No matter how much you love your job, trying to stay productive when the weekend is just hours away is super difficult. Girlbosses need every spare work hour to tackle our ever-growing to-do lists before we pour ourselves a glass of rosé. So we tapped a few amazing productivity experts to give us their top tips for staying mega-focused on Friday afternoon. Go ahead — read this during work hours. Your boss will thank us later.
1. Kickstart your afternoon productivity with a lunchtime walk or workout. Many studies have shown that people feel that they are most productive during the morning, so it’s important to make sure you have all the ammo possible to push through your inevitable afternoon slump. The founder of MeisterLabs, Michael Hollauf, suggests using your lunch break to fight a low-energy end to the week by opting for a short workout or brisk walk. “Recent research in the UK found that staff who exercise at work are more productive, happy, efficient, and calm, as employees feel re-energized after a workout and have improved concentration and problem-solving abilities,” Hollauf notes.
2. Use Friday afternoons for big picture thinking. “People are so fried on Friday afternoons that any productivity is going to feel oppressive,” notes Harvard-educated author of Where’s My Sanity, Dr. Claudia Luiz. “To get back your motivation, use Friday afternoons for big-picture planning.” From organizing your monthly progress report to brainstorming ideas for your next project, use this time to get creative and set new goals.
3. If the pull of Instagram is just too strong, embrace it. Listen, we all have those moments when all we *really* want to be doing is scrolling through beautiful pics on Instagram. Alexis Chan, the founder of Because Cookie Dough, challenges us to use this to your advantage. “Chances are that your business is on Instagram or could benefit from it. Find pictures that inspire you and reach out to people for collaboration. If you’re behind on content creation, then take this time to snap some photos or write some captions. It’s always nice to have some posts ready to go for when you’re swamped with other responsibilities.”
4. Try to boost your brain by jotting things down. “If you have something important to get done, but you just can’t seem to get your head in the game, grab a piece of paper and a pen and try stream-of-consciousness writing,” says the founder of Regain Your Time, Rita Kerins. It’ll help you eliminate all the clutter and highlight those brilliant ideas you’ve been storing in the back of your mind.
5. Organize your workspace for maximum productivity. Setting yourself up for a productive Friday — and the week ahead — starts with knowing the environment in which you get the most accomplished. If you prefer to work in silence, remove audio distractions with noise-canceling headphones or white noise apps, notes director of global community at Evernote Joshua Zerkel. It’s totally okay to embrace your preferences and make sure you have everything you need to get into your productivity sweet spot. Now, go get ’em.
Do you have any tips for staying productive at work? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.
(Photos via Getty)
