Author Archives: Nora Inveiss

Fun, Productivity, Tips By Nora Inveiss on November 30, 2016.

Must-Read Books that Boost Productivity

The year is coming to a close, the holidays are in full swing, and the New Year will soon be upon us. You may be settling in with a bit more down time to read something new, planning your New Year’s resolution to get more organized, or looking for gift ideas. And we’ve got a list of books for all three scenarios.

This is our ultimate collection of books on productivity. It’s divided into sections so you can skip right on ahead to what interests you most, whether that’s productivity, creativity, leadership, or lifestyle.

Why Summer Flex Hours Make You More Productive

Nobody wants to be at work during the summer. It’s hard to focus when the weather outside is beautiful and there are tons of other things you’d rather be doing (frisbee in the park, anyone?). Even science agrees – people are distracted and less productive in the summer.

So if employees are easily distracted by the warm weather, why not implement a summer flex hours system? This blog post goes over why summer hours are a good idea and how to make it happen at your workplace.

How to Make Time for Yourself and Why It’s Crucial for Productivity

Google Calendar recently came out with a new feature: Goals. It’s a tool that helps you schedule time to meet your goals, whether it’s exercising more often or learning a new skill. This is a great reminder of how important it is to make time for yourself, both for workplace productivity and for personal growth.

When you’re balancing too many things on your plate, time for personal growth and relaxation are often dropped from your schedule. This might not seem like a big deal. After all, you’re making more time to get things done. However, the reality is that you’re not doing yourself any favors by neglecting personal time.

Why You Should Listen to Video Game Soundtracks at Work (Updated)

Even if you’re not a gamer, there’s a good reason why you should listen to the music that plays in the background of video games:

It can improve your focus, motivation, and productivity.

Scientific research confirms that music stimulates the brain. Listening to music helps pass the time at work and it keeps people energized and motivated. One study even found that nine out of 10 workers perform better when listening to music.

Video game soundtracks are especially good at keeping up motivation – here’s why.

8 Productivity Tools for Work and Life

There are so many things we can optimize to become as productive as humanly possible – to-do lists, eating habits, sleep patterns, break times. And now, we have access to even more tools to help us get even more done. Here is a list of 8 productivity tools and gadgets that boost productivity at work and at home.

Productivity Habits Around the World

How do you take breaks, if you take them at all? Do you grab a quick coffee on the go? Chat with your coworkers? And most importantly, do you feel relaxed and recharged after?

In North America, it’s easy to feel overworked and like there isn’t enough time to relax in the day. And you’re not alone – reports agree that Americans work longer hours and don’t take enough breaks.

While the average North American workday is long, work culture, productivity, and break taking is vastly different around the world. Here are some interesting workplace habits that are common in other countries. They may be different, but they all share one common concept: breaks are a necessity for productivity.

How to Write Productive To-Do Lists

Writing to-do lists is a helpful way to remind yourself of everything you have to do that day, from tasks at work, to picking up groceries on the way home. But their effectiveness depends on how you write them.

There’s no use in writing a to-do list if you don’t actually check off any of the items you need to get done. It’s easy to overestimate what you can accomplish and to write down every little errand and thing you should do, instead of focusing on priorities.

How to Stop Procrastinating

It’s tempting to put off the unpleasant things you don’t want to do. We’re naturally predisposed to do things that make us happy, so if a task is causing discomfort, we’ll find ways to procrastinate and put it off.

Procrastination may be a natural instinct, but it’s also a huge workplace productivity killer. You’re not being efficient if you’re pulling all-nighters or doing busy work to avoid the big stuff. This blog post covers why we’re so prone to doing it anyway, and how to stop procrastinating.

Why You Should Eat a Frog Every Morning

Mark Twain once said that if you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, you know that the rest of your day will be better because the worst is behind you. After all, you’ve already eaten a live frog, what’s the worst that could happen?

Author Brian Tracy applies this same theory to productivity and business. But of course instead of “eat a frog,” he means “complete your worst task.” This can be an assignment you’re dreading, a major project with a tight deadline, or a high-priority task that’s giving you anxiety. Whatever it is, do that one thing right away.

How to Boost Productivity with Team Building Events

Team building activities are often met with a groan. Nobody wants to spend time playing awkward games with coworkers. But team building doesn’t have to be boring. The right team building exercises can help your employees bond, which in turn boosts engagement and productivity.

Companies with engaged employees are more productive, as discovered by Gallup’s State of the American Workplace survey. Companies in the top 25% of Gallup’s Q12 Client Database have significantly higher productivity, profitability, and customer ratings, and less turnover and absenteeism than companies in the bottom 25%. In fact, engagement is more important to workplace satisfaction than company policies and perks.

It’s clear that engaged employees are productive employees, but how do you increase engagement at the workplace? When 70% of the American workforce reports feeling “not engaged” or “actively disengaged,” this seems like a tall order.

DeskTime Insights

The latest in productivity news