Have you hit a wall at work?

Have you hit a wall at work? Do you feel stressed out, unfocused, and unmotivated? It happens to the best of us and certainly happened to me. However, there are small changes that you can take to get over the slump. I will share a couple of tips that helped me bounce back.

Time Management:

Pomodoro Method : I heard about this method and decided to give it a try for one week, I noticed a huge improvement on my focus within a couple of days. This method gives your brain structure and allows you to focus on work because you know that you are still allowed to take a break. Prior to trying this method, my brain was jumping from task to task, some work related, some were unproductive things such as constantly checking my phone and social media.

The method is simple: You work for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break ( you can customize the length).

https://tomato-timer.com/ is a free and quick website that easily tracks your time.

https://www.focustodo.cn/ is an app and also chrome extension that tracks on your daily and weekly Pomodoro and focus time.

Reset your workspace:

• Declutter _ There is research showing that visual clutter increases Cortisol, which is the stress hormone. A cluttered desk or office may be increasing your stress levels and anxiety.

 Within a few hours ( or a weekend), it is possible for you to tidy and organize your workspace. So, stop putting it off! Don’t think about organizing your office as wasting time, but instead think about all the time you will save from not having to worry about missing deadlines or misplacing an important file.

• Declutter “old goals” _ Remember those goals that you kept talking about how you needed to get them done but never did it? Are they taking up too much energy? Make a list of those tasks you have not completed . Are they essential? If so, do it now! Ask yourself the reason why you are putting it off. If they are no longer needed, remove them from your “to do list” and move on!

By doing this simple exercise, I was able to discover a “to do” item from 2019 and got it done within one week. Getting it done, gave me a confidence boost and a sense of pride, which can motivate us to get even more stuff done! It is a good cycle.

•  Ergonomics _ Shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, headaches, tension… Maybe learning a few tips can improve your posture and make your workday more enjoyable.

 Now, I am not talking about investing hundreds of dollars in an ergonomic chair or standing desk. There are a few videos that can easily show how you can adjust your existing workspace to work better for you.

I love this video because it teaches a couple of tricks using what you probably already have a home:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YDeeb5SGkc

A few other videos I liked are below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlh8-GeC4zM&t=2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K88q_oEwRS8

 Don’t just survive:

• Invest time to find better work tools that will help you increase your productivity. Find out your weaknesses and invest time researching and trying out tools to help either fix the issue or improve the processes. For example, I have dedicated over 10 hours per week in January researching, participating in demo meetings, and testing out different tools, but I now found a couple of different products and tools that will help me accomplish a key function more efficiently.

• Use LinkedIn and other online resources to increase your knowledge and reduce wasted time. Learning a new subject or skill comes with a learning curve. There was a specific task in 2020 that was taking at least 15 hours per week of my time, this was a task that required me to learn a new subject matter. I made connections with professionals that were providing advice and also followed the content that they produced to stay informed. This cut down my time from 15 hours to 1 hour per week. Another way to accomplish this is by watching videos, podcasts and webinars. There are plenty of good and free resources online to help us improve our work performance and learn new tasks. Invest time in yourself and learn these skills.

 With a few small tweaks and a game plan, it is possible to free up time, refocus and get back in the game. If you have any helpful strategies, tell us what worked for you.