During a normal day we are constantly bombarded with a huge number of stimuli, which can quickly shift our attention from one thing to the next. We’re all victim to this and can lose focus throughout the work day making us less productive. The question is, how can we improve upon our overall productivity in the workplace and in life?

Keep your workspace clean

Sometimes, getting rid of clutter can vastly improve order and stability in one’s life. The same goes in the workplace. Keep your desk free of disheveled pieces of paper that no longer hold any use or value. File them away in a manner that makes the most sense to you. The key is to keep your workspace looking refreshed. This will help to keep you more organized and hopefully in turn, more productive too.

Notebooks and hard drives are your best friends

Speaking of decluttering paper from off your desk, let’s talk about notebooks. Not only will your desk be clear of mess, everything will also be consolidated into one space. Your notes will be located in one place so you will not have to search for a specific item in a pile of post-it notes, documents, and the like. If you do need to make printouts, file them away in a location that is easily accessible. Another idea to staying organized in your journey to being more productive is to store your documents electronically on your computer. Completing tasks becomes much simpler when you can find saved documents quickly and easily.

Inhale and exhale

It is much easier to stay on task when you take a moment to collect your thoughts. You can do this by stepping away from your desk to take a quick walk, chat with a co-worker for a few minutes, or even read a quick article online. Use these few minutes for yourself. You will find it easier to focus and concentrate on your work when you aren’t stressed or distracted.

Pencil people into your calendar

Share your calendar with those that you interact with frequently and ask that they share theirs too. This will cut out the back and forth of wondering if another individual is available at a specific time to speak with you. You can simply glance at their calendar to hopefully speed along this coordination. Be sure to leave some empty space in your daily schedule to take time out for yourself too. You will be much more present in your work and your productivity will rise immensely as well.

Using these simple and small changes can make a world of difference on your path to better efficiency in the workplace. You never know, your life outside of work may even become more pleasurable too!