Time Management Problems
Is your day too short for what you need to accomplish? Do you feel like all of your work is starting to pile up around you while your concentration lapses? Try these tips to help you increase your productivity and concentration and improve your time management skills.
Get out of bed half an hour earlier. Set an alarm and place it out of reach from your bed so that you must get out of bed to turn it off. This is not rocket science! If you get up reasonably early you will already have the majority of your day ahead of you. And by starting your day early, you may find that you have spare time in the evening once all of your work is complete to do with what you wish.
Exercise immediately for at least 20-30 minutes. This is a great thing to do in the extra half hour you gained by getting out of bed early! Go jogging or running if possible as cardiovascular training is great for your general health and well-being. Whilst you may be thinking that this time would be better used on other tasks, by getting some exercise you are potentially increasing your productivity for the rest of the day by stimulating your mind and body by increasing the flow of oxygen through your blood stream.
East a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is an extremely important meal and will improve your concentration during the day. To increase your metabolism and improve weight loss, you should follow breakfast with up to 4-5 small meals per day. Water and juice is highly recommended as a breakfast beverage. Breakfast is a great way to fuel your body for the day ahead.
Turn your mobile phone off while you are at work, where possible. If you use your mobile phone for work purposes, try setting it to silent or vibrate only, or even turn it off for an hour or two while you are busy, in order to concentrate better on the task at hand. Also, if your productivity is down, your employer will not be pleased if he or she knows that you are constantly being interrupted at work by your mobile phone.
Prioritise your tasks by making a list and following it. At least if you have a rough idea of all that you need to achieve, what is most urgent and what is involved with each task, you can set yourself reasonable expectations as you go. And this list can also be a quick reference guide when you need to follow up on the progress of certain projects. Your positive, concentrated focus will make you a more efficient worker, both improving your productivity and increasing your value as an employee to your employer. Do not rush your work though as it will be of no benefit to either yourself or your employer to compromise on quality and this will only reflect badly on you.
Do not create a mental ‘too hard’ basket for tasks that you dread to start. By working on them as they arise, you should be able to focus better and keep a positive outlook without stress and dread weighing you down subconsciously. You may not realize it, but such stress is overwhelming and easy to avoid. This will also prevent you from having to deal with all of your horrible dreaded tasks in one go and at the last minutes.
Physically leave your office or workplace for lunch. If you are a full time mother, you should try to spend at least half and hour to an hour to yourself each day, even if it is only to do some household tasks without the constant interruption of your children. Working yourself into the ground, sometimes without much gratitude, can have quite serious health and psychological consequences. Stay away from client phone calls and office gossip as well so that you are more refreshed and focused when you return to work.
Finally, get a good night sleep. You should eat dinner at least one hour before you go to bed to ensure your meal has started to digest. Try to make sure you go to bed in time to get eight hours sleep. Make sure your television is switched off and lie down even if you are not tired. This will get your mind and body into a routine so that over time your body and mind are trained to wind down. Light reading before bed may help you become tired, but be careful not to overdo it or your mind will become stimulated and restless. Remember, early to bed, early to rise!
