When your office life is active and demanding, it becomes all too easy to find yourself frazzled with deadlines, endless emails, and quickly multiplying files. Worse yet, times of inactivity in the workplace can have the opposite effect, creating boredom and lack of motivation. Take heed of the following tips for maintaining a focused, efficient, and productive environment in the workplace; the only way to ensure that you and your coworkers reach your fullest potential for success.

Put It In a List

Create a to-do list for the day, the week, and even for the month, then stick to it like glue. Keeping this list in easy view at all times will make it easier to add, edit, and perhaps most important of all, cross off items as you complete each task. The efficiency of having a to-do list will be effortlessly felt as you work your way down each item, and the structured format is essential in encouraging you to keep going. There is never the question of “What should I do next?” which saves valuable time in your office day. Lists are imperative for feeling productive, helping to keep your day on track, and ensuring that deadlines and important projects stay organized.

Ask for Help

Don’t be afraid to ask your coworkers for assistance. Knowing that you have a supportive office environment standing behind you encourages confidence and positive feelings in your work place. A word of warning: take caution not to abuse the help. Rely on yourself first, but become comfortable requesting help when your plate suddenly becomes too full to accomplish everything in a timely and effective manner. Occasionally asking for assistance from others—even just knowing that assistance is there, should it be needed—is a great way to reduce stress, increase efficiency and build up stronger relationships with coworkers.

Stay Organized

Folders, folders, folders. No matter how many folders you create, whether tangible or stored on a hard drive, don’t hesitate to add to them and make new folders as needed. Staying on top of where your materials are organized is crucial to increasing productivity in the workplace. Alternately, throwing that file you just finished into the “Miscellaneous” folder will become a hindrance three weeks from now, when you are desperately trying to find it. Stay consistent in your organizational efforts by creating a system that can be easily followed, and it will all pay off in the end.

Use Your Calendar

Your to-do list may be your best friend, but your calendar should not be far behind. Planning ahead will allow you to create a schedule that makes you maximally productive in your job. Keeping track of deadlines and upcoming events will allow for spacing out activities so that you can finish them in a timely manner. Tangible calendars —those you can buy at the store—tend to work best, as opposed to a digital calendar on your computer or phone. Put it up in a highly visible location and, with little effort, life will remain on schedule. People work best when they become aware of their target dates, and having a calendar will act as friendly reminder that will push you toward meeting those deadlines.

Take Breaks

When you are working hard and staying focused for long periods of time, your brain becomes less receptive to the task. Allow yourself a few short breaks in between activities. Studies have shown, time after time, that breaks are not simply for “fun,” but are necessary to the functioning of your brain. The rest it receives actually helps it to remain more focused at times when you need to be completely on task. Breaks given after completion of a project can also help to create a self-reward to work toward, which will subconsciously help you to work even faster. Even if it’s just to enjoy the candy bar you put in the mini-fridge that morning, that little reward will increase efficiency, and help to keep your day fresh and enjoyable.

These are just a few simple tips for remaining productive and efficient in your work place, and what works best for your business will be revealed as your explore your own and other employees' levels of productivity. In heeding these tips, you might just find office life more encouraging, organized, and positive. Find which ones work best to stimulate your business and stick to them. Lists, calendars, and breaks help to keep you on track, allowing your productivity to flow with much less effort.