Scott Burrows

5 Time Wasters at Work That Are Killing Your Productivity

Do you envy colleagues that are always done with their work on time? Do you try your best to be productive at work, only to find yourself distracted/procrastinating/demotivated?

The whole day seems to whizz by in a flash. Before you know it, you’ve only managed to do half  of your work. It can be frustrating, especially when your teammates pat you on the back and tell you that you work hard, all while your boss is emailing you, “Where is the file on XYZ?”

Surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center show that 34 percent of employees use social media at work to take a “mental break.”

It’s understandable that breaks are essential, but when you end up taking an hour-long break, it can become costly.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the time wasters at work that we should all avoid:

1. Video Streaming Websites

YouTube and Vimeo are a great way to connect with the world and stimulate your mind when you need a break. However, when you spend two hours watching puppy videos, it can interfere with work.

At the end of the day, you’re left with more work than you can handle. Rushing through everything, you make more mistakes. The result is missed deadlines, unaccomplished goals and zero work-life balance.

2. Office Gossip

It doesn’t matter what Susan thinks about Josh; or whether Brad is going to the corporate party next weekend—office gossip should be avoided at all costs.

It can be difficult when you’re tempted to talk about what’s going on at work or in the life of a celebrity, but office gossip eats away more of your time than anything else.

3. Socialization

Friendly banter is great…when it’s lunch time. During work, it can be a distraction, and you’re not only wasting your own time, but the time of another employee as well.

4. Long Coffee Breaks

We all need our caffeine fix! However, long coffee breaks can interfere with productivity. Try to limit your breaks to 10 minutes; no more than that.

Take a walk instead, if you have to, because it’ll wake you up, and it’s good for your health!

5. Emails

Prioritize! If you know those emails are going to take 45 minutes to sift through, time yourself. Can you get a head start on those emails while you’re riding to work? Can you get in half an hour earlier and address it? Time yourself. Don’t spend more than 15 minutes on the task.

If it slows you down, get done with the most important-urgent tasks first; then check up on your emails.

Running low on the fuel called motivation?

Scott Burrows is a business keynote inspirational speaker who helps individuals in the corporate industry all over the world find the inspiration to become successful in their personal and professional lives.

Take a look at his keynote presentations for inspiration and tips on how to improve your work-life balance.

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