan distracting for you –some studies show a 15 percent decline in productivity because of this?

If you’re working remotely, is the TV on? Are the kids jumping around and distracting you? Figure out the cause and determine a viable solution to the activities that are killing your productivity. For instance, if you work in an open floor office, consider buying a noise-canceling headset and putting up a Do Not Disturb sign when you need to do serious work.

Do Work Sprints

Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash

Most people believe that they need to work for long periods to get things done. That’s technically not true. Yes, a few work activities such as surgical procedures or other delicate jobs require the individual to be fully involved for hours. But most don’t. 

So if your work doesn’t require prolonged stretches of concentration or physical activity, you can work in short bursts and take a break when you feel your concentration lagging –the Pomodoro technique should help. This is particularly effective if you’re doing boring work or work you don’t enjoy. 

Use Your Phone Efficiently

Yes, your phone can be distracting. But it can also be a pretty great productivity tool. Used correctly, you can get a lot more done in a day than most people do in a week. You can get some work done remotely while you’re waiting in line, stuck in traffic, waiting for your flight, or at the doctor’s office. 

For instance, instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media while waiting for your connecting flight at the airport, you can spend that time doing some work right where you are. For example, if you need to join or coordinate meetings, apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Meet can handle that.

You can dictate entire book chapters using Google Voice or other recording apps. You can easily jot down a few new ideas for work on a notepad, download interesting videos from social media with VideoBuddy, and write entire business letters or chapters on Microsoft Word or Google Docs. 

And if you work with a team, you can easily upload these files to a project management platform and have your assistant or team members go to work on those ideas. The point is, your phone is an invaluable asset and can contribute to your productivity big time if you use it correctly.