The calendar has transitioned from that chaotic holiday rush in December to an exciting fresh start in January. Now is the time to reset your focus on performance goals. Fortunately, with winter in full force across the Northern Hemisphere, it’s easier than you might think to harness mental energy, alertness, concentration, and other executive functions during this time of year. Yes, the cold winter can actually help!
As the year comes to a close, many are wrapping up projects and reflecting on their achievements. This season holds a unique significance, encouraging us to look ahead, contemplate what the upcoming year holds, and assess how emerging trends will influence our businesses. Are you ready? It’s time for the 2023 wrap-up!
Focus is the main ingredient in productivity. Without it, you won’t be able to complete the tasks on your list in an accurate, efficient manner. As powerful as focus is, it can be hard to sustain. If you’ve noticed an ebb in your attention and concentration levels, there are ways to get back into focus and be more productive.
Consider your typical workday routine. Are you deliberately concentrating on one task, free from interruptions, or do you find yourself shifting between crucial tasks, emails, chats, and sips of coffee? For many individuals, the latter scenario is more common, and it directly mirrors the trend of shortening attention spans.
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.
We all strive to get more done, but there’s only so much time in a day, and we only have so much energy. However, there are people around us who seem to have found the holy grail of productivity. They rarely seem tired, never procrastinate, and rarely complain about not having enough time. If you wonder what is the secret of these highly productive people, read on. We put together a list of their habits that will hopefully help you get more done too.
When you think about creating the optimal work environment, does the quality of sound in your workplace ever come to mind? This might not seem as influential to productivity as some other ergonomic features, such as the comfort of your desk or the amount of light in your space. But as it turns out, the sounds you listen to (or are exposed to as background noise) can have a major impact on your overall performance. In this edition of The Productivity Box, we’ll talk about that connection—plus, how to use sound to your advantage on the job.
You may have heard that classic expression, laughter is the best medicine. As cliché as it might sound, it’s actually the truth. In past iterations of The Productivity Box we’ve talked about how mental health and stress management have an impact on your job performance. In this month’s edition, let’s turn the lens on laughter and examine how this positive emotional release can make you more productive, whether you work from home or in an office.
Regardless of what priorities and responsibilities dominate our schedules on a daily basis, time is a resource that all of us must learn to manage. How we make the most of each 24-hour cycle determines how much we will accomplish and how productive we can be.
When was the last time, you wrote something by hand rather than typing it on a keyboard or mobile device? In our fast-paced, digital work culture, it can feel like handwriting has become a lost art. Writing by hand is often seen as tedious and inefficient compared to the ease and convenience of typing. Yet, there are many cognitive benefits associated with putting an actual pen to paper.
