Do these 3 things once a month to boost your job satisfaction and productivity

Who wouldn’t sign up for being happier and more productive at work? With the help of intentional monthly habits, you can increase both your job satisfaction and productivity without doing anything drastic. We spoke to two experts in productivity and outline three key practices for optimal well-being and results.

“We tend to fall into a slump from time to time,” says Christopher Liew, a former financial advisor at RBC and founder of Wealthawesome, where he shares tips on personal finance and business. “Having monthly rituals is an effective way to fight workplace blues and gives us a chance to achieve career alignment and achieve our goals, ultimately leading to feelings of happiness. And you know what they say, a happy worker is an efficient worker.”

You don’t need to hustle like crazy to reach success. Alejandra Marqués, a time-management and goal-achievement mentor and accountability advisor, says, “You don’t need to be always in a ‘go, go, go!’ state of mind to be successful. Productivity also means having time off and knowing how to leverage your free time.”

1. Plan your time off and include hobbies

Marqués recommends taking your time off seriously and sitting down monthly to schedule breaks as well as a day when you’re completely offline and unplugged — no devices or email check-ins at all.

“Our brains need to disconnect and take pauses to actually get back on track. The more intentional you are with your breaks and how you use them, the more effective and happy you’ll be at work,” she says.

“Those monthly habits are highly effective because they reset our mood, energy, and our brains. If we keep working non-stop, without breaks or space for breathing, we will not enjoy our job nor our personal time.”

Including hobbies is also important. Whether you love hiking or making puzzles, it doesn’t have to be complicated. But doing something you love that has nothing to do with your job monthly can work wonders for your morale.

2. Set OKRs and review your progress monthly

John Anderson, a senior consultant at Accelare who specializes in employee-centric alignment, engagement, and performance, is a big fan of OKRs, a goal-setting method based on objectives and key results (Google popularized it).

“Intrinsically, people are motivated when given the opportunity to take on new challenges in their role, especially if they can draw a parallel from their efforts up to the organization’s overall strategy,” he says.

“Productivity ultimately boils down to an individual’s ability to contribute to the overall goals of the organization. Oftentimes, individuals may feel their productivity is high when they remain busy working on tasks. But if those tasks aren’t contributing directly or indirectly to what the organization is trying to accomplish, it’s hard to justify them as productive.”

How do OKRs help? To put it simply, they’re all about articulating what you intend to accomplish and how you will measure success and know you accomplished it. You can use them at an individual, team or executive level to reap their benefits.

According to Anderson, being able to track your efforts and recognize them or be recognized for them builds a greater sense of satisfaction, progress and growth. But it’s important to have monthly check-ins baked into your goal-setting and tracking process.

“It strikes a balance between remaining accountable for what you are expected to accomplish but also allows for a reexamination or pivot if an organization’s goals have shifted so you aren’t working on obsolete work. Plus, it includes a well-defined, consistent cadence,” he says.

It also helps “ensure progress is being recognized, new initiatives are being assigned (when appropriate), and impediments/concerns are being heard. Two-way communication, up and down the organization, is critical!”

3. Bond with teammates outside of work

Employees who know their coworkers well are over twice as likely to have high morale and feel very productive compared to those who don’t know their coworkers, according to a recent Paychex study.

Eye-opening, right? Ultimately, it’s both the employer’s and employees’ responsibility to facilitate such interactions on a regular basis.

“Job satisfaction and productivity are both the employee’s and employer’s responsibility. To achieve the highest level of job satisfaction and productivity, there has to be very good synergy from both parties,” says Liew.

Take matters into your own hand by planning moments to bond with your teammates outside of work once a month and boost everyone’s morale in the process.

“Foster healthy and positive relationships with your coworkers. Find time out of your busy schedule every month to simply unwind or have team-building sessions. This habit can eventually build trust and stronger teamwork, ultimately leading to better collaboration, higher productivity, as well as cultivating a fun workplace environment.”