Gauri Chhabra
The heat wave is on…the hot, hazy days of summer are really starting to drag us down at work. You are finding it increasingly harder to get things done and stay motivated, when all you really feel like doing is leaving work early and relaxing in front of the Air Conditioner.Is there any cure for the summertime slump?
You’re definitely not alone. Thanks to the warmer weather, workplace productivity tumbles about 20% in the summer.When the weather grows hot, all bets are off when it comes to your productivity. Most of us feel distracted, take longer to complete projects, go on longer lunch breaks, and even have a drop in work attendance.Summer might be the worst time to get work accomplished.The office temperature affects your mood.
While this is a natural phenomenon, , you can still get your work done despite the heat waves.
Here are a few tips to ride over the slump:
Switch up your Routine:
If work is starting to feel a little stale, you may be able to get a kick-start simply by changing your routine or environment. Try getting outside more during the early part workday e.g., by holding meetings outside in a hotel or taking a walk for your breaks or working at a coffeeshop for some renewed creativity. If you tend to do the same things at work in a set order, consider either switching up the order or injecting a new task or activity. The summer is a great time to learn new things and challenge your own self.
Clock Talk:
We all know there are certain times of day and times of year when productivity slacks off and you start watching the clock instead of your projects. Productivity rises in the late morning around 11 a.m. and peaks between 2 and 3 p.m. Unfortunately, starting on a big project after 3 p.m. isn’t a great idea, since motivation and focus are all but spent in the late afternoon hours.
Knowing that this is a really hard time to stay productive, focus on your most important work tasks and carefully block out your time so you’re working when your mind is freshest and most focused.
Indulge in busy work from time to time:
You know the busywork you need to do, like organizing your files, filling in a spreadsheet, or sorting through your emails? We all have work on the job which doesn’t take up much mental energy but still needs to get done anyway. Many of us claim to not like busywork, instead preferring to be challenged at work. However, we secretly enjoy it.
Why? It’s because completing busywork gives you a feeling of accomplishment without the corresponding stress which comes along with more challenging tasks.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed in the office and cowed down by heat, take some time to finally do the busywork that’s been piling up, like cleaning your desk or sorting email. You might just discover some office zen in the process.
Resort to social media:
We all know social media is a horrible drain on workplace productivity…right? After all, if you’re onFacebook and Twitter, you’re probably not getting your work accomplished. But, if you are already feeling low because of the summer heat and cannot venture out of the office, social networking can be a great stress buster.
In case you are wishing your organization’s management would embrace social media tools in the workplace in order to increase productivity, remember, it is the only occasional grazing of social media sites like Facebook that can work as a mood booster. These social media breaks can act as a mental palate cleanser, helping you with a quick mood enhancer, allowing you to return back to the task at hand refreshed.
However, condense your communications into a single channel for more efficient management. Do not indulge into an overdose and overload of multiple channels. You may not be able to cut out the channels, but you can be proactive about having our most important conversations in a single medium.
Work from home:
A few years ago, we had a space problem in our office. The company had more employees than desks, so we worked on a “rotating desk schedule,” wherein we started a concept called work-from-home-Thursdays. Everyone would stagger the days they came into the office. Consider exploring how at-home work days can boost productivity and happiness across the board.You can beat the summer heat by sitting in the comfort of your home.
Since you’re away from your usual distractions it’s often easier to get things done when you’re at home and not been affected by the hot winds.
Use live streaming video:
You have an urgent meeting to attend in your corporate office and do not want to step out in the scorching heat. I would suggest you to heavily use video streaming (Skype) for cross-office meetings, check-ins, and even interviews. You can be upping their connectivity to live-stream what’s going on in your different locations. It’s still untested, but live streaming could change the whole concept of “remote work,” providing a background awareness that changes the way we think about far-flung co-workers. Although video isn’t appropriate for everything, it certainly commands more engagement than a conference call.
Having Skype meetings not only cut out on the travel time but also helps you better connect with your team wherever they may be.
Use downtime away from your desk:
Try to use your ‘away from desk’ time effectively. Who said that sitting in an enclosure all cluttered up inside your office makes you crack tough problems? You can spend even your breakfast time doing free, stream-of-consciousness writing. By taking a few minutes to write freely and brainstorm ideas, you would be able to untangle gnawing project issues that you can’t get to the bottom of at your desk. When facing a difficult challenge, many of us confine ourselves to a certain time and place. “I have an hour so now I’m going to sit down and solve this problem!” Try devoting some relaxed time to free-form writing or sketching when you need to crack a big idea.
Finally, don’t beat yourself up too much if you’re not working as your ideal productive self. Some days you’ll be very productive, and perhaps others not. Just try to get your most important things done, and remember to take breaks to recharge.
Stop worrying about how hot it is getting and how much is the temperature today. It can get only as hot as you FEEL…
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