This post is written by Isaac George, Policy Advisor, Financial Services Policy Division – Ontario Ministry of Finance.

  • The problem: You find it challenging to get everything done in your busy workday.
  • Why it matters: Research has shown that employees who are not productive can become unmotivated and disconnected to the job, which results in overall job dissatisfaction, and a negative impact on the culture of the workplace.
  • The solution: Following these six habits may be beneficial to maintaining productivity at work.

When you are rushing to work early in the morning, your body is being programmed to adjust to a high level of stress

When I started my role as a Policy Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Finance, I initially found it challenging to be productive in a role that deals with ambiguous and uncertain issues. I was managing multiple projects and solving complex public policy problems in the world of insurance and credit unions. During the process, there were times I experienced burnout, and needed a break. After acknowledging the necessity for a change, I did some research and adopted the following six habits which have been beneficial to maintaining my productivity:

1. Start your day early

A study published in the Academy of Management Journal found that a more positive prework mood was linked with higher performance quality and productivity throughout the day.

One way to develop a positive pre-work mood is by waking up one to two hours before you leave for work, or before your workday starts. When I made this change I was allowing myself to get through my morning routine slowly and completely, which put me in a good mood. If you start your day in a rush, that can result in morning tasks being incomplete which sets the tone for the rest of your day. Also, when you are rushing to work early in the morning, your body is being programmed to adjust to a high level of stress and discomfort early in the day. This could lead you to enter meetings and conversations with the high stress and discomfort your body has been exposed to in the morning, making it hard to focus and stay motivated.

Many highly successful people attribute their success, at least in part, to waking up early. Those who wake up early have more productive mornings, get more done throughout the day, and report less stress on average than those who wake up late and rush their day.

2. Eat a healthy breakfast

Several studies have shown that eating breakfast in the morning helps kick-start your metabolism, and helps to burn calories throughout the day. Eating breakfast also gives you a boost in energy to get things done, and helps you focus on work. However, what you eat for breakfast can have just as big of an effect on your productivity throughout the day as choosing not to eat breakfast at all.

I used to skip breakfast on workdays and I always noticed the lack of energy once I arrived at work. After making the change to eat a healthy breakfast, I noticed an increase in my energy levels and ability to concentrate. My breakfast now includes a combination of proteins and complex carbs such as whole wheat toast, fruits, oatmeal or eggs.

3. Get the body moving

According to the American Council on Exercise, strength training and endurance exercises can boost energy and cognitive abilities. When you exercise, you are increasing blood flow to the brain, which can help sharpen your awareness and make you feel more awake. This can help your performance at work since you will be more focussed and less prone to making mistakes.

At work, I have experienced moments of tiredness after spending the morning reading dense information to prepare briefing materials. To counter this feeling, I go to the gym during my lunch for thirty minutes, and when I return to work I feel much more awake and driven to complete tasks.

4. Work for twenty-five minutes and then take five minutes off

Psychology Today, a website which features blogs from health professionals, establishes that taking breaks at work boosts productivity and engagement levels.

Taking breaks helps refresh the mind, and eases the stress and exhaustion arising from working for long stretches. However, it is important to acknowledge that not all breaks can be effective. For example, browsing through social media during a break might be counterproductive because activities like social networking can increase stress, which was concluded from a survey by the Huffington Post. Some healthy suggestions that I include in my workday are taking walking breaks, practising meditation, or getting a healthy snack, which help me to perform better and lead a healthier life at work.

5. Set a fixed time to end your workday

In 1955, the Economist published an essay written by Cyril Parkinson which stated that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”. From this quote Parkinson’s Law was coined, and it has been used to help with the growth of bureaucracy in an organisation but it can also be applied to increase productivity in all forms of work.

An example of Parkinson’s Law being applied to your workday is if you give yourself three days to finish a task, it will take three days to finish, but if you only give yourself one day to finish the same task, it will only take one day to finish. The key element here is the awareness of timelines and working towards that timeline in a disciplined manner. So, if you set a fixed time to end the workday, it will help you work more efficiently throughout the day because you invariably force yourself to focus on the essentials, avoid distractions and stop procrastinating which should result in your tasks being completed in less time.

6. Before the end of day – set ten minutes aside to get prepared for the next day

This last technique helps to start your next day the right way with fewer decisions to make in the morning. The core idea behind this practice is to be organised for the next day so you aren’t adding items to do in your morning which can cause stress. The routine I follow includes: pre-staging my clothing; decluttering my workspace; meal prepping; and making a to-do list, so I can arrive at my desk and immediately start working without having to spend time and energy figuring out my tasks for the day.

Conclusion

As highlighted above, I had to make several changes to maintain and increase my productivity in the workplace. The reasons for being unproductive can be multi-fold and a single solution may not exist to maintain and/or increase productivity. Often it takes a combination of techniques that require lifestyle changes to help one become productive. Remember, productive employees are happy employees.

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