What Kills Your Productivity During Work Hours?

Oftentimes we look at our schedules in the morning and think about how we can get through all the items on our task lists and still make time for meetings, unexpected visitors, and increased productivity, all without becoming distracted.  
  

Studies show that identifying the biggest cause of your workplace distractions is the first step to eliminating it. Once you know what it is, you can move past that distraction and stay productive. Let’s review some of the most common workplace distractions.  

Smartphones  

Did you know that most people check their smartphones an average of 262 times a day? That’s approximately once every 6 minutes. We are accustomed to instant gratification these days, thanks to lightning-speed internet, up-to-the-minute news alerts, and text messaging. When we receive an email or text, we feel obligated to respond immediately, which can dramatically affect our productivity. Set times for reviewing emails in-between projects if you feel the need to respond immediately. Put your personal phone in a drawer or set it to “Do Not Disturb” if you don’t need it for work.    

Social Media 

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with our social media pages. We love to scroll and see what’s new with our friends, celebrities, and favorite influencers. But we also know that we can get sucked into what is referred to as “doom-scrolling”, endlessly scrolling through stories and updates without realizing just how much time has passed. Set limits on your social media usage during your workday and your productivity will skyrocket.  

Workplace Chatter 

“Did you catch the end of the game last night? I could have sworn he was safe!” Does this sound familiar? We’ve all gotten into conversations with our coworkers that have nothing to do with work. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it builds comradery and promotes a strong office culture. But making sure you keep it short in order to get back to your list of tasks is important. Set boundaries for yourself and your employees to ensure a productive environment.    

Office Noise 

People are talking, machines are whirring, phones are ringing, visitors are arriving, and fingers are typing. When combined, these sounds can become a distracting cacophony of noise. You can easily remedy this with a pair of noise-cancelling headphones or relocating to a quieter, more private environment.     

Hunger

Have you ever heard of the term “hangry”? An apt merging of the words “hungry” and “angry”, to perfectly describe how you may feel around 3pm when your concentration may be starting to wane, resulting in lowered productivity and patience. Grab yourself a soft drink and a snack to help you push through to the end of your workday. These small things will increase your end-of-day output.

If you want to continue to improve productivity in your workspace, consider creating touchdown spaces within it.