Have you recently found that you’re taking longer to complete tasks at work? Maybe you’ve unexpectedly found yourself browsing the latest updates on Facebook, or taking considerably longer to make the coffees you offered to your colleagues. Whatever is holding you back, it can be the root of your increasing stress and in turn, make your productivity suffer unnecessarily.

However, don’t let this worry you. It’s completely normal to feel strained in the workplace. In fact, up to ½ million people in the UK have work related stress so you aren’t alone. If you’re ready to overcome the problems causing your stress (which you may not completely know) then simply read our “Are you a good employee quiz for honest workers” and you could be on the way to finding a solution for your difficulty to complete tasks on time in the office.

Have You Ever Phoned In Sick To Take The Day Off?

You may not have phoned in sick because you’re under stress or aren’t enjoying your job as much as you used to, you may have simply done it to binge watch a brand new series that has just aired on Netflix.

However, if you find yourself ever taking sick days just to avoid your workload then you should ask yourself why. Is there a particular job you’re struggling with? Or are you finding it harder to communicate with the younger colleagues? If your to-do lists are constantly increasing and you’re never meeting your deadlines then this could be the first reason to the strain you’re feeling at work.

According to the British Heart Foundation, on average 2% of the workforce call in sick each week. Now we know that a day off can temporarily relieve your stress, however, repeatedly doing this isn’t going to reduce your workload, it will only increase it. If you feel as though you are being given too much work then it’s important to tell another colleague or your boss so then things can be reorganised.

Also, instead of facing all of your tasks in one go, do the larger and most important ones first and schedule a time for when you want to complete it. This way, your work will be more organised and you should be able to finish your day feeling a lot less strained.

Do You Find Yourself Daydreaming During Group Meetings And Feeling Like Your Ideas Won’t Matter?

It’s completely normal to feel like sometimes you can’t cooperate with your colleagues. Sometimes, they may be more enthusiastic or contribute better ideas than you do. However, if you feel like you are being pushed to the side, or are finding it hard to join in with the younger colleagues’ discussions, then don’t worry as this is common for many other people as well.

Offices and all other work environments are filled with a range of personalities, there will be colleagues who work best while listening to music and having a relaxed atmosphere, and then there’ll be colleagues who need complete silence and a formal work environment in order to meet their deadlines.

If you find yourself needing a quiet space while everyone else is talking then this is completely normal.

A functioning office needs all personality types in order to create an effective team. So, next time you feel like not contributing in the group discussions, just remember that whatever personality you have, your ideas are needed in order for the office to function at its best.

Do You Find Yourself Talking To Another Colleague For Longer Than Expected About Completely Irrelevant Things?

We’ve all been in a situation where we find ourselves deep in a conversation and then look back at our computer and wonder where the time went. It is important to bring fun into the workplace and have a relaxed atmosphere occasionally. However, if you’re starting to realise that this is a common occurrence than it could be the reason to your increasing workload.

Also, if your office is open-plan then you could be causing a distraction to the other colleagues who need it quiet to work. All offices do need some fun from time to time, however, if you think you’re being too noisy, or if someone is distracting you, then it’s important to tell someone so everyone can complete their work.

Do You Continuously Glance At Your Phone During The Day To Check For Updates?

Using your phone can be beneficial to improve the quality of your work, as small breaks from your computer can relieve stress. However, if you’re using it to simply distract yourself from your increasing workload then this can become a problem.

Not only will valuable time be lost from your working day, but your mind won’t be completely focused on your work set which can then result in you not creating your best content.

This doesn’t then mean that you’re a bad employee, approximately 31% of employees spend 30 minutes a day checking social media. And they can’t all be bad employees – a break is sometimes vital to maintain productivity throughout the day.

However, you could make yourself a better colleague by not picking up your phone unless it’s urgent or you have completed a task. If you begin to do this you may find that you aren’t staying behind at the end of the day and your deadlines are met on time.

Do You Leave As Soon As It’s 5 o’clock?

If you’re constantly counting down the minutes until it’s officially the end of the day and then leave even though you haven’t met your deadlines, then this may mean that your work is left to suffer.

Being distracted by the time will mean that you aren’t completely focused and by leaving unfinished work, it could make it more difficult for you to finish the next morning. However, if you stay behind to finish but rush your work to leave quicker, this can also have an impact on the quality.

There is no right answer but you should do what is best for you and your work at that particular time. If leaving it till the next day is more beneficial, then do that but make sure you still keep up with your deadlines.

What Type Of Personality Are You?

If you can relate to some of these questions from the are you a good employee quiz, whether it’s not contributing as much in discussions or calling in sick, then it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad employee, you simply might just need to make a few changes in order to increase your productivity.

All offices have many personalities and this is essential for the business to function properly. Whether you work best in a relaxed environment or in a quiet place on your own, your workspace should be suited best for you.