Summertime productivity: 6 ways to beat the heat and stay on track

As Malta’s infamous summer heat builds up, it can be difficult to stay motivated at work. When coupled with all the fun things to do out of the office, it is no wonder that summer can be a drag on workplace productivity.

However, there are many ways to overcome the challenge and leapfrog the competition by working smarter.

Here are six tips to beat the heat and smash your productivity goals this summer.

1. Slow season? Smells like opportunity! – Summer tends to be a slower time for many businesses, making it a perfect time to catch up on projects that were put off during busier times. Recalibrating your focus to give attention to pending items that fit nicely into the Important but Not Urgent quadrant of the time management matrix can prove particularly useful when work picks up again. Whether this means revisiting career goals or analysing new business opportunities, give yourself a summer treat you can thank yourself for later on.
   
   
2. Avoid multitasking – People tend to be more focused and more productive when they are not swamped with a never-ending to-do list. While the summer months may present an opportunity to make headway on postponed objectives, be careful with how much you take on, and what the timeframes involved may be. It is better to do one thing well and achieve an actionable result, than to pick up a multitude of threads that lead nowhere.
   
   
3. Set clear objectives – It is always good to be mindful of why you’re doing any specific task, and never more so than when the beach is calling out to you. A lack of motivation can lead to procrastination, and few things are worse than having to work late to complete tasks that could have very easily been finished earlier. Establishing clear objectives can make it easier to feel motivated and act disciplined in achieving them. Goals light the way towards productivity by forcing us to ask whether any particular action will bring us closer to what we want to achieve – and when there are so many distractions clamouring for our attention, having strong objectives is crucial to remain on track.
   
   
4. Get organised – Once your goals and objectives are set, it is time to start thinking about how you can best achieve them efficiently. Good organisation is essential here, whatever this looks like for you. This could be an app-based solution, any of the multitude of tried and tested systems, to simple notes on your planner. The most important thing is that whatever solution you pick is able to meet your needs – it is much easier to be productive when you have the right tools.
   
   
5. Change it up – Whether working from the office or from home, it can be hard to perform at your highest level throughout the hot summer months. One way to overcome this is to change your working environment, even if just by a little. This could mean changes to the picture frames hanging on the wall, or perhaps a change of desk. Some might opt to have pictures of their families close by, as a little reminder of why you want to succeed, while those working remotely might find it helpful to go work in a different café.
   
   
6. Stay hydrated and eat healthy snacks – Did we mention it’s hot? It is vital to stay hydrated during summer. In fact, many hunger pangs or feelings of lethargy can be attributed to a lack of water, so do consider grabbing a reusable insulated bottle and getting those litres in. The same goes for snacks – think fruit and vegetables, less so pastizzi – carb-bombs tend to increase feelings of slowness, while fresh natural foods are full of the energy you need to get through the day.