Do you have a case of the Mondays (or Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays)? According to a recent Gallup poll, the average time worked by full-time employees is now at 46.7 hours a week. That's almost 42% of your waking hours, and a pretty large portion of time to spend wishing you were somewhere else. We can't get you a raise or a different job, but if you follow these five steps, we can guarantee your work life will be more productive, more organized, and more fun.
1. Organize and freshen up your surroundings. We'll start with the easiest first. (Plus, obviously a design company specializing in office accessories is going to start with this one.) One of our mottos at Design Ideas is that we strive to make your life a little more colorful, more satisfying, and more fun. How could you NOT be happy and productive working in an office like this? Take a half a day, when you're in-between projects (Friday afternoons are perfect for this) and de-clutter, dust, disinfect, and decorate. Even a few colorful organizers and accessories can transform a boring space. Monday morning you'll get a boost of energy as you walk into your de-cluttered space.
2. Get more done.Imagine you're given a jar, some sand, and some rocks. You're asked to fit it all in the jar. Does the order in which you insert these items in the jar matter? Sure does. If you fill the jar all the way up with sand, there won't be room for all the rocks. But if you put the large rocks in first, then dump in the sand, the sand will settle in between the rocks to fill the jar. Think of your workday as the jar, and your big, important tasks as the rocks. All the little unimportant tasks are the sand. Prioritize the big stuff over the small, and you'll coast through the work week with focus and purpose.
3. Take a break.I love this quote from an article I read about productivity on forbes.com: "Productivity is not measured by the number of hours you sit at a desk. It is measured by how much you get done without sacrificing your health." This is so true. If you're spending more than 8-10 hours at your desk without getting up and moving around, you are putting your health and your productivity at risk. The science behind it is that there's an enzyme in your body called LPL, or lipoprotein lipase, that breaks down fat cells. When you are sitting, these levels drop, leading to obesity, heart problems and a multitude of other health issues. Not to mention, a drop in energy and productivity.
4. Find a sense of purpose. The biggest indicator of job satisfaction is whether or not you feel you're making a positive, impactful contribution. Develop a bloom-where-you're-planted mindset. What can you do to contribute from where you are?
5. Find a sense of humor. Look for humor in your everyday surroundings. It will decrease your stress levels, help you think more clearly and creatively, and create a relaxed environment that positively affects others around you. Being professional is important and there's a time and a place for seriousness, but it is entirely possible to be competent and productive without taking life too seriously. At Design Ideas, we believe in "Play at Work." We are always trying to make work fun – either directly with our desktop games, DesktopCroquet™, DesktopDarts™, and PopUp™ checkers – or indirectly with working accessories that are fun and affordable.
We spend a third of our lives at work. Shouldn't we enjoy it?
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