When asked about their productivity levels, most office workers admit that they don’t think they’re working as efficiently as possible. If this sounds familiar and you would like to live up to your fullest potential, you may not need to make drastic changes. Just making a few subtle changes can have a larger impact on your work efficiency and your ability to be productive. The following suggestions can be used to help you boost your overall efficiency.

Keep Track of Time

Most people don’t pay attention to how much time they spend on each task, and, before they realize it, their day has been drained. You can use a notebook or a phone app to help you track the time it takes you to complete each task you perform. After just a few days, you’ll have a record that will help you see where the majority of your time is being spent. This can be used as a guide in helping you shave time off of each task so you can work more efficiently.

Don’t Skip Your Breaks

Too many people believe the myth that skipping their breaks will help them get more done by giving them more time in their workday. While that may seem to be true, the lack of a break will actually drain your energy and impede your efficiency. Instead, make sure to take your scheduled breaks, and you should spend that time going for a walk or eating a healthy snack. You’ll find that you feel more energized when you do return to work, enabling you to work with greater efficiency.

Spruce Up Your Work Area

When you feel more comfortable at your workstation, you’ll also feel motivated and energized. Dressing up your desk with pictures of your family, your favorite collectibles, and a small potted plant can give your work area a more welcoming feel. In this environment, your accounting, IT, or medical billing tasks will seem less tedious. You’ll stay interested in your job and get more done each day. Some studies have found that creating a pleasant environment can boost office productivity by 15% or more. If you don’t have a family, bring in pictures of your partner or a beloved pet. Even a picture of your celebrity crush may be enough to keep your spirits higher during the workday.

Create Daily Goals

You’ll also boost your creativity by creating objectives for yourself each day. A daily goal should be challenging yet attainable to ensure you stay motivated to reach those goals. When you do reach your goal for that day, find some way to reward yourself. If you fail to meet your goal, re-examine it to determine if it was too ambitious of a goal. If you decide that it is a goal you can reasonably attain, try again on the following day.

Organize Your Tasks By Difficulty Level

People are more productive at the start of each workday, which means the morning is the best time to tackle bigger tasks. Additionally, tasks that are more challenging will cause you to experience a greater level of stress and anxiety. By getting these tasks out of the way first, you’ll be eliminating that stress from the rest of your workday. The rest of the day can be spent completing smaller tasks that can be done quickly in the afternoon when you’re feeling that midday energy drain.

Avoid Multitasking

Studies have found that workers are less productive when they multitask because it takes them up to seven minutes of concentration to get back into a task once they deviate from it. You’ll find that you can get much more done when you focus on one task at a time. Once you complete that task, you can move onto the next one and focus on that task. In this way, you won’t be dividing your attention between multiple issues. You’ll feel less distracted and you’ll be able to focus your concentration on each task.

You can experiment with more ideas for improving your work efficiency. Even though something may not work well for others, there’s no reason you can’t try it for yourself. When you find something that does work, use it to help you boost your productivity. That will give you a better feeling and, in turn, you’ll have more positive energy throughout your workday.