When you run a business, it’s not unreasonable to want to make the most of your time. However, just working more isn’t necessarily going to increase your productivity. If you want to increase productivity at work, consider the following tips.

1. Keep Meetings Efficient

Decide what really needs to be discussed in a meeting and what would be better off as an email. If you do need to have a meeting, make sure that the discussion stays on track to reduce wasted time. You may want to limit the number of people included in meetings as well.

2. Organize Your Environment

A cluttered desk and a messy office can make it more difficult for you to focus on your work. Keeping your environment organized can help keep your thoughts organized too. If you use your computer for work, keep that tidy as well so you can easily find files and documents when you need them.

3. Prioritize Tasks

You cannot do everything every day. Some tasks are always going to be more important than others, so decide what needs to be done now and what can wait. If something is urgent, get it done first so that you can focus on less time-sensitive items later on.

4. Learn to Delegate

While it may be tempting to try to do everything yourself, this simply isn’t reasonable. If you try to do it all, your productivity, as well as that of your company, will suffer. You hired your employees because you felt that they could do a good job for your company, so let them do that. Trust that they will be able to get their assigned tasks done well so that you can focus on the things that only you can do.

5. Make Time For Breaks

As much as you may want to believe otherwise, you are not a machine. You may be efficient, but you are only human which means that you need to take care of your body and your mind. If you are overworked, you will become less productive, not more. Turn off your computer and phone before bed and make sure you are getting enough sleep. If you need a break during the day, take a short walk or go for a tea or coffee.

Your company’s productivity is important to your success, so you should do what you can to increase it. While some people may equate this with working harder, it is really about working better. Taking care of yourself and not doing everything on your own is a great way to start.