We all love a bit of banter and the Hotglue office is no different! Despite this, we’re sure your boss won’t be as impressed with your knowledge of irrelevant topics compared to the spreadsheets you smashed out across the day. Simple things like exercising in the morning (yes, simple!), eating well and keeping yourself hydrated are the most important. While at work, you also have to try and monitor your time spent engaging in non-work-related conversation versus actually working. Shock horror!

Get some brownie points (*cough*promotion*cough) from your bosses by taking some of these productivity tips into consideration:

1.     Wake up naturally:

The golden elixir is in the veins of many of us, but did you know that you shouldn’t drink coffee as soon as you wake up? When your alarm goes off, or you wake naturally, your body is in what is called a parasympathetic state. It’s that natural relaxed/sleepy feeling when you’re hopefully not stressed! Ideally, time should be given for your body to wake up by itself, instead of being fuelled by caffeine and anxiety. Put effort into eating well for breakfast, perhaps exercising before work, or walking part of your commute. Take your time! The first coffee of the day should be drunk two-three hours after you wake up. If you have trouble sleeping and rely on that cup straightaway in the morning, perhaps make it weaker as a last resort. Take the challenge and I’m sure you’ll see a difference.

Instead of the second and third coffees of the day, it’s best to reach for a cup of tea or even a kombucha-style drink. Thanks to Remedy Drinks, we have our own kombucha fridge in the office which many of us reach for throughout the afternoon. Stocking the office fridge with a healthy alternative is best to avoid multiple coffees.

2.     Make a peaceful playlist:

You may prefer a louder head-smashing style to get you on a roll, but more chilled music playlists will keep you more relaxed and therefore productive! Research has proved that classical music is best for efficiency at work. If this isn’t your style, try finding your favourite instrumental music, or acoustic songs to keep you focused. Songs that get you dancing in your seat might be fun for a little bit but can create distractions, though songs what will have you falling asleep may not be ideal either. Find a balance whereby you’re able to concentrate and feel upbeat.

3.     Find a quiet room:

It may not seem super social but stepping away from the main office area and finding a room to yourself might help you get some work done without disruption. Avoid taking your phone or device with you so you can stay focused on those deadlines you have. If the separate room is glass-walled, try sitting with your back to the entrance so you’re not looking up and seeing what’s going on outside. It may feel like a throwback to school detention but in this case, you’re completing your (home)work instead.  Here at Hotglue, we have an egg chair that we can sit in if we need some time away from the buzz of the office. Relaxed spaces = relaxed employees!

4.     Stay hydrated and nourished:

An obvious one but one which can be often forgotten in an office environment when there’s snacks around and a lot of sitting in meetings! Making lunch is the easiest option when it comes to eating for the week at work. Get creative and avoid making the same thing each week—you’ll get bored of tuna and crackers verrrry quickly. Think of energy balance when you’re making lunches: if you’re not exercising, you shouldn’t really be eating high fat/energy lunches. Low GI foods like brown rice, or salads with protein will give you sustained energy for the afternoon. Resist the supermarket trip to buy crisps or chocolate to snack on. Fresh produce, nuts, and healthy protein and muesli bars will curb cravings.

Some businesses offer employees longer lunch breaks if they’re using the time to exercise or create incentives to persuade team members to join a gym or class. Ask your boss, or why not form a running group at lunch times, or head on an hour-long walk? Here at Hotglue, we do yoga on the deck in the warmer months to prep for the day ahead, and have a Midday Running Club to get us moving before lunch. Even just taking your lunch break to go for a walk and having your lunch back at your desk afterwards gives you a window of exercise time, and some oxygen into your brain!

5.     Create a to-do list:

Remember pen and paper? Jotting down a list of things to get through during your day or week ahead will give you positive feelings of accomplishment and productivity. List them in order of urgency or plan by days of the week by combining relative tasks together. Prioritisation is key here. Otherwise, get the quicker tasks done earlier in the day/week, and have more time for longer jobs and unexpected setbacks. Feeling overwhelmed by the amount on your to-do list? Ask for help and delegate smaller responsibilities if you need to. Avoid wasting time stressing internally about it and request some assistance. There’s multi-tasking, and there’s drowning in a mountain of work.