Efficiency

If you are like many office professionals (and computer users in general), you probably use various Microsoft Office products on a regular basis. In fact, it may be nearly impossible to do your work without them.

Of course, these days you use many different types of devices to work and communicate. And that means you have to try and figure out how to access these programs when you aren’t near your computer.

We’ve all become very accustomed to doing a million things at once. And while juggling a variety of tasks and projects may be unavoidable (and perhaps even comfortable to many of us), there is lots of research showing the downsides of multitasking.

A much better strategy: try the “batching” approach. This means groups similar tasks or projects (or those that call for a similar type of mindset) together, and doing them in succession, allowing yourself to get in a nice groove.

Got lots of apps on your PC or other device? If so, it can be tough to keep track of them all—and you can waste a lot of valuable time searching for the app you need. A customizable dock can help simply this process and keep things organized (and looking nice). RocketDock is an animated, easy-to-use application dock with a nice clean interface to drop shortcuts on for quick access.

At first glance, it might seem to make sense that eating at your desk would save time and help you get more done. But although it might seem counter-intuitive, many experts say that you will actually be more productive if you avoid eating lunch at your desk all of the time.

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If you need extra storage space for your computer files and other data, a portable hard drive can offer man benefits. You can use it as a way to easily backup your files at the end of every workday—and then store it in a safe place (possibly offsite. It is also a great option for team collaboration, where several members of your team may need to have access to a certain group of files in the office.

Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless offers 500GB of storage and has a great, easy-to-use web interface.

Are you one of those people who always has about a million tabs and windows open on your computer? Many of us are guilty of this. But if you’re in this category, you know that it can often be tricky to keep track of all of these things. And then there is the horrible panic you feel in the event of a computer crash or unexpected shutdown.

When it comes to helping the environment, every little bit counts. In honor of Earth Day, here are some ways you can make a difference:

1. Think before printing. Limiting the use of paper not only saves trees, it can reduce the amount of office clutter. Store emails and documents electronically for easy retrieval.

2. Encourage the use of front and back printing for internal documents by placing a bin next to each printer in your office to store sheets that have been printed on one side. These sheets can be inserted into the printer for new documents.

Rainy April mornings lend themselves to hitting the snooze button once or twice, leaving workers pressed for time when they finally do get up. Avoid a frantic start to the day by trying one or more of these tips for coaxing yourself out of bed:

Put the alarm in an inconvenient place.

Force yourself to abandon the cozy covers by placing the clock across the room or on a high bookshelf.

Make your bed immediately.

Moving around gets the blood flowing, and you’ll remove the visual temptation to curl back up.