A new year is the time for new starts. New habits and new habits. People vow to exercise more, drink less and read new things. But what about at work? Here’s some back to work new year resolutions for the office which should help improve productivity at work and some of the best ways to boost morale too.

Get Some Greenery

Let’s start with some subtle touches to improve your health and wellbeing in the office, as well as improving productivity of the whole office.

Adding some plantlife to the office is a quick and easy way to do this. There have been many studies into the benefits of live plants being in your workspace;  each plant fractionally improves the air quality and they have a soothing effect on the mind, as well as offering visual stimulation which improves worker productivity and creativity.

It makes for a much nicer atmosphere which is definitely one of the best ways to boost morale.

It’s for this reason that Pantone named “Greenery” as their colour of the year for 2017.

Read more about what different plants would work well in your office in this blog post.

 

Extend Your Mornings

Don’t see the start of your journey to work as the start of your day. Make it part of your day by starting your day earlier.

Allow yourself 10, 20, 30 extra minutes in the morning to be your own time. Enjoy breakfast or a brew, time with the kids or taking the dog out before starting your routine of getting ready for work.

This will help cure the mindset that your day only really begins once the working day finishes.

It will also help you be more alert and improve productivity at work when you first arrive, therefore making your day easier and more enjoyable.

 

Get Organised

Another way to help your day run smoothly is to force yourself to get more organised.

Use whatever means necessary to make sure your week is planned in some form. Even a simple to-do list of “must do” items prepared at the start of the week can help you to conceptualise what’s on your plate over the coming days.

If you get overwhelmed by the pressure of a physical to-do list, use an electronic calendar to store key dates for you so, when your mood suits, you can check in and see what deadlines and tasks you have coming up.

Asking those around our office, we all use different techniques which we’ve experimented with over time. Some use post-it notes for each task because, once completed, there’s a sense of satisfaction from removing the note and disposing of it. Others use a write-on desk planner which has a calendar and space for rough notes. Others use a traditional pen and paper diary as filling this out helps items to be filtered and processed in their mind.

Set a resolution to find a system which works for you.

 

Plan Your Lunches

Don’t just fall into the trap of having the same old lunch each and everyday.

This will mean you either don’t eat well enough or it becomes a boring part of your day. The lunch break is important in your working day because it’s a chance to renew your mind and body ready for the afternoon ahead.

Planning lunches a week ahead will help you save money, eat healthily and stop falling into the trap of having the same, dreary, carb heavy lunch which makes the afternoon part of your day a slog to the finish.

 

Go For A Walk

Another great habit to get into in the new year is to go for a quick walk during your lunch break. Walk far enough and fast enough to get your heart rate up a little and get some fresh air.

Again, this will help massively in keeping your mind and body fresh for the rest of the day ahead.

No matter how busy you think you are, spending, say, 20 minutes in the fresh air and on the move will help freshen you up to complete the rest of your tasks that day. In fact, over the course of a year, your increased productivity will no doubt compensate for the fact you go for a short walk on your lunch break.

And, for some reading, it’s important to remember that you’re entitled to a proper break. It will actually help you perform better.

 

Improve Your Workspace

There are a number of furniture options for you to help improve productivity at work.

These include everything from intelligent storage systems to desk chairs which are designed to make sure you’re comfortable and productive.