Many office spaces are open plan. The distractions both visual and especially noise can wreak havoc on your ability to work well. Here are five ways concentrate and be more productive.
1. Let people know your availability
You should start by reducing distractions. There are times when you are working on a difficult project/task that has a tight deadline. When you give people a time that you can get back to them (and do that) you will find that you are better able to manage your time. Also, if you can turn your back and keep your head down that provides a visual cue that you are unavailable.
2. Turn on your headphones
If you aren’t on the phone and your boss is agreeable few things block sound better than good headphones. To focus well choose instrumental music or soft music so your brain can concentrate on your work and not the catchy words to the songs you are listening to.
3. Tackle tough tasks when it’s quiet
Working on your most challenging assignments should be done when your office is conducive to it which may very well be when your co-workers have not yet reported to work, are out for lunch or have left for the night. Even when you have your own office, these tips do come in handy. Not an early bird and have lunch out? Once or twice a week, plan to stay a bit late after your colleagues leave for the day.
4. Learn to be more productive in a loud workplace
a. Commit to getting your work done when you can focus best
By doing this you gives you a deadline and forces you to eliminate the little time wasters such as silly interruptions, procrastination, and perfectionism that all end up eating into your productive work hours of the day.
b. Avoid multitasking when you are working on difficult tasks
Multitasking makes us less efficient instead of more so. By learning to focus on only one thing at a time you will find that you will be left with much more time at the end of the day. Think about period of time when you multitasked. When you have a thought in your mind and someone interrupts you it can take some time to get back on track in terms of your train of thought. Now when this repeated, you will be left wondering what the project you were working on is really about as you have stopped and started so many times. You may even feel completely frustrated as you may find that your work is riddled with errors or you feel that you have done substandard work.
c. Keep your to-do list organised
Often people haphazardly write lists on stray notepads, torn off pieces of paper, and backs of envelopes waste time wondering what to do next and worrying that they’re forgetting something. Choose only one tool, planner, notebook, or a Smartphone, to keep track everything you need to do. It is important to prioritize from the top down. That way, you’ll spend 100 percent of your time completing your to-do list, not finding it.
There are times you can reduce the noise, but if you are not able, the tips above can help learn to work with it to become more productive.
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