While the 9-5 can feel like a long day, it can soon go quickly when you’ve got a to-do list as long as your arm. How you spend your day can make a significant difference to the quality of your work, as well as making sure you get things done quicker.

Being productive isn’t difficult, but to achieve it, you’re going to need to learn to manage your time more effectively. Use the following tips to improve your productivity for a more efficient working week.

Settle in quicker

Do you tend to take a long time to settle in the mornings? The time you spend chatting with your colleagues, making tea and even having breakfast can be better spent elsewhere. Settle in quicker by giving yourself five minutes to get yourself together before you begin working. If you find this difficult to achieve, try getting into work 15 minutes earlier so that you can start your day properly at 9am.

Try not to multitask

You might think that multitasking makes it easier for you to get multiple things done quickly, but it could actually take you longer to accomplish tasks than it would if you were to focus on one thing at a time. Getting stuck into emails regularly throughout the day can affect your focus, making it difficult to get the first task done. To improve this, set aside a period in your calendar in the morning and the afternoon to answer emails and don’t check them outside of this time.

Use tools that will help your productivity

Some tools are designed to make you more productive at work, such as project management tools, cloud documents and online communications tools. Having instant messaging, fax API platforms and mobile communication apps make it much easier to accomplish tasks and means you don’t have to spend hours on the phone each day or waiting for written replies to arrive in the post.

Take breaks

If you normally spend your lunch break eating at your desk while reading emails, it’s time to break the habit. There are the wrong ways of taking a break, and the right ways, which will help you to refocus for a more productive afternoon. Taking regular breaks improves your focus and helps you to step away from things so that you can return with a fresh pair of eyes.

Keep your objectives in front of you

Lists are great for helping you keep track of your workload, and having your objectives in front of you can be a big help to keep you focused on the task at hand. Rearranging your office is a good place to start so that you can minimise distractions around the office and create space for your visual cues.

There are simple ways to improve your productivity at work, but it’s up to you to make them happen. Start focusing on boosting your productivity today to reduce stress and improve your focus to help you give 100% every day.