Are you currently hitting an afternoon work slump? It can be hard, especially earlier in the week, to be focused on our jobs when our brains are still thinking about this weekend. But, what does that mean for all the tasks we are supposed to get completed this week? How can we get a lot done at work, and not feel so exhausted?

Move Around

Don’t spend all day sitting behind your desk, inside your cubicle walls, or in the same position. Take a break to walk outside for five minutes. Stand up and stretch. And don’t neglect those bathroom breaks. Not only will this help to recharge you emotionally, but it will also improve your physical state as well.

Don’t Eat At Your Desk

If you are someone who regularly eats where they spend all day working, you might want to spice up your routine. Try joining some coworkers for lunch each day, or move to a communal lunch area to enjoy eating. If the weather is especially nice, take your lunch outside on a bench.  It will help clear your head to be away from all your work for a little bit.

Decorate Your Desk

Make sure that you have colors, pictures, and other things unique to your personality around your desk. This will help to improve your mood, which will translate into you having more energy to get work done. If you need some tips to get started, we have them here.

Prioritize Tasks Each Week

On every Friday, or Monday morning if you’re feeling brave, try to make a list of what you want to get completed each week. This could be goals for the week, what your boss wants you to get done, or just things you’ve put on hold. Try having this list handy, or even hanging it on your wall during the week. You can cross out sections that you completed as you make your way through the list.

Start With The Bad

I know that you might want to put off those dreaded tasks you hate until the end of the day, but you ought to reevaluate that tactic. You are going to be much more motivated and fresh in the morning to get those tasks done, then in the afternoon when you can barely make it through that last hour. Try to get the parts of your job you hate the most, over the earliest, so you won’t have to hate your life anymore when 4’o’clock rolls around.

Forget About Multitasking

Multitasking is a lie that our generation has believed is a reality. It really is impossible to focus on two tasks, at one time, and give both the proper amount of attention. Because you have already set a list of things you want to get done this week, you can focus on what matters. That means you can get tasks done more efficiently, so you don’t need to resort to multitasking.

Turn Off The Notifications

Take some time, when you are focused on what you need to do, to turn off those pesky email and Slack notifications. Be fully present in the job you are trying to get done, and then resume those notifications. Also, make sure to turn off all work related notifications when you get home. You won’t be able to solve any problems until you’re back in the office anyways. If you find yourself too overwhelmed throughout the day, that might be another excuse to turn off those annoying notifications.

These are just a couple of ways that you can improve your overall productivity this week. Even though the weekend seems very far away right now, you can get through this. Friday is coming just around the corner, and this time, you’ll actually be prepared to relax during the weekend.