How To Be More
Productive at Work
A comprehensive guide on
workplace productivity
How to Be More Productive at Work
Table of Contents
03 Introduction
05 Starting Your Day
08 Office Etiquette
10 Take a Break
13 Find Your Flow State
16 Afternoon Slump
19 Life on the Outside
20 Mastering Remote Work
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Introduction
We’ve all had those days. You start the
day early with the best intentions in mind.
There’s a huge project on your to-do list,
and the deadline is looming. But instead
of sticking to the plan and getting an early
start, everything but work captures your
attention.
Once you’re at your desk (either in the
office or at home), it’s Twitter, Slack, and
LinkedIn. Don’t get me started on email.
Soon enough, any hope of that project
being done before lunch is a distant
thought.
Once you’ve wrangled your distractions,
lunchtime hunger pains creep in and all
you can think about is Chipotle. Now that
your morning is nearly over, your brain
suddenly erupts into a state of panic and
your stressful afternoon evolves into a
long night of work. Now imagine if having
a productive workday was more than just
a fluke — imagine it as a sustained habit.
To boost your morning motivation and
help you knock out your to-do list with
less stress-induced headaches, read on
for practical productivity tips and tricks.
Proceed with caution: Additional time and
effort will be required in the beginning. But
after a bit of self-reflection and forward-
thinking, we hope you’ll find these tips
helpful for long-term changes in your
workday habits.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
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4
How to Be More Productive at Work
Starting Your Day
There is no denying that your first hour of work can set the tone for the entire day. With
a few wrong decisions, you may find yourself at 10:30 a.m. asking where the first two
hours of your day went. Morning productivity is all about forming habits that stick. That
way, when Monday rolls around and being productive is the last thing you want, you’ll be
thankful it’s become second nature to open Google Docs instead of TikTok.
First Things First
Starting your morning off well begins long before you step foot into the office by eating
a healthy breakfast. Remember, what you eat has a direct effect on how productive you
are at work. Experts suggest foods low in glycemic carbohydrates to provide sustained
energy throughout the day. For those of us who are not dietitians, this means plenty of
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. For example, a breakfast of eggs, bananas, yogurt,
or blueberries can help to boost memory and counteract stress.
Fight the temptation to check your email when you first sit down at your desk. When you
begin your day in the chaos of your inbox, you enter a productivity vacuum of reading,
replying, and organizing that can steal your most precious early-morning hours of creative
thinking. In addition, you’ll establish a day-long habit of checking your email all too often
(more on this danger later). For those who do not drive themselves to work, try checking
your email on your commute. It might also work well to set aside 5 to 10 minutes as you
get ready for work to monitor your email for any vital to-do items.
But after a quick check, shut it down. Your productivity will thank you, I promise.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Tiny Habits
Is the urge to click the Gmail tab still too strong? The easiest way to achieve productivity
goals is to build “tiny habits.” These are small, easy-to-do actions that bring long-term
changes in your behavior.
To make new habits stick, identify the following elements:
1. Authentic motivation to change the habit.
2. Simple actions that make the new habit easy to accomplish.
3. A trigger that causes an action, which leads to a reward.
For example, if you know checking your email is a major distraction for you, schedule
times to check your inbox. If you complete it in under 15 minutes, reward yourself with
a snack break. Try this technique for any behavior you want to transform into a habit:
reading, meditating, or even flossing your teeth.
TRIGGER ACTION REWARD
Prioritize Prioritizing
Although we might not all be Type A personalities, it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t benefit
from a more organized to-do list. Build out your list, separating tasks by different priority
levels. While it is always tempting to pick the smallest tasks, setting priority levels will
remind you to tackle the largest projects first.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Identify What Distracts You
As in the world of medicine, it is difficult to prescribe the right cure if you haven’t identified
a diagnosis. Therefore, to set productivity habits that last months, not days, it is vital to
know what exactly it is that distracts you.
