It’s Friday afternoon in my part of the world. And I don’t know about you, but for me, productivity often comes to a screeching halt by 2pm.
And I’m not alone. Many people start mentally checking out by this time on Friday. But if you’re looking for an alternative to just surfing the web mindlessly (as many of my coworkers do….) here are 3 ideas to try.
Commit to staying off email for the first two hours. You know your day is going to go downhill in terms of productivity and energy, so don’t waste your most productive part of the day email. Save that for later in the day.
You’ve been working hard all week and by the time Friday afternoon rolls around, you’re feeling pretty brainless. So take advantage of this brain fog by working on mindless tasks. File papers, organize your calendar, type up your notes, skim a few pages of the business book, or knock off some boring administrative items. Clean your desk. Inventory and order supplies.
Better yet, during the week when these types of tasks or activities pop up, delegate them to your “Friday afternoon list.”Set yourself up for next week. It’s always a good idea to spend a few minutes going through your calendar, scheduling emails, and setting a timeline for the upcoming week. Better to find out Friday afternoon that you have two meetings scheduled around the same time or you need more time to work on Project X than when you’re back in the office on Monday.
Hope these tips help ease you into the weekend and help you come back feeling refreshed! What do you like to do on Fridays at work?