Today’s post is written by Peter Ames who is writing on behalf of Office Genie, a marketplace for spare desks in shared and serviced offices.

There’s no doubt that offices can be distracting places. Some days it seems you have way too many meetings and everyone wants a piece of your time. However, there are a few things you could do to make the most of what time you have at the keyboard and get more done.

1) Invest in a To-Do List App

If you’ve got an ever increasing workload it can be hard to keep on top of things. The first step to a successfully managed workload can be as simple as getting a good old-fashioned priority-ranked to-do list.

You could use a really simple program built into your computer, such as Notepad or Sticky Notes, or go for an online app such as Evernote. Evernote is really handy as you can sync your lists to the cloud, meaning you can access them from anywhere you can get online!

2) Warm Yourself Up in the Mornings

Everyone takes a while to get into the swing of the workday. I recommend after you have your coffee and quiet time in the morning, you should allot yourself some email-sorting time in the early mornings. The benefits of this can be twofold. First, you can begin your day with an activity that hopefully isn’t too taxing, so you’re ready to go when your inbox is nicely tamed.

Also, recent research shows the average person spends 120 hours a year sorting emails, setting an allocated time for doing so is perhaps the best way to manage a swelling mailbox. You don’t want to be one of the 6% of workers who just gives up completely!

3) Escape at Lunch Time

Getting out of the workplace at lunchtime can be a great way to get to know your colleagues outside of the office. Developing good working relationships like this can make your time at the office more enjoyable, which in turn