Many of us fantasize about switching off email and chat notifications and retreating to a beach where no communication app can intrude. Fantasies aside, how often does the typical employee actually use their vacation time each year? Turns out, not nearly often enough.
There’s a reason we often feel happier in the summer: the sun is life-giving, literally and figuratively. Sunlight also happens to offer many advantages when it comes to boosting your work performance. In this month’s installment of The Productivity Box, we will dive into the physical and mental health benefits of sunlight—and why it should be a fixture in your office.
In many installments of The Productivity Box series, we’ve talked about how the ergonomic features of a work environment can influence overall performance. We have examined the impact of light, sound, temperature, air quality, and more. But this month, we’re turning our attention to the powerful, dynamic connection between colors and the cognitive function.
Time management is one of those key skill sets that teams place a high premium on, but often fall short of maintaining. In this installment of The Productivity Box, we want to introduce you to time-blocking—a technique that will help you and your team reclaim the workday.
The average American works about 1,750 hours per year. That’s more than six other high-income nations: the U.K., Australia, Sweden, Belgium, France, and Germany. Even with all those hours on the clock, 88 percent of the workforce procrastinates for at least one hour each day. In other words, no matter how many tasks are written down (or crossed off) on their to-do list, people are still wasting valuable time and losing out on productivity. This is why it’s important to balance strategic vision with tactical execution, a work balance, if you will.
The great resignation has forced a shift in workplace dynamics across all industries. In its wake, employees are re-evaluating their work environment and culture to determine if it meets their specific needs. Furthermore, having a sense of belonging is crucial for collaboration and teamwork.
Time management is key to productivity. Yet, according to a recent poll, 82 percent of workers don’t have a clear system to manage their time effectively. As a result, the average employee spends about 1.5 hours each day on tasks that are irrelevant and non-essential to their role. This is where work habits come into play.
It has been proven that poor mental health affects job performance in many ways. The environment we work in, however, can either worsen or ease the overall impact. And that’s where psychological safety comes in. For the first installment of The Productivity Box series in 2023, we will discuss what psychological safety means and why it is so beneficial in the workplace.
This season is hectic and there’s often no way around it. That mad rush to complete all of your end-of-year tasks while keeping up with holiday parties, office events, and family plans can feel nearly impossible. There’s a house to decorate, gifts to shop for, meals to plan out, and guests to entertain. And that’s on top of your normal workload. How do you balance it all, while holding onto sanity in the process? Let’s follow the magic of the checklist.
In a culture that glorifies busyness and hustle, it’s not uncommon to avoid declining a request, at all costs. A strategic, intentional no, however, can actually be one of the most effective tools to boost your well-being and performance at work. For this month’s edition of The Productivity Box series, we are making the case to normalize saying no.
