Productivity has its charm and fruitful outcomes. Amidst the ever-increasing competition, workload, and demand in the marketplace, employees must exert extra effort. These efforts are intentionally for the betterment of the person and company but often lead to a decline in workplace productivity.

When you realize that your productivity is going down the hill, you search for tips and tricks that would help you enhance productivity. Meanwhile, some numerous myths or half-truths make our workplace productivity deteriorate. Instead of increasing our effectiveness, they tend to lower our pace in our journey to success. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of the facts and debunk myths that might be holding us back from being more productive. 

The science behind workplace productivity is well-established and researched. We are attempting to debunk five common productivity myths that would help you see the reality.

1.Working from home decreases efficiency 

2020 turned the world upside down and brought numerous changes in the functioning of conventional workstyle. But on the bright side, it opened doors to avenues and working styles like remote and hybrid work models. Though transitioning from office to home setup might be overwhelming initially, people have adapted o it very gracefully. 

Indeed, working from the office has its perks, like having your team around you set the correct atmosphere or always having the boss's guidance. But this doesn't assure that workplace productivity would decline if working elsewhere. To assume it is no less than a crime ;)

A study found that 77% of those who work remotely at least a few times per month show increased productivity, with 30% doing more work in less time and 24% doing more work in the same period.

2.Setting daily tasks is a waste of time

Being organized is old school for some Millenials. But having a schedule for the day works wonders. So much so that personalities like Barack Obama, Jack Dorsey, and Evan Williams believe in scheduling their day's tasks for better workplace productivity. 

Starting the day with a plan saves time and makes sure that work is done efficiently. Practicing this habit also helps you to channelize your energy into more important tasks. It also makes you conscious of the work, the time needed, and the efforts required to fulfill every routine. 

Benjamin Franklin: "Evening question: What good have I done today?"

Reflecting on your day's works is an essential trait as well. It helps you to understand your goals and capacity to work. 

Planning work can also be achieved using collaborative tools such as Bottle. Features like a day planner and task prioritization help you achieve the same in an organized, efficient, and intelligent way. 

So next time, if someone says that you're uncool for having a to-do list, smile and move ahead.‍

3. Early risers are fruitful employees

Do you consider yourself an early bird or a night owl?

Every individual's sleep cycle varies drastically. The period when a person is at their maximum productive self varies from individual to individual. Hence, to assume that everyone is an early riser and allocating work is nothing less than an immature move. 

Instead, companies and teams should support the employees by promoting an asynchronous style of working. By doing this, the companies will be employee-centric and will help them increase efficiency and productivity. ‍

4. Longer work hours = more productive self 

Debunking this myth is very crucial as it has multiple factors related to it.

Productivity is often wrongly assumed to be equivalent to the number of hours put in.

Assume that a person who wishes to achieve his goals wants to outperform and thus puts in extra 2 hours daily. SO instead of working from 10-6 pm, he works from 10-8 pm. His mind fools him because daily tasks remain the same, but the hours to work have increased. While his colleague working from 10-6 pm is more efficient and performs relatively well.

Putting in extra hours also ruins physical and mental health, disrupts the work-life balance, and can lead to burnout. Therefore, there is an urgent need to avoid making such decisions. ‍

5. Healthy lifestyle has nothing to do with workplace productivity

Living a sedentary lifestyle impacts our health, mind, and, yes, productivity too!

We are sitting for almost the entire day. Thus, making our physical cycle mundane and more prone to illness. It is believed that working out releases happy hormones, which make us feel good about ourselves. 

I wonder who would want to miss that amazing feeling!

An August 2017 study by the University of California Riverside found that companies offering employee wellness programs saw a significant increase in workers' productivity. Isn't it cool? Killing two birds with one stone ;) 

Similarly, we should also prioritize mental health. Meditation and practicing mindful activities regularly during small breaks help you stay calm and focused while working. Hence, increasing workplace productivity. 

Final thoughts

After debunking some of the common myths and lies, it is understood that we can't have one mantra for all the problems. Though various tips and tricks are present universally or all over the internet with scientific research, it is advised to manage preferences. Individuals need to adopt habits that suit them personally and help them grow in every aspect of life. 

For teams, the companies should ensure that the workload isn't too much, provide wellness programs and make their worker's lives easy by using work management tools. Collaborative tools like Bottle help organize tasks, enable transparent communication, and help with channeling the resources for the team.