Ways To Be More Productive At Work

Let’s face it, there are only really three ways that you can get more done at work:

work longer, work harder or work smarter. Our preference is for the latter, which requires being thoughtful about how you manage your energy, as well as how you manage your time. To help you save some of both, we've done the hard work for you: here’s our guide to the smartest ways to reach peak productivity and efficiency at work.

Become a morning person

As part of our events series at National College of Ireland we’ve been lucky enough to welcome and learn from some of the most successful people in the country. They all had one thing in common: they got up early, and had a morning routine, whether that was catching up on current affairs over breakfast, or fitting in a workout. Following their lead will strengthen your willpower and help you to feel more in control, not to mention more awake and productive by the time you reach your desk. Not a morning person? Start with small steps: get up 5 minutes earlier tomorrow and gradually increase this over time.

Give yourself a pep talk

Stop rolling your eyes, this one’s backed up by science! Most of us are too hard on ourselves, but positive self-talk can actually boost confidence, motivation and cognitive abilities, according to recent psychological research.

Picture a situation where you’re feeling overwhelmed at work because you have so much to do. Imagine how you’ll feel if you tell yourself: “I’m so stressed,” or “I can’t cope”; not very helpful, is it?

Imagine how you’ll feel if instead, you think: “You’re going to achieve x and y today. What do you need to prioritise to get it done?” Focus instead on how you can change the immediate situation, and things might feel a little brighter. Oh, and whatever you say, make sure it’s in the second person: according to the research, "You can do it!" beats "I can do it!" every time.

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