5 Ways to Make Fridays More Productive

1. Use Friday as a day to tie up loose ends. You probably still have 50 unanswered emails in your inbox (groan). The end of your week should be about winding down, not starting new projects. So click, type, send, repeat!

2. Set yourself up for a productive Monday. The worst thing about Mondays? Coming into work and realizing that all the stuff you didn't do last week has been waiting for you all weekend. Start your week with a short to-do list that clearly outlines (based on priority) new projects or follow ups to emails you sent on Friday.

3."Then she said…." Finding a quiet place to work to limit interruptions (perhaps the break room with some headphones on) will give you some space from co-workers coming over to chat so you can focus on finishing outstanding projects.

4. Stop avoiding unnecessary paperwork. Guess what? That nagging pile of invoices isn't going away. Focusing a small amount of time on completing busy work will help alleviate any work stress you bring into your weekends.

5. Check in with your manager. If you're sitting around with nothing to do but check Instagram on a Friday afternoon, you're doing something wrong. Yes, you've worked hard all week, but you're not doing yourself or your company any favors if you spend the last three hours clock-watching. Check in with your boss to see what s/he has outstanding and if there's anything you can take off their plate.

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