Summer is a time for sunshine, vacations and yes, even work! And as temperatures rise, productivity often decreases at work – in fact 25 percent of workers feel less productive from June to August. We asked our Chamber Ambassadors – members who donate their time and talent to educate members about the Chamber and foster relationships with new members – how they stay productive during the summer months.
Check out their productivity tips:
Keep moving. “Don’t sit down! I’m fortunate to have a job that allows me to be on my feet constantly moving,” said Dave Anderson president of InSync Photography + Design. Get up from your desk, walk around the office or get outside. Adding movement to your work day can boost your energy level and efficiency. Learn how you can work out more than your business plan.
Make a list. “I make a weekly to-do list that is prioritized so that I can stay focused,” Veronica Regan, commercial banker for Colorado Business Bank, said. Prioritize your to-do list to align it with your professional and personal goals to maximize productivity. Check out these three ways to stay on top of your goals.
Add background noise. “Pop in noise-cancelling headphones with good music and focus on one task at a time,” Helene Kwong, CEO and founder of Hashtagitude said. Listening to music while you work can increase productivity. But, the type of music matters. Read about the five factors that determine if your tunes are distracting or helpful.
Stay off your phone. “Shut your door and put your cellphone away so it’s not a distraction,” said Laura Olmedo, financial adviser for New York Life Insurance Co. On average, smartphone users check their phone 110-150 times a day, including during board meetings (58 percent of professionals text during a meeting). Break free of your phone and turn it off. Here are six tips to stay off your phone.
And, stay off your email. “When doing something that requires full attention, I close my email so I don’t get interrupted with notifications,” said Catherine Alvarez, business development manager for Red Rocks Credit Union. Checking your email every time a new message hits your inbox decreases your productivity. Every day there are 200 billion email messages sent and received, and it occupies 23 percent of the average employee’s workday. Set time to ignore your inbox and focus on the task at hand.
Break it down. “Work in 25-minute increments with five minute breaks,” said Jenn Marshall, CEO of SPHERE Education and brain coach for Renegade BadAss. “[It] keeps the brain refreshed and focused.” Take it one step further and break it down into 10 minutes allocated to a task on your to-do list. Check out these three tips to make the 10-minute rule work for you.
Organization is key. “Be organized, have a plan and execute. Productivity is a combination of planning and intention,” said Adam Kemper, business advisor for G&A Partners. How organized your environment is can affect your productivity levels – you want to make your space efficient for you. Dive deep into these seven tips to organize your workspace.
Save time for you. “Plan your day, week, month and year. Start with your personal priorities and put them on your calendar first,” Shay Lowe, Re/Max Professionals said. “Putting your personal items on first sets a standard; when your personal important time is planned it makes managing your work easier.” Consider an unbookable day – a day or a couple of hours for yourself – to use it how you see fit. Just make sure it’s what works for you. Check out these four tips for how to implement the unbookable day.
Share your productivity tips with us in the comments, and get to know our Ambassadors at upcoming Chamber events!
Laura James is the marketing and communications coordinator for the Denver Metro Chamber.