Take a week to track how you spend your time, whether it’s using a time tracking app, a
spreadsheet, or old fashioned pen and paper. Be honest with yourself through the process,
noting what distractions hit you and when. At the end of the week, set aside time to
evaluate how you spend your time at work. Look for cause and effect trends. Maybe it’s
whenever you are researching, you fall prey to reading the news. Or perhaps when you
check your email, you find yourself shifting from a LinkedIn new connection email to 30
minutes of social media scrolling.
Many will be tempted to skip this step, arguing that it will take a lot of extra time to record
your week. But don’t ignore this one. Although it will add work to one week, it might just
save you hundreds of hours of lost productivity in the future.
Working Remotely
Working from home has become a more common experience of the modern workplace.
But just because you are far away from the distractions of co-workers, doesn’t mean
you are home free. In fact, when you work from home you often become your own worst
distraction.
To maximize productivity on your out-of-office days, mimic your regular workday as much
as possible. This means getting started at a normal hour, taking a shower, and sitting down
in a dedicated workspace with minimal distractions. And just because you are working
from home doesn’t mean you actually have to work from home. Go to a coffee shop to
embrace a change of scenery while you set aside dedicated time for your task list.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Office Etiquette
Mid-morning has hit and your productivity has been strong thus far.
Starting work early has been on your side and you had held strong against the temptation
to check your email every 15 minutes. But no matter your level of focus or how expensive
your noise canceling headphones are, you can’t always be to blame when co-workers are
the root of your distraction.
Don’t Be That Coworker
Everyone has their ideal work environment. While some prefer deafening silence, others
rely on coffee house buzz to keep them on task. Despite our varying preferences, the
frustration of invasive co-workers is universal.
It may be tempting to stop by a coworker’s desk on the way to get coffee to talk about
your day or ping a co-worker on Slack if you haven’t received an answer to a question
you asked only an hour ago. But, proceed with caution — you are not the only person
completing projects. Although it may sound harsh, there is one piece of advice to hold onto:
Start by figuring out the answers to your questions yourself. Don’t ask questions Google
can answer. Don’t put yourself in a place where you are asking to be micromanaged.
Respect others’ time, and collaborate at times that work for everyone.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Make Meetings Efficient
You may have seen the popular office meme: “I survived another meeting that should
have been an email.”
There is a reason it gets a laugh out of most office workers — it’s all too relatable. According
to Atlassian, the average office worker spends over 31 hours each month in unproductive
meetings. Now, imagine a workplace without meetings.
Bliss, right?
While some meetings, of course, have their necessary place, be sure to do a self-check
before you send out that Google Calendar invite. If an obligatory meeting is in order, be
sure to include an agenda in the calendar invite. This will keep the meeting on track and
on time, and also provide an outlet for attendees to write down questions before it even
begins. This way, you can prepare your answers for these questions in advance and avoid
scheduling yet another follow-up meeting.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Take a Break
Nothing interrupts a productive
workflow like the rumbling of your
stomach. So, when the clock strikes
noon, don’t ignore what your body is
telling you.
Skipping lunch is not only dangerous
to your health, but your work habits
as well. But what about non-lunchtime
breaks? Is it bad to take the occasional
walk around the office or grab a
second (or third) cup of coffee? Often
we think that the ideal productive
day would involve eight plus hours of
endless tapping on our keyboards. But
in reality, the average person switches
tasks every three minutes.
Maximizing our productivity is all
about finding the right balance. And
getting more done in a day involves
identifying what tasks are most
important. No matter what crucial
projects may be on your to-do list for
the day, remember taking breaks is
just as important.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
The Pomodoro Technique
There is only so much time you can work non-stop before your brain starts to fry. Experts
have found that working in 90 minute intervals maximizes productivity. In fact, the human
mind can only work for 90 to 120 minutes before it begs for a break. Using your prioritized
to-do list, pick your most important task and focus on it solely for 90 minutes and then
reward yourself with a break.
