Many people compare work to ‘labouring’ or something unpleasant and just go to work for the sake of it, but we tend to forget that we spend more than half of our lives at work. Whether you like it or not, you will have to work to make ends meet, unless you are a Prince or Princess where everything is provided. As long as you have to work, it is advisable to embrace your workplace as something which is part of your life and avoid working miserably. These days some corporate companies invest in making the workplace a more comfortable place to be, in terms of creating a conducive environment for workers but for others, the office is just an office. Below are five tips or hacks that can make your office or workplace an exciting space to be and boost your productivity as most of us go back to working in offices rather than working remotely. Plant on the desk: If you are a plant or nature lover, experts say a plant on your desk can actually improve the work environment. Putting your favourite indoor plant on your desk adds a little personal touch or even a little life to it, making it feel like a pleasant personal space. According to the University of Exeter, plants can improve wellbeing by up to 47 percent and enhance creativity by 45 percent. More importantly, pick an air purifying plant such as ‘aloe vera’ or thornless cactus and you will enjoy it. Have a to-do list: Being at your desk can elicit reminders of the many things you need to do or check out online and also watch the favourite series you missed out. Remember the desk is strictly for work. While in the office, utilise the time and have a to-do list for the day, consisting of things you have to do or accomplish in a certain period. For example, you can have a list of things to clear in the morning and then reward yourself with the personal things you wanted to check out in between work. Having a to-do list is important to avoid procrastination and improves time management. Tick off what you accomplish as the day goes by. Trying to multi-task will only lead to not achieving anything at all at the end of a working day. Personal exercise or stretching routine: According to scientists, finding time to stretch or exercise in between work is very important to avoid different health conditions that can emanate from sitting a lot. Medical experts say people need to move more and sit less. If you’re often at a desk, it could be slowing down your metabolism and weakening your muscles and bones gradually over time. It is advised that if you are working from your desk, you stand up every hour, even just for a few minutes. For example, you can promise yourself to take calls while walking and also walk to your lunch break rather than drive. In Kigali, it is easy to map out a route for a simple walk of 10 to 15 minutes to stretch your muscles and joints. Turning off notifications: Experts say with the advent of social media, many people struggle to get off social networks during work time. This directly affects productivity as workers spend hours and hours scrolling through social media platforms. However, if you need to focus, it is important to ignore notifications that prompt you to switch to social media to check out something new, a new video uploaded on YouTube and the next episode of your favourite Netflix show. People will be tagging you in conversations on WhatsApp groups or on Twitter and the temptation to check will be really high. However, you can temporarily turn your phone to silence and keep it in the drawer facedown to avoid seeing notifications. You will be amazed how productive you will be. Tidying up your corner: The environment you work in is as important as the environment you live in. This is very important for the workplace because too much clutter can mess up with your productivity. If you have some time, use it to tidy up your desk or corner, clearing off papers and other unwanted materials. You can also clean keyboards and monitors using a bit of sanitiser, a clean cloth, toothbrush (between keys) and ensuring that the wires are well aligned. A neat desk or corner speaks volumes about you. Besides, by cleaning the computers, keyboards or monitors, you are removing thousands if not millions of germs that could easily make you sick.
