Getting things done at the office can sometimes be a lackluster experience, especially if you're performing similar tasks on a regular basis. You want to increase your productivity levels, but at the same time you wonder how you can motivate yourself enough to take the next step forward.  

Sometimes, a change in the way you perform work can give you a much-needed boost of productivity. Adjusting how you think, relate, and process your work can help reenergize your work sessions for the better. 

Here are seven surprising ways you can increase productivity at the office, while having fun at the same time. 

Change your location

Humans are creatures of habit. Break out of your comfort zone by brainstorming, writing, phoning, or emailing in a different area of your office or workspace. 

If you're unable to change your physical location, make subtle but noticeable adjustments to the way in which you work. For instance, you could stand instead of sit or change your desk or chair's orientation. 

Think like someone else

Envision a person you both admire and respect. They may be living or deceased, but they should be someone you relate to on a professional or personal level. Imagine how they would interpret, respond, and act upon your current work task, issue, challenge, or problem. 

Take these attributes and apply them to your work. This single exercise can open your mind up to a whole new way of thinking. 

Imagine the work as finished

You've begun work on a new assignment. Unleash your creative side and ask yourself what the assignment will look like once it's finished. Don't hold back; be as creative, detailed, and realistic as possible.

You can imagine the specific steps you'll take to complete your work or you conjure every aspect of the final product in your mind's eye. Envisioning the final product may inspire you to approach your work within a fresh attitude. 

Give your analytical mind a rest

Forcing yourself to analyze and evaluate information on end can be an exhausting experience. Oftentimes the best remedy for an overworked mind is rote or repetitive work. You can file documents, collate papers, declutter your desk, or prepare items for a mailing. 

Not only will you complete the task at hand, but you'll allow your mind to work silently in the background, processing issues and challenges, and coming up with novel or unexplored solutions.

Ask someone for an idea jumpstart

Find yourself at a loss for ideas? Pick a colleague or coworker's brain. Gaining insight from others, especially those who work in other departments or industries can give you a new way of looking at things. Present them with the problem at hand and ask them how they would go about solving it. 

Carefully listen to their answer and ask yourself how you could use this way of thinking or problem-solving approach in your work. 

Get some fresh air

Take a break from your work and go outside to clear your mind. Breathe in that fresh outdoor air, take in the scenery, view the environment, and observe the weather. 

If you're unable to go outside, open a window for some fresh air and glance at a faraway landmark in the distance for a few moments. Connecting with the outdoor world can sometimes be the jolt of energy you need to get yourself moving in your work.

Look through the eyes of your past, present, and future self

If you want shake up your work flow, try viewing your work through different moments of your work experience. Think about how you might complete your work if you were a novice, your present self, and future self, perhaps in, say, five years' time. 

The idea here is not to have all the answers, but to prompt yourself into a new way of thinking. This exercise alone might spark some inspiring or unconventional answers that will help you work smarter, and not harder.

 

Inc