As the weather starts getting nicer, you and your colleagues may naturally become less productive as you daydream about all the fun activities you are looking forward to this summer. This is especially true after spending a whole year locked up at home because of COVID-19.
And although this is a natural process, there are ways you can combat this productive slump so when you do go on summer vacation you will be able to enjoy a lot more.
Here are some tips to help you keep your productivity high this summer:
Set start and end times for each task
Setting start and end times for every task you want to work on each day helps ensure that you get the job done. Be careful not to make your plan too rigid though, because when the real world messes up your plan you might become frustrated and less productive.
Take active breaks
Make sure you also schedule at least a couple of breaks each day. A great idea is to take a short (5 minute) break every half hour, and a longer one (10 minutes) every 2 hours. Dividing your tasks into 25-30 minute segments of concentrated work followed by a break helps keep your attention span fresh, which makes you more productive.
For breaks to be as effective as possible, you must make them active breaks. You could go for a quick walk outside, or stretch a bit at your desk, or you could take it up a notch and do a one-minute plank or wall sit to get your blood really pumping.
Keep meetings quick and focused
Nothing kills your drive to be more productive like a boring meeting that has dragged on for too long. This is especially true when you are daydreaming about your summer plans. So in order to stay productive, it is important that you keep meetings to a minimum, and make sure that unavoidable meetings are done as quickly as possible.
Keep a flexible schedule
Being able to take a half-day off for a family picnic, or taking just a couple of hours out of the office and in the sun can make a huge difference to your energy levels, which in turn will definitely impact your productivity. Although not everybody can be as flexible as they want with their schedules, if you can then you should certainly take advantage of a flexible schedule.
Balance workload
When people in your company take a summer break, it means that their workload has to be taken up by somebody else. If you are the one covering for others, it is important that you keep an eye on balancing your workload. And if there is too much on your plate it is important to communicate with others and delegate effectively.
