Does it ever feel like you’re constantly juggling meetings, emails, and deadlines while, somehow, your to-do list keeps growing? If you’re like many professionals right now, you probably end each day feeling overwhelmed, despite your best intentions.
You don’t necessarily need to invest in new tools to make things better. With World Productivity Day just around the corner on June 20, why not take a fresh look at the technology you already have—like Microsoft 365?
Many people are unaware of the many simple, yet powerful features built into their applications that can significantly enhance your focus, efficiency, and workflow. But don’t worry, our IT support team has your back! We know the shortcuts and settings most overlook—it’s our job to optimize digital workplaces and help teams get more done in less time.
Read on for our staff recommended and easy productivity tips you can start using today.
We’re All Busy. But Are We Productive?
Work environments these days feel like a paradox. We’re busier than ever, yet many of us feel like we’re not accomplishing anything. But people aren’t being held back because they lack motivation or work ethic. They face a daunting volume of tools, tasks, and expectations that are impossible for humans to manage on their own.
One Major Culprit? Context Switching
Jumping between emails, chat apps, meetings, and task lists fragments our attention and drains cognitive energy. Studies show it can take over 20 minutes to regain focus after a distraction, yet we switch tasks dozens of times a day. Add to that the information overload from an endless stream of updates, documents, and decisions, and it’s no wonder our brains feel maxed out by lunchtime.
Remote and Hybrid Work Have Intensified Employee Overwhelm
Despite the many benefits of remote and hybrid work, the setup has its downsides, especially when organizations don’t promote clear boundaries between work and life and don’t provide well-optimized technology and high-quality IT support.
Many people find themselves “always on,” checking messages late at night, or squeezing in tasks during personal time. In leaner teams, the pressure to “do more with less” often means people are juggling multiple roles without the space to do any of them deeply. The volume of work, combined with a lack of recovery time, leads to mental fatigue that can diminish efficiency even more.
Modern Work Expectations Have Turned Productivity into Performance
This environment creates a kind of productivity theater, where being busy is mistaken for being effective. But true productivity should be defined by doing meaningful, focused work that drives impact. To get there, we need to rethink how we utilize our tools, manage our time, and define success in a world that never seems to slow down.
Six Simple Ways You Can Increase Your Efficiency
You’re not alone if your day feels like a constant race to keep up! To help you out, we’ve curated six actionable tips from our team members that you can use to boost your productivity immediately.
But remember, while small tricks and quick fixes can deliver immediate wins, lasting efficiency comes from thinking bigger and future-proofing your IT to align your tools, systems, and IT support with your organization’s long-term operational health.
1. Capture Ideas Instantly with Word Dictation
Millie, our Marketing Officer at PC Corp, uses this nifty speech-to-text Microsoft feature to capture ideas on the fly. She recommends it for various tasks but says it’s particularly helpful for her when she’s doing solo brainstorming. She can get her thoughts down quickly without losing momentum – especially when her “brain is working faster than your hands can type”.
Beyond writing content, you can use “Dictate” in Word for formatting and editing, too.
2. Organize Files Faster with Drag-and-Drop in Browser
Always busy with multiple projects on the go, Tessy, an Education Sales Consultant at PC Corp, loves that you can drag files directly from your browser’s file directory into your preferred location.
It may seem simple, but it saves time by cutting out extra clicks and bypassing unnecessary steps that add friction to your workflow.
Want even more tips for organizing your files more effectively? Check out our digital decluttering checklist.
3. Master Scheduling with Outlook’s Overlay Calendar View
Trying to schedule a meeting with multiple team members? Darren, an Enterprise Solutions Consultant at PC Corp, recommends using Outlook’s “Overlay” view to display several calendars over top of each other. Instead of toggling between schedules, you can quickly spot overlapping availability at a glance.
It’s a simple feature that makes coordination faster and helps you avoid the back-and-forth of endless scheduling emails—especially helpful when you’re working across departments or time zones.
4. Minimize Distractions with Outlook’s Focused Inbox
With so many messages of varying importance cluttering our inboxes, we need a better system for organizing what’s actually relevant to keep distractions at bay and critical information easily accessible.
Kelly, an Inside Sales Consultant at PC Corp, relies on Outlook’s Focused Inbox to stay on track. This feature sorts your inbox into two tabs—Focused and Other—placing priority emails front and center while filtering less important messages like newsletters into the background.
If something ends up in the wrong place, you can simply right-click the message and choose “Move to Focused” or “Move to Other.” Over time, Outlook learns your preferences and improves how it sorts your messages, making your inbox smarter—and your workflow smoother.
5. Escape Inbox Overload with “Ignore Conversation”
While group threads can help keep everyone in the loop, they can quickly become overwhelming—especially when you’re CC’d on a conversation you don’t need to be part of. And let’s be honest: few things spark more dread than a Reply All storm. Millie also recommended Outlook’s “Ignore Conversation” feature for just this type of scenario.
With just a couple of clicks, you can mute the entire thread and automatically send all future replies straight to your Deleted Items folder. Changed your mind or need to catch up later? It’s easy to recover the conversation and pick up right where you left off.
6. Timebox Your Tasks with Built-In Clock Tools
If you struggle with perfectionism, procrastination, or staying focused, focusing on your time management may give you the structure you need to follow through and finish what you start.
One technique that can make a real difference is timeboxing. Instead of working on a task until it’s finished (which can lead to burnout or endless fine-tuning), you set a specific time block for each task and stop when the time is up. It sounds simple, but it can seriously boost focus and help you make steady progress without getting stuck.
Kyle, a Technical Consultant – CSTII at PC Corp, swears by this method. To stay productive and timebox while providing IT support, he uses the Windows Clock app’s built-in timer to block out uninterrupted deep work time.
Just set the timer for however long you plan to work, start your task, and commit to stopping when the alarm goes off. That small boundary can help you stay on task, limit distractions, and get more done—without the pressure to be perfect.
Smarter Work Starts with Expert IT Support
Working longer hours or pushing yourself harder won’t necessarily translate to better productivity. Instead, you need to focus on working smarter and using the right tools to your advantage.
The six Microsoft tricks shared here are proven techniques that IT support professionals use daily to stay organized, focused, and efficient amid today’s constant distractions. But organizations can’t just rely on individual hacks for lasting productivity. You will require a solid, future-proof IT foundation that keeps your systems running smoothly and your team connected.
Whether it’s our managed IT services or enterprise solutions procurement, PC Corp’s team is here to partner with you and build an environment tailored to your unique needs. Together with our expert IT support, we’ll help you develop a sustainable way of working that makes each day easier. Let’s connect to discuss more!
