Rushing to get everything finished at the end of the day? Don’t. Write today off as a failure. Disconnect from work, relax and try again tomorrow.
A survey of 2,000 workers discovered that productivity levels tend to drop at 2:22pm, as we’re hit by a post-lunch slump which leaves us incapable of giving our work our all.
After two-and-a-half hours of half-hearted attempts to get back into the work rhythm, we usually find ourselves frantically rushing to get everything finished as the end of the day approaches.
The result? A pile of poorly done tasks that you have to spend the following day rectifying.
If you can’t simply start doing your job earlier, at least spend the time that you do use trying to be productive effectively.
How to use your time wisely at the end of the day
Rather than trying to fix your mess right at the last, write the day off as a failure and spend your remaining time making sure that tomorrow doesn’t turn out the same way.
The best way to do this is by spending the last 10 minutes at the end of the day updating your to-do list. Fit the tasks that you didn’t get finished today into your schedule over the next week. Make sure that you prioritise the most important tasks and leave the less important things for whenever you have time.
Likewise, you should also spend some time noting down any ideas that you might have had throughout the day. By the time you come back to your task tomorrow, you might well have forgotten what you intended to do. Keeping note of your ideas will save you the hassle of starting over.
Once you have tidied your work area, take a moment to reflect on your day. Make a note of what you think went wrong and why it happened, whether it was an hour of lost sleep the night before, or an unhealthy lunch sitting in your stomach. Make an effort to rectify the problem tomorrow.
The importance of switching off
Today might not have gone to plan, but it’s important that you put it to the back of your mind until you return to the office. Stress and worry will only keep you awake during the night and force you to return to work in a worse condition tomorrow.
Rearrange any last minute meetings, sign out of your work email on your phone, say goodbye to your colleagues and head home. Get a good meal inside of you and try to get an early night, in order to head into the new day in top condition.
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This daily routine will keep you healthy, happy and motivated