Do you often find yourself procrastinating at work?
Well, Instead of just blaming yourself for lacking motivation, maybe you should look at external factors that might be affecting your productivity levels. The environment that you work in is a good place to start.
Firstly, how tidy is your desk?
A messy desk provides a lot of distracting stimuli that could take your focus off your work, so people with well-organised desks tend to be more productive. It makes sense that if you are working in a cluttered space, then your mind is going to be cluttered too. Sure, tidying your workspace might just sound like another way to procrastinate, but it could mean boosted productivity in the long term. Some office workers are now opting for standing desks, which allow you to switch between sitting and standing with ease throughout the work day. This has been found to boost productivity and energy levels in many workers.
The room that you work in could also be detrimental to your productivity.
Offices that are too cold have been found to make workers less productive and more prone to making errors. An office that is too hot will likely have similar effects as we tend to become lethargic in the heat. If you have a heating and cooling system, try to find the balance that works well for you. Offices exposed to plenty of natural light are much more conducive to productivity. Fluorescent lights are one of the worst offenders, sapping people’s energy, straining their eyes and making them much less productive. Moving your desk closer to the window can help to expose you to more natural light during the workday.
Noise is also a big contributing factor to productivity
But people respond differently to it. For some, background noise puts them off their work and makes it difficult for them to concentrate, whereas others find working in pure silence difficult. Some people work better when listening to music, whereas others can’t work at all with music on. Classical music has been found to be the best style of music for boosting productivity, particularly pieces with no lyrics. Test out different styles of music playing quietly in the background to see what works best for you. If you are in an office with people who have different opinions about listening to music at work, headphones can help those that crave music concentrate while keeping the room quiet for those that need peace.