If repeating 90 minute work sessions isn’t the right fit for your work style, test out the
Pomodoro Technique. Work on one task for 25 minutes. Take a five minute break. Repeat
this process three more times, and then take a 15 minute break.
ONE POMODORO CYCLE
25 min 25 min 25 min 25 min
5 min 5 min 5 min 15 min
Work Break
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Do Lunch Right
We all have those days where we forget to eat lunch. Or if we do take the time to eat, it’s
often with a fork in one hand while the other stumbles across the keyboard.
Yet, multitasking can reduce our productivity by up to 40%. When you add the effect of
these 30 minutes of unproductive work to the fact that more than a quarter of workers
don’t take a break other than lunch, it is no surprise afternoon motivation dwindles.
As you implement leisurely lunches back into your work routine, be sure you are doing them
right. Use this time to connect with teammates outside of work-talk or meet employees
you otherwise wouldn’t cross paths with. It is great to be able to call on friends in other
departments for advice or perspective.
Aside from those you eat with, choose what you eat wisely. Employees who ate healthy all
day long were 25% more likely to have higher job performance.
In addition to lunches, be sure to utilize your breaks to eat a healthy snack. Avoid foods
high in sugar that lead to a drop in blood sugar and the dreaded afternoon slump. Instead,
try berries, avocado, or almonds to keep your brain well fed, and encourage yourself to
choose water or coffee over soda. For more ideas of workplace food that will help you get
more done in your day, check out the Productivity Diet.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Find Your Flow State
Flow is everything when you’re setting out to have your most productive work day, week, or
year. But flow can quickly be disrupted when switching between communication channels,
searching for files across folders, or simply finding that one piece of feedback to your
latest document.
To preserve your productive flow state, it’s necessary to limit disruptions like context
switching and lost information. The more you simplify your daily activities, the more time
you’ll have for deep work and problem solving. Follow these best practices to unlock your
work flow state.
Use Tools, Don’t Let Tools Use You
Employees spend almost four hours a week reorienting themselves after switching
between applications. The Harvard Business Review calls it the “toggle tax,” which
creates productivity drain from using too many tools to get your job done.
Take a Marie Kondo approach to your tech stack. Ask yourself which tools make you more
productive and which just add more steps to get work done. Then get rid of those tools
that are not making your work easier. For the tools required by your company, look at
ways to integrate them with the primary technology you use the most.
At ClickUp, we use our platform to bring our teams, work, and tools all into one place. For
example, our teams use Chat, Docs, Whiteboards, and tasks that all connect to relevant
work without having to jump through multiple apps or logins. There are times when email,
design platforms, developer tools, or HubSpot are must-haves. We integrate those tools
with ClickUp so they can be used seamlessly across 1,000+ employees.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Know What to Communicate and Where
Every day, employees spend almost an entire hour looking for information. That’s five
hours a week! Most of this information is hidden in message threads, email chains, or the
obscure corner of an unsearchable folder.
To make it easier to find the information you need to do your work, set rules of engagement
for communication and communication channels.
At ClickUp, we break communication into three buckets: task-based conversations, team
and project updates, and comms with external stakeholders.
1. Task-based conversations include work discussions like
feedback, updates on timelines, or relevant information and
files. With ClickUp, all of this information is shared within
task comments and attachments so everyone sees relevant
information alongside their work.
2. Big ideas, project plans, or team updates that span multiple
tasks are best shared in cross-functional chat channels for real-
time communication. Once everyone is aligned on an idea or
plan, we then action them with ClickUp tasks.
3. We use email to communicate with external stakeholders such
as partners or customers. Once there are action items, we “task”
it and coordinate on delivery with ClickUp.
