ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Before you set foot in the office, it’s essential that you eat breakfast before work. Sitting at your desk with one hand on your food and one on the keyboard sets you up for web surfing. Productivity speaker Laura Stack says it gives you a “laidback feeling…it’s not as productive as having both hands on the keyboard.” Below are some more useful morning habits.
Do you have a work to do list?
It’s important not only to have a to do list, but ensure it’s in the right order. First thing in the morning, create a list with your long-term and hardest goals on the top and easier ones on the bottom. This order will keep reminding you what is most important and you’ll have the most energy to tackle the harder items in the morning. Caffeine first thing in the morning might be giving you a boost, but it can also cause early burn out. Save your morning cup for later when you’ll need it most. And set timers. Designate 45 to 50 minute blocks for your work, and follow these with mini breaks. Stand up and walk around the office, or better yet step outside. This method was found to boost productivity by settling that restless “sitting at a desk” feeling. One study found 71 percent of participants also felt more focused upon returning from these breaks. Finally, avoid multitasking. While tempting, it can set your whole day back. Research conducted at Stanford University confirmed multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time.
Another essential tip from the experts: shut off your phone notifications that you know will distract you. Better yet, set your phone on airplane mode and store it across the room in your bag or coat pocket where you can’t reach for it every two minutes. Finish several tasks and then retrieve your phone and return calls.
Contributors to this news report include: Gabriella Battistiol, Producer; Katie Campbell, Assistant Producer; Jamison Koczan, Videographer and Editor.
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