Six bad habits to avoid while at work if you want to be productive

We all want to be productive and effective at work right? Aside from being on time at work, meeting deadlines, and working hard, there are some things that we should try to avoid doing to lessen our stress and disappointments.

Sometimes we have bad habits at work that we are not aware of and not being able to break them could hinder your possible success and make you miserable at your work.

Here are some of the things and practices that you should stop in order to be productive at your job, according to Medium and Monster:

1. Break your habit of working overtime
According to a 1980 report from The Business Roundtable titled "Scheduled Overtime Effect on Construction Projects, it showed that employees who work more become less effective and productive in the short and long term.

Always have enough sleep so that you can have enough energy on being productive. Sometimes your lack of sleep is the suspect of your low drive in working hard.

2. Don't always say 'yes'
Be honest with yourself and your manager, if you think this specific task can consume a lot of your time and energy instead of results. It is better to say no than push yourself too much.

In a study published in JSTR, there are 120 students split into two groups. One group was told to use the line I can't" when discussing the specific choices while the others were trained to say "I don't" in stating their decisions.

The study showed students who said "I can't eat X" chose to eat the chocolate candy bar 61% of the time. While those who said "I don't eat X" chose to eat the chocolate candy bars only 36% of the time.

It means that when you don't want to say yes, it is better to use "I don't " when you are refusing to do something.

3. Stop complaining too much
While it is okay to express your dismay at work sometimes, being a complainer all the time can be too much for your c0-workers and it can also get you in trouble. So avoid complaining about things all the time.

If you are having a hard time at work, try to share it with your partner, friend outside work, and your therapist instead.

4. Avoid gossiping
You want to be productive without working overtime right? Then avoid gossiping at work because it could waste your time.

Being a rumormonger at work can earn you a bad rap, if you talk behind your co-workers it can give them an impression that you are not trustworthy.

5. Don't be a perfectionist
Dr. Simon Sherry, a psychology professor at Dalhousie University who conducted a study on perfectionism and productivity said to University Affairs that" we found that perfectionism trips up professors on the way to research productivity. The more perfectionistic the professor, the less productive they are."

If you are a perfectionist, you are likely to spend a lot of time than required on a task and to procrastinate and just wait for the right moment.

Also, remember that it is okay to commit mistakes sometimes as long as you learn from them.

6. Stop browsing your social media for a long period
Take note that it is okay to browse your social media during break time to entertain and relax yourself, however, it is not appropriate to spend too much time on it since it can affect your working habit.

Unless your job is connected to social media, then it is okay to browse all the time.

Wanting to be productive at work is a big challenge because it requires effort and practice which cannot happen overnight.

So take your time in learning about your body, and mind and develop better habits to becoming a successful person. (KBAPI)