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Berlin and other stories

How to stay productive on a slow day

27/01/2018 · Leave a Comment

How to stay productive on a slow day

How to stay productive on a slow day

 

In every job, there are certain periods of time where things slow down. The amount of work that piles up on your desk becomes less, the phone is not ringing as much and you are overall less stressed. These periods are inevitable and they are important to catch your breath for a little bit. 

 
What I have learned about myself over the years though, is that the less pressure I have, the less productive I become. Apparently, I need some sense of urgency in order to not slack off and get too comfortable. In retrospective, I believe I have always been like that in some way. As you may know, if you read the blog more regularly, I am a huge procrastinator. Even as a student I would leave my homework until late in the evening till the pressure built up to a point where I really HAD to do it. I know there are a lot of people out there, who struggle with the same habit. 
 
In the working force though, a lack of pressure is not an excuse to twiddle one’s thumbs. You have to be on your A-game, no matter the stress level. Especially as a twenty-something that wants to prove that she’s got her shit together, I had to do something. Consequently, I have developed some methods over the years, that help me stay productive even during less stressful periods. 
 
If you are like me and the outside pressure determines your state of productivity, keep reading. 
 
 

1) Ask for additional work. 

 
This seems like a no-brainer, but it actually took me some time until I realized that it is okay to ask for additional work. Before, I always felt like a showoff, if I went to my boss and told him I needed more work. Meanwhile, I have learned a valuable lesson: Every person works at a different pace and intensity. How else is your boss or supervisor going to know what you can handle in a certain amount of time? You have to speak up and let them know what you are capable off for them to determine how much work they are going to give you.
 
 

2) Find your own tasks.

 
There is no additional work for you to do at the moment? No problem. The magical thing about downtimes at work is, that they provide you with an opportunity to tackle all the tasks that you have neglected in stressful times. You have no idea what I am talking about because you have always very responsibly taken care of every task? Let me give you some examples of things you can do when you finally have the time for it: 
 
  • Clean up your email account.

    This is a task I actually really enjoy because it gives me a feeling of accomplishment to sort away emails about tasks and subjects that I have completed. Catalogue your emails into different project folders, delete unnecessary emails and newsletters that you have already read. And don’t forget to clear out your spam folder – you might even have missed something there. 

 

  • Organise your files.

    Another rewarding task. It not only clears up my computer when I organize my files, it sort of clears up my mind as well. The first thing I like to do is go through all of my different folders, the desktop and download folder to delete files I no longer need. The satisfying feeling of pushing the “empty trash” button after that gives me so much joy every time. Next, I work on my folder system. I like to determine whether it still makes sense to me the way it is set up. If not, I tackle that task. 

 

  • Clear your working space.

    Especially in stressful periods at work, my desk looks like a bomb exploded on it. There are papers all over, mixed with notepads, teacups, and sticky notes. On a slow day, it is time to clean that shit up. Get rid of all the paperwork and notes that you no longer need and file away all the rest. You will feel so much better afterward.  

 
 

3) Set your own time limits.

 
If I have a task that doesn’t necessarily have a set due date, I often find it sitting on my to-do list for days, if not weeks. A day, where there is not much going on is the time to work on that assignment. As I mentioned though, without any pressure of a deadline, I am not going to be productive whilst working on it. To avoid this phenomenon, I have reverted to a very simple method: I set a deadline for myself. And it absolutely works. Although I know in the back of my mind that the assignment doesn’t HAVE to be done by that deadline, I still try to hit it. Sometimes I even make a little game out of it to see if I can complete it even faster than the time before. 
 
 

4) Use your downtime. 

 
If everything else fails and there is absolutely nothing else for you to do, use your time wisely. One way to do that is to utilize your off time to learn a new skill or deepen your knowledge in a certain field. Talk to your boss or supervisor and explain the situation to them. Ask them if it would be possible for you to take an online class during this time. Or maybe even use YouTube to further your skills at a new program (how many hours I have spent on that platform to learn how to code, use Excel or perfectly crop a picture is insane). In most cases, your boss will be glad that you want to spend your time doing something to further your knowledge rather than twiddling your thumbs at your desk. 
 
 
So these are my tips to help you stay productive on slow days and cope with tasks that don’t have a set deadline. Let me know what you do to stay productive when the pressure is off. I would love to hear your tips and tricks to keep your motivation and productivity flowing.
 
xx
Nico 
 
 

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Filed Under: Productivity and Organization Tagged: keep busy, office, productivity, slow day, stay productive, work day

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Nico of Berlin and Other Stories

Welcome to Berlin and Other Stories. My name is Nico and I am so happy you stopped by. BAOS is a blog full of productivity and self-improvement tips and tricks for millennials. I hope you enjoy the content and find what you are looking for. If you have any questions or notes please join in on the conversation with a comment!
xx Nico

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