To create rules of engagement for your team, identify all the communication channels
you use and get alignment from everyone on what information to include in each channel
going forward.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Create Workflows That Have Context
It can be frustrating to have a task on your to-do list without any understanding of its
purpose. Lack of context can immediately disrupt your flow state, forcing you to spend
time searching through apps and email chains to decipher the project’s objectives.
Productive workflows shouldn’t just outline tasks and assignees, but also provide context
at every stage and to every contributor.
A simple way to do this is by starting with a project brief that highlights:
• Project purpose • Stakeholders
• Objective • Milestones
• Goals • Timelines
• Contributors
Once complete, your project brief should be attached to every task and shared with
contributors. This gives everyone on the team the ability to view project information and
work with the right collaborators at every step of the workflow.
Being productive at work starts with designing a work environment that activates your
flow state. Keep tech simple, set guidelines for communications, and bring context into
your work to find your most productive self.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
The Afternoon Slump
As 3:00 hits, work can be the last thing on your mind. What should I cook for dinner? When
should I log off today? Should I go grocery shopping or do laundry today — or neither?
When your thoughts finally shift back to the project at hand, they generally are a mix of
deadline-induced panic and frustration. Especially if the first half of your day has been
less than productive, starting a new project after lunch may feel like an impossible feat.
Procrastination Woes
Each day, the average worker procrastinates for 2.09 hours. And once distracted, it takes
the average person 23 minutes to regain focus on their original task. Sound familiar?
We each have our go-to escapes: reading the news, sorting our inbox, cleaning our desk,
monitoring Twitter. The scary part is we are incredibly good at rationalizing to ourselves
why said distraction is a part of our job description or will make us better employees. For
most of us, we are increasingly more susceptible to procrastination depending on the size
or importance of the project at hand.
But don’t be fooled — when we procrastinate, we think about the worst parts of our
project and the job grows before our eyes. Instead, recall your priority list and listen to the
motivation of one of our favorite ad campaigns: Just Do it.
Even if you successfully avoided checking your email first thing in the morning, don’t let
email be your afternoon escape either. The average person checks their email 36 times
in an hour. That adds up to 13 hours a week spent reading, deleting, sorting and sending
emails. Don’t convince yourself that you need to respond to an incoming email that very
minute. Instead, schedule breaks to check your email throughout the day and stick to
them.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Creative Burnout
Whether you spend your days crafting art in Illustrator or crunching numbers in Excel,
creativity is a necessary attribute of a successful employee. But when innovative ideas
seem out of reach, how do you stop an afternoon brain cramp? Following the theme of
fighting procrastination, try setting a cap on your research time. It’s tempting to follow link
after link as you look for ideas, just to find yourself in a sea of GIFs and even further away
from your starting point. One of the most effective ways to kickstart your momentum and
reduce afternoon headaches is to turn your eyes away from your screen.
To avoid added stress on your eyes, shut your laptop and break out the legal pad or
journal to restart your brainstorming process. Try doodling or drawing a flowchart to gain
perspective on the scope of your project and begin making connections. Finally, remember
to use your non-work time to brainstorm. While it is important to be able to leave work at
work and achieve the coveted work-life balance, there is no denying that many of our best
ideas come while driving or taking a shower.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Step Away From the Desk
A wave of tiredness often comes alongside the afternoon slump. To give yourself a boost
of energy, get away from your desk and add some variety to your working environment.
Studies show that surrounding yourself with natural light will keep you energized while you
work and help you fall asleep more easily at night. If possible, opt for a standing desk (or
hybrid) to keep you alert and the blood flowing.
Finally, if your workload requires a lot of writing, consider booking yourself a conference
room to shut out distractions and maximize productivity, or switch up your workplace in
your work from home setup.
No matter what, get away from your desk for at least a portion of each day.
Drop the Beats
There is nothing like the right song to boost motivation. And with Spotify’s playlists
organized by genre and mood, it is easy to find the perfect soundtrack for your workday.
Match your playlist to the task at hand.
