4 Ways to Stay Productive in the Office

Your eyes and shoulders are heavy and droop.  Your attention span is thin, and your motivation even thinner.  You try to focus, but everything seems hazy.  You're listless.  We all know what it is: the 4 o'clock doldrums.  


Working in an office (or at any job or activity) can be physically, mentally, and even spiritually stifling.  When the afternoon finally rolls around, we often find ourselves watching the clock tick so slowly that it's painful instead of doing the work we know we need to do.  


It's almost impossible to fight the distraction and the malaise after sitting in front of a computer screen for eight hours straight.  We were not meant for it.  If you are having trouble staying productive and clear-minded at work all day, try some of these tricks to keep you focused, refreshed, and smiling all day.

1. Take Breaks

Numerous studies have shown that people are more productive when they split their work up into manageable time slots with breaks in between.  If you are working on several projects at once, and especially if each project requires a different skills set, try switching between projects every half hour or so, just to keep your mind challenged and engaged.  Take five minutes to drink some water, stretch your hands, and let your mind unwind.

2. Read a Book

Taking breaks is the most important part of any good productivity plan.  However, it is equally important to make sure that those breaks aren't spent simply staring into nothingness.  If you don't have multiple projects that you can work on simultaneously, take a ten minute break every hour to read a book you love.  Reading serves two purposes: first, it lets your brain change gears, which helps to keep it engaged, and second, it refreshes you by doing something you enjoy.  Plus, it gives you something to look forward to every hour, which should help keep you on task.

3. Exercise

Of course, you're in an office, so this doesn't necessarily mean breaking out the weights and pumping iron.  But you can do some quick cardio exercises, like jumping jacks in the hallway, or sprints up stairs, to get your heart rate up and the oxygen flowing back to your brain.  Your brain feeds on oxygen and oxygen is transported in the blood stream.  Exercise gets your blood flowing and will reinvigorate you, as well as give you new focus.

4. Have a Conversation

If you can coordinate your breaks with someone else, this is a great way to keep your attention in top form.  Conversation will sharpen your focus, and the interaction with another person will get ideas flowing.  Talking to others releases endorphins, which elates you and can, again, make you more productive.
Work is important, but no one is designed to do one task for eight hours uninterrupted.  Mix up your day a little, and you'll find that you're actually more productive than if you didn't take breaks.


By-line:
Alvina Lopez is a freelance writer and blog junkie, who blogs about accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez @gmail.com.