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7 Ways to Have Long Hours, Productivity, AND Fun

By Bernadette Eichner - Dec. 27, 2022
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Working long hours can be a struggle for anyone. As the day goes on, it’s also harder to be productive. It’s a managers job to keep employees productive and happy while working long hours.

To help you come up with activities, here are seven ways to have fun and productive while working long hours with your staff.

Key Takeaways:

  • Take time to plan what tasks need to be done first and it will help you save time and energy later on.

  • Be realistic about the goals you set and the timelines that you have for them.

  • Take small breaks from your desk and go walk to help get you blood flowing to help increase your energy and productivity.

7 Ways to Have Long Hours, Productivity, AND Fun

7 Ways to Have Long Hours, Productivity, And Fun

  1. Plan In Order To Execute

    “Every minute you spend in planning, saves 10 minutes in execution.” – Brian Tracy.  Working harder without a clear plan just disperses your energy.  Taking a step back and taking the time to plan what to do will make you more focused, and you will find it easier to channel your time and energy into a few concentrated targets, making you much more productive.

  2. Set Realistic Goals About What You Can Get Done And Then Do It

    Most days our To Do lists are longer than a double-length roll of toilet paper!   Too often we touch but never complete things on our list, leading to a feeling of being overwhelmed which only drains our energy and dulls our creativity.  Prioritize your tasks, break your list down into bite-size chunks and focus on getting those things done. A great way to stay focused over the day is to define three outcomes you want to get done and channel your time and energy into those.

  3. Walk and Talk

    Get out and about with your colleagues.  If you have something you need to discuss with a co-worker, kill two birds with one stone and go outside for a walk together.  In my experience most of us can walk and talk just as well as we can sit and talk.  Physical exercise and being outdoors will bring clarity and energy to your conversation, both of which are linked to increased productivity.

  4. Create A Home Office That’s Not In Your “Home”

    One of the major contributors to stress and anxiety for people who work from home is the feeling of never being away from the job. The computer is there, so you’ll just check emails on your way to the kitchen to start dinner, you’ll check them again while you are helping the kids with their homework, you’ll have a quick look again between clearing the dinner plates, and so on.  Select a room or space in your home that can be closed off from the rest of your family life and only spend time there when you are “working”.  Treat it like any other office that you would leave at a certain time each day. You will find that your productivity actually increases when you are “in the zone”.

  5. Find The OFF Switch

    Busy people have a tendency to become hyper-vigilant, always prepared for a call or an email that may change the course of their day.  Hypervigilance creates a state of anxiety that can lead to exhaustion and neither of those are friends to productivity, having fun or being in the moments of your life.  Form a habit of switching off your mobile devices for prescribed periods of time.  It’s easy – choose a particular time of the day when you are not contactable for an hour or two.  When you get really good at this you might even be able to manage three hours!

  6. Get Away From It All On A Regular Basis

    Completely separating from your work makes you more creative, focused, and energized, because it allows you to see your work from a different perspective.  Join a sports team, take up a hobby, visit the theatre, volunteer with a community program or lie in the long grass with a good book – anything that takes your head out of your work for a while.

  7. Create A Fun Place To Work

    Contrary to what “the suits” have always had us believe, goofing off is linked to increased productivity at work.  People who laugh a lot are healthier, look better, feel better, are more fun to be around and get more done!  Encourage mirth around the office, wear your clown suit one day, or play a practical joke now and then.

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Staying Productive FAQ

  1. How do you stay productive everyday?

    To stay productive everyday you should get enough sleep at night and re-energize regularly throughout the day. Most people int he United States don’t get enough sleep which can be damaging to your health and your productivity levels. Try going to sleep at the same time every night and avoid snoozing your alarm in the mornings.

    When you are at work and are not feeling productive anymore, take a small break to re-energize. Taking a small break every hour can make you more productive and focused than those who don’t take any breaks.

  2. How do you keep your team energized?

    To keep your team energized it’s important to provide a pleasant place to work, encourage breaks, and foster collaboration within the team. When the work environment isn’t pleasant or your staff feels stressed, they won’t be energized and productive. Make sure that you are also encouraging your staff to take breaks through out the day to re-charge. Make sure you are also taking breaks so they feel comfortable doing it as well.

    Encouraging and fostering your employees to collaborate with other team members when working on projects can help them be less stressed and more energized for other work.

  3. How many work hours is unhealthy?

    A study done by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization shows that working more than 55 hours a week can cause negative effects on your health. When you are working a lot with long hours it can cause you to not get enough sleep. Sleep helps improve your physical and mental health.

    Working a lot of hours can also mean you may be neglecting your relationships and putting a strain on your work-life balance. Having social connections helps with loneliness and can help you sharpen your memory and cognitive skills.

  4. How to make work more fun while being productive?

    To make work more fun while still being productive, encourage your staff to work together and make a game out of it. This can help them be more creative in the ways that they come up with a solution to the problem. Working with other coworkers can also help build work relationships and friendships. You should also celebrate the small wins and accomplishments that your staff has. This will help them stay motivated and productive.

Author

Bernadette Eichner

Bernadette Eichner has had a successful career in hospitality sales, real estate, and recruitment. In 1999, she founded HRM Resolutions, a strategic human resource consultancy, and later became a founding recruiter and investor at RecruitLoop.

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