The Hidden Factors Affecting Your Work Performance

Most people assume that work performance only comes down to skill, effort, and maybe how much coffee you’ve had. While those are definitely important (especially the coffee), there are plenty of hidden factors that can make or break your productivity, many of which you might not even realise are influencing you.

Have you ever had one of those days where no matter how hard you try, you just can’t focus? Or maybe you’ve found yourself getting irritable over things that normally wouldn’t bother you? It might not be you in the end… it could actually be your environment, your routine, or even something as simple as the way you’ve got your desk set up. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about the hidden factors affecting your work performance – it could make all the difference.

Your Workspace Might Be Distracting

If you’ve ever walked into an office and instantly felt sort of off, there’s a big reason for that – the fact is that your surroundings play a huge role in your ability to concentrate and work efficiently, and a cluttered, messy workspace can leave you feeling overwhelmed before you even get started. On the other hand, a well-organised desk and a clean environment can totally set the tone for a productive day – nice.

And here’s something most people don’t actually think about – how clean is your office really? A workspace that’s not properly maintained can be filled with dust, allergens, and bacteria, all of which can mess with your focus and even your health. Companies that invest in office cleaning services not only keep their spaces looking professional, but they also create an environment where employees can actually concentrate without feeling unwell or coughing and sneezing all the time, which has to be a good thing.

Lighting Could Play a Part

Lighting isn’t just about making a place look nice or making it more functional – lighting also has a direct impact on how your brain works, so you’ve got to get it right if you want to do better in your job. Have you ever noticed how you’ll usually feel quite sluggish when you’re in dim lighting? That’s because poor lighting can cause eye strain, headaches, and even mess with your sleep cycle, so if your workspace is really dark, your productivity is probably not so great.

Natural light is what you’ll really want, so if you can you should work near a window where you can soak up some daylight. If that’s not an option, go for warmer, well-balanced lighting instead of those awful harsh fluorescent lights that make the office feel clinical and unpleasant to be in. Your eyes, head, mood, and work will be better as a result.

How Noisy Is It?

Some people really do thrive in a busy, noisy environment, but others need absolute silence to get anything done, so it’s worth understanding which one you are and making sure you’ve set your office and workspace up to account for that. If you’re constantly distracted by office chatter, keyboard clacking, and colleagues who just generally make a lot of noise going about their business, it might be time to rethink your work setup.

Noise-cancelling headphones can be a fantastic option, but if you can’t wear them for any reason, try playing some ambient music or white noise to drown out the distractions. And if you’re working from home, make sure your work environment isn’t filled with household noise like your kitchen appliances running, for example – even if you’re not totally aware of them, those noises could still be affecting you.

Your Chair Could Be Wrong

You probably don’t think about your chair all that much – until you start getting back pain, of course. But an uncomfortable chair isn’t just bad for your back and posture; it can actually cause problems for your productivity. If you’re always shifting around and trying to get comfortable, that’s going to take your focus off your work, for example.

The best plan is to invest in a good ergonomic chair, or at the very least, use a cushion or lumbar support to make things a little better. Sitting comfortably is going to mean fewer distractions and fewer aches at the end of the day, and if you really want to improve things, what about a standing desk? A lot of people swear by them.

What’s the Temperature Like?

The temperature in your office can be a real issue, especially if you’ve got different people in there who all like different temperatures – one person might be shivering while another is sweating, and trying to agree on where the thermostat should be can cause some big arguments. But you will have to agree in the end, because the temperature matters a lot more than you might think when it comes to productivity.

Studies have shown that cold offices make people work much slower and make more mistakes, whereas offices that are too warm can leave you feeling drowsy and that’s not going to make you all that productive either. The sweet spot is somewhere between 21 to 22 degrees, but if you’re not the one in charge of the office temperature, you might have to dress in layers so you can adjust if need be.

Are You Eating and Staying Hydrated?

It’s easy to think you can just power through the day on caffeine and whatever snack happens to be in your bag, but what you eat and drink actually has a major impact on your focus and energy levels, so you’ll need to think about it and get it right.

Dehydration, for example, can make you feel really tired, irritable, and less focused, and that’s why you should keep a bottle of water on your desk at all times so you can sip it through the day. And as tempting as it might be to grab some sugary snacks for a quick energy boost, they’ll just leave you crashing later, and nuts, fruit, and high-protein snacks are a much better thing to eat because they’ll keep your energy steadier, so you’ll end up getting more done.