To help block out the distractions of a noisy office, get a nice pair of noise canceling
headphones — it will be worth the investment. Focus@Will is another tool to increase
concentration and focus by personalizing music to your work intensity and reminding you
to take breaks. Finally, Noisli will help you get in the zone with the sound of a summer
thunderstorm or your favorite coffee house bustle.
Part of mastering the art of music in the workplace is also know when music could be
doing more harm than good. Especially during the mornings, I find it best to keep the
headphones in, but opt for no music. The headphones will help block out the occasional
distraction. Meanwhile, you can take advantage of the rare quiet office.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Life on the Outside
The key to productivity is learning how to achieve balance. When you arrive at work,
this means knowing when to stop updating your to-do list and when to start your most
demanding projects. As your day progresses, this often requires taking a break as your
stress levels peak and even closing your laptop from time to time.
Nevertheless, how you spend your time outside the office can be just as significant to
your workplace productivity. Sure, you might not be able to leave at 5:30 p.m. every night.
That’s okay. But without an adequate work-life balance, you will not be able to do the
things that make you the human that you are outside of your job title.
How you apply productive habits both in and out of the office is a two-way street. By
forming more efficient workplace habits, you’ll be able to alleviate much of the stress at
home. And by getting ample rest and recreation outside of work, you’ll be more content
to use time wisely and get your job done. Remember, happy employees are the best
employees. Teach yourself a new hobby and cherish time with family and friends. Without
these outlets, a key component of the productivity puzzle will forever be missing.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Mastering Remote Work
The advent of remote work is undeniable.
Working remotely has its clear pros and cons. The pros include more control over your
space and environment, a 30-second commute, and more flexibility to get things done on
your own time.
That said, there are some downsides to working remotely. Working out of the comfort
of your own home can require extra discipline to hold yourself accountable, as it can be
difficult to separate home life from work life without the geographic divide. On top of that,
with roommates, kids, and partners in the background, it can be hard to keep your head
down and focus. Not to mention the constant call of your refrigerator, smart TV, or pool
for a break that lasts longer than intended.
Let’s go over a few tips to maximize your remote efficiency.
Utilize Your Calendar
If you use a daily calendar like Google Calendar, set up time blocks at the start of your
day for specific tasks. This ensures you know which tasks you’re prioritizing and when.
Additionally, working remote limits the visibility your manager(s) have into your work. By
putting these working blocks on a shared calendar, they’ll be able to know what you’re
working on – just be sure to deliver on those expectations if you’re asked about progress!
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Establish a Home Office or Desk
It can be tempting to work from your bed or your couch, and like we said earlier, we’d
encourage you to do so for a change of scenery. However, it’s imperative to have a
constant while working from home. Designate a desk or a specific seat at your kitchen
table as your primary workspace during the day.
Doing this will help you associate that spot with work, efficiency, and productivity. Bonus
points if you equip the spot with a dual monitor, a charging station, and whatever else you
need to get your job done well.
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How to Be More Productive at Work
Prepare to Overcommunicate
Working remotely lowers the chances you’ll get lost in an impromptu verbal brainstorm with
your team members and limits the opportunity to have a quick chat with your manager.
To that end, make a note to check in with others more than you would plan to otherwise.
Send progress emails on your goals and/or projects to your team or collaborators.
Set up a coffee chat or remote water cooler Zoom with your colleagues. Commit to asking
questions when something in an email or a virtual meeting you attended doesn’t make
sense. Don’t allow yourself to fade into the background just because you’re not in your
physical office.
Set Your Logoff Time
Working from home is tricky. There are days when you’re ready to log off at 2:30 and other
days you’re ready to power through a project until 8. Remote working affords your more
flexibility in your day, but don’t let that flexibility be a detriment to your good standing
or your mental health. Establishing a logoff time or time frame helps you stay productive
until the end of the day and reminds you it’s time to watch TV, make dinner, or take a walk
with your spouse.
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