Some people are doing it. As crazy as it sounds, they’re videotaping themselves in the office for a day to see how much time they waste. And what those that have dared to take on this little experiment have found is pretty staggering. Between, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, checking fantasy football scores, email and cell phones, there’s a lot of time that is just flat out wasted during the day. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise either. But, in a time when demands in the workplace are at an all-time high, doesn’t it reason that you should be as productive as you can?

At the end of the day it all comes down to your ability to focus. So, how do you focus on demand? We’ve got a couple ideas.

Take a Break

Yep, that’s right. Countless studies have proven that taking frequent short breaks is essential for maximizing your productivity. In fact, people that take a five-minute break every hour to leave the office, take a short walk and get away from their desk entirely are much more productive than those that are seated behind a computer screen for hours on end. Try scheduling purposeful breaks throughout the day. You’ll find that your ability to focus on a singular task and get things done increases immediately.

No More Multitasking

It happens dozens of times per day. You’re working on something and the new email alert shows up in the bottom right corner of your computer screen. You see it, click on it, and before you know it, you’re embroiled in responding and have totally lost track of what you were working on before. When you finally return to the task at hand, that email is still on your mind and you have to backtrack to figure out where you left off. Talk about wasted time.

Try time blocking. If you purposefully set time aside for certain tasks each day and stick to it, you’ll be shocked at how well you’re able to maintain focus and get things done.

Music Anyone?

Maybe it’s not for everyone and we’re certainly not talking about having the latest Katy Perry single on repeat. But if you find yourself struggling to maintain your focus, you might want to experiment with have some soothing classical or piano music playing in the background while you work. Studies have shown this to be an effective strategy to stay on task.

Get Rid of Clutter

There’s nothing worse than coming into the office in the morning and not being able to see your desk. Quality reports on top of company memos buried under those thank you notes you forgot to send yesterday. By the time you’ve cleaned up the mess, 30 minutes have gone by and you’re still not sure where you left off.

If you make a point to stay organized and clean your desk off before you leave every day, you’ll be able to get off to a fast start the following morning and maintain that momentum throughout the day.

Breathe

Think about how your body reacts when you’re stressed or under the gun. Do you tense up? Does your breath become shallow? Of course, that’s the natural reaction when you’re uncomfortable. Your mind is racing with 1,000 different thoughts and your ability to focus becomes greatly diminished. Even though it seems counterintuitive, this is when you should actually slow things down and take some conscious deep breaths. Doing so helps you stay in the present and allows your mind to more clearly process everything that’s going on.

The Power of a Nap

It’s not likely that it will be possible every day, but if you can carve out 10-30 minutes for a power nap in the early afternoon, it can make all the difference between being worthless the rest of the day and feeling recharged. The body and mind have an amazing ability to bounce back quickly, they just need a little time.

Exercise

We’re not talking about doing an entire workout in the gym. But, if you’ve been sitting behind your desk all morning, your blood circulation slows and it’s easy to become tired. If you start feeling lethargic or your mind starts to wander, take a couple minutes to do jumping jacks, go on a walk or any other kind of quick physical activity. Before you know it, you’ll feel refreshed and awake.
Ok, you don’t have to go to the extreme of filming yourself in the office to conjure up some ways to boost your focus and see just how much time you’re wasting throughout the day. Instead, be conscious of distractions like email, your phone and social media. There’s nothing wrong with taking mental breaks to indulge these habits, you just don’t want to let them get in the way of your productivity. If you implement some of the strategies above when you’re feeling tired or distracted, you’ll be amazed by just how much more you can get done between 9:00 and 5:00.

As a Life Sciences recruiter in the Bay Area, I have worked with many types of professionals who have specific business processes. I can help you find a high-quality employee that fits in your company culture. Contact me, Jeff King, if you need an employee or are search for a new job in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device industries.

There’s no denying that we all deal with stress throughout our day. Managing employees, meeting deadlines, getting the kids to school on time – our minds are constantly jumping from one worry to another in a constant juggling act takes its toll on your health, emotional well-being and relationships with others. While daily stresses and concerns aren’t going to disappear anytime soon, the good news is that if you start your day out in a healthy way, you can increase your productivity, have a clearer mind, better health and more meaningful relationships with everyone both inside and outside of the office.

Practice Gratitude

What do you do when you first wake up in the morning? Do you reach for the night stand and immediately check emails for the latest fires? Or do have conscious thoughts about being thankful for the roof over your head, your family and how lucky you are compared to those less fortunate?

Science has proven time and again that if you start your day by practicing gratitude in some way, you realize the day in front of you is a gift to do with as you please. One of the most effective ways to practice gratitude is to journal. By taking even just a few minutes to make a list of the things you’re thankful for you gain clear perspective and put your mind at ease.

Meditating

There are more types of meditation than you can count. Whether you take just a few minutes or set aside some significant time, practicing meditation every morning goes a long way in helping you feel content. If practiced on a regular basis, meditation’s benefits also include increased confidence, self-esteem and presence.

While meditation can be done any time of day, practicing it in the morning is highly effective. If meditation is new to you, start out by finding a quiet space where you can sit just for a couple minutes and close your eyes. From here your options are limitless. You can choose to focus on your breath, do a scan of your entire body to see how your feeling or repeat a simple mantra. Whatever method you choose, remember this is your time to acknowledge your thoughts and practice self-love.

Affirmations

While it’s easy to let the troubles of yesterday linger into the day ahead, happy and productive people see each new day as a fresh start. Affirmations are a great way to put yourself in a positive mindset. Examples of simple affirmations include:

• I am capable of making smart decisions for myself.
• I let go of negative thoughts and am grateful for everything that is good.
• I’m a loving, caring, kind, compassionate, grateful, happy, healthy human being.

These are just a few of an infinite number of positive affirmations that you can say out loud to yourself and even write on post-its and tape to your bathroom mirror so you’ll have no choice but to read them every morning.

Make Your Bed

Even though making your bed seems like a menial task that should have little to no affect on your day science says it’s quite the opposite.

Taking a couple of minutes to straighten the sheets and comforter each morning gives you an immediate sense of accomplishment that puts you in a positive frame of mind. In this mindset, you’re more apt to have the motivation to get the most out of your day and accomplish the things you need to in a timely manner.

Exercise

Physical activity is great way to begin your day. Whether it’s a trip to your personal trainer, a yoga session at home or a leisurely walk around the block, exercise gives your body and mind a chance to wake up and get ready for what lies ahead. By getting your blood flowing and allowing your body to release feel-good chemicals to your brain like serotonin and dopamine, you put yourself in a positive frame of mind that will carry over to the workplace and stay with you throughout the day.

Not everyone is a morning person. Maybe you’re a fan of hitting the snooze button a couple of times before you get out of bed. Even if that’s the case, when you finally decide to begin your day, incorporating some simple healthy routines can make a world of difference in how the rest of your day goes. If you take a little time to care for yourself in the morning before you jump on a conference call or start replying to emails, you’ll quickly find yourself much happier, healthier and experience more fruitful relationships with everyone around you.

Contact Jeff King, Regulatory and Quality Recruiter in the Bay Area, for more information.