Whether one is a new recruit, a manager, or a highly promoted employee, one's enthusiasm, helpfulness, and capacity to handle all parts of one's job are evident in a professional setting. Some of us go above and beyond the call of responsibility every once in a while to show our superiors that we can handle anything that comes our way.
Unfortunately, this makes it easy to put other people's needs above our own, leading to exhaustion and burnout. Workers' emotional and psychological health directly affects their performance, as we said in one of our earlier articles, The ROIs and Whys of Investing in Employee Mental Well-Being. Therefore, in order to be able to care for and assist other people, it is important to remember to take care of oneself through a work-life balance.
It is our firm belief at Empath that one should "Work Smart, Work Hard, Nourish Harder." A person's mental and physical energy, as well as their motivation, can work together to produce satisfactory outcomes in the workplace. Any worker—supervisors, managers, or employees—can apply these recommendations to increase workplace efficiency while also taking care of themselves.
1. Have a conducive and supportive workspace. This can be helpful for employees and employers working in different work environments—onsite, hybrid, or remote. You can do this by creating a clean workspace and removing anything that is not yet needed for your task, such as supplies, that make your table cramped. When working at home, make sure that your workspace is separate from where you sleep. This can be a spare room in your home that can accommodate your work setup, or if it’s not possible, avoid working on your bed and create a workspace in your bedroom.
As simple as this sounds, it actually helps a person to have a clear mind when working. It is important to note that a workspace with minimal distractions improves one’s focus.
2. Don’t be afraid to delegate and ask for help. At first, this can be daunting because employees and managers alike tend to do what they can on their own. Yet, the simple act of asking for help and delegating tasks will help with time management and maximizing the team's strengths.
3. Plan meetings. Prioritize the topics you want to discuss in your meeting and those you can send via email. We might think that long meetings make tasks “important,” yet in most cases, discussing them in a shorter time allows the team to work on their outputs. It is beneficial for you, the supervisor or manager, and your team to plan meetings well.
4. Prioritize tasks. We often create to-do lists after to-do lists, but sometimes tasks keep on pouring in. Having a long list can be overwhelming. Try prioritizing tasks using the “Eisenhower Matrix,” which helps you see what tasks are urgent, not urgent, important, and unimportant. This matrix aids in understanding your tasks, establishing your objectives, and identifying the individuals who can assist you in accomplishing them.
5. Know and practice when to say “no.” Yes, you’ve read that right! Learning when to say “no” is beneficial to one’s productivity too. It's crucial to understand which tasks require immediate attention and which ones should wait until later. Situations like colleagues inviting you to a lunch out but you have an output due within the day or clients wanting to schedule a meeting but you're on leave—determining which ones can be rescheduled is also part of saying “no” at the moment.
6. Take a break. Again, you've read that right. Working doesn’t need to be purely about the hustle. We can insert self-care even when we’re working through small breaks; pausing helps us destress and proceed with a clearer mind. You can either reward yourself for the tasks you completed for the day or use this time to catch up with your loved ones.
7. Don’t underestimate the power of sleep. According to SleepFoundation.org, sleep quality is linked to work productivity. Individuals might perceive it as acceptable to compromise sleep during workdays in order to accomplish a crucial task. Yet, the cycle of sacrificing one’s sleep just to complete a task may lead to exhaustion. Having enough sleep helps workers to be focused, manage emotions, and attain information.
8. Block out distractions. This can be helpful in creating a conducive work environment. You can do this by snoozing social media notifications, and you may inform your loved ones to only contact you if there are emergencies during a workday.
9. “Brain Dump.” Writing your concerns, thoughts, and ideas in a notebook helps you declutter your mind and reduce mental overload. There’s no problem if you do this through your mobile’s Notes app or prefer writing them on paper.
10. Don’t procrastinate on the challenging tasks. Starting the daunting task early will accelerate its completion. Yes, this can be challenging, but scheduling tasks throughout the day will help you have a clearer mind. As mentioned in #2, if the task needs extra hands, do not be afraid to delegate or ask for help.
Organizational leaders should also think about creating or enhancing wellness programs and policies related to mental health. This demonstrates to all employees that the company cares about their overall well-being, including their mental health, and that they have access to services that help them.
Maintaining a high level of productivity at work is not always easy. Keep in mind that any amount of progress, no matter how little, counts towards completing any given goal.
We hope that your journey into and throughout your career is filled with mindfulness.
References:
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