Depending upon how many hours you work per day, depends on how long you sit in your office. For most people, this is between 4 to 8 hours, usually 5 days per week. That might sound like a lot of time, and in reality it is, but do you ever feel like there simply aren’t enough working hours in a day to get all your tasks done?
Most of us feel that way on occasion, sometimes mixed in with days where the clock just doesn’t seem to be moving. Whichever situation you’re in, and however many hours you actually work per day, there are some clever hacks you can use to help you create more hours in a working day.
Let’s explore some of the best.
Arrange Your Office Correctly
It might not seem like the greatest way to create time, but if your office is not organised correctly, you’re going to waste a lot of time every day trying to find things, or walking from one side of the room to the other, e.g. to the printer. Make sure that your office desks and tables are situated in sensible places, e.g. close to the printer, but not so close that the noise causes an issue. Make sure that if you have centralised office storage methods, these aren’t placed in a completely different room, halfway down the corridor. Basically, look at the way your office is arranged and see if there are any time saving measures you can make, simply by moving things around slightly - the chances are there will be!
Know When to Replace Equipment And Furniture
Old equipment and office furniture which is falling apart is not going to make anyone productive and is probably going to make tasks take longer than they should. Know when it’s time to replace your office furniture (e.g. office chairs, entire workstations, storage cupboards), and make sure you replace them with quality options, which make life easier.
In addition, also know when your computers, printers, and other general information might be ready for a change. Newer technology is much faster and more efficient, and can be a huge time saver from the very beginning. It might cost money to invest, but it’s worth it for the extra productivity, and therefore extra profitability.
Have a To-Do List And Prioritise Effectively
To-do lists have not gone out of fashion, they have simply been digitalised. If you prefer a pen and paper version, that’s fine, and if you want to use an app, that’s equally as fine! The point is that writing down your tasks for the day and then prioritising them in order of importance ensures that deadlines are met. This creates more time because you’re not constantly chasing your tail and trying to remember the things you should be doing. To-do lists make you more organised, and therefore help you to manage your time far better.
Take Regular Breaks
This might sound counteractive, but having regular breaks can produce more hours in the day (virtually) because you are refreshing your mind and giving yourself a focus boost. If you work non-stop you’re not going to be as productive, it’s that simple. Giving your brain a ten minutes’ boost every so often will help you get more done.
It can be as simple as going for a walk around the office, asking if anyone wants a coffee and going to the canteen, or heading to your breakout area and sitting for five minutes. Breaks don’t have to be long, they just need to be enough to give you extra focus.
Use Active Working Hacks
Have you heard about treadmill desks? If that sounds too active for you, how about a sit and stand desk? These give you the option to either sit or stand throughout the day, and they adjust to your height. Height adjustable desks can also be created more cheaply via a desk riser, which literally lifts up your computer to standing height, and then collapses back down again. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that standing for a short period of time and then alternating with sitting can help to boost the brain, give your body a workout, and generally make you healthier. All of this creates extra productivity.
Cut Down on Time Wasting Habits
We all have habits which waste a little time every day, and when these add up they create a snowball effect. Identifying these personal habits and eradicating them will give you more hours straightaway. We’re talking about things like constantly checking your emails, having your phone on your desk and checking your social media accounts on a regular basis, getting up to the printer every single time you need to print, rather than waiting for a batch, multi tasking and not actually finishing anything. We all have these small quirks, but conquering them will certainly help.
It’s far easier to create extra hours than you might realise, and all it takes is a little clever thinking!