How to Get Control of Your Workload
A workload that is piling up can increase your stress and deprive you of the joy you get from your job and life. From organizing your work area to using your time wisely, there are several strategies you can use to manage your workload efficiently. Successful workload management decreases your work stress, increases your productivity and improves your work-life balance.
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Instructions
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Remove clutter from your workspace. Keep your desk tidy and maintain your files, folders and email in an orderly manner for easy access whenever needed; this way you won't lose time searching for things. Dispose of papers, emails and other items that are no longer important.
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Prepare a task list for each day. Prioritize your tasks on this list. Focus on one activity on the list at a time. Except for your topmost task, keep all others on your task sheet hidden from view by covering the list with a blank sheet of paper; this method prevents you from getting overwhelmed by the amount of work before you.
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Concentrate on the task at hand. Improve your concentration by practicing to focus on a task without letting your mind wander. Do this for a specific amount of time each day; increase the time you concentrate on a task gradually.
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Minimize distractions. Divert calls on your mobile phone to voice messages and turn off your email service to avoid distractions; ask your team members to visit you only at specific times. Avoid checking emails in between tasks. Allot a separate time for your emails, such as once in the morning, afternoon and again in the evening before you leave your office.
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Stay away from multitasking as this only decreases your job efficiency. Set aside a specific time period for each task and work on that task alone during this interval to prevent yourself from multitasking. For example, if you've set aside 15 to 20 minutes to check email, do that alone in this time period instead of chatting with co-workers on the side.
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Have a talk with your manager if your workload is piling up and priorities are becoming blurred. Make a list of existing and new tasks and seek your boss's assistance in sorting them out according to their priority; this way you'll know for certain where to concentrate more and where to focus less or not at all if a task is no longer important.
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Delegate tasks to keep work flow smooth and focus on your end objectives. Choose people you can trust to do the task and provide them with all the resources they need to get the task done well.
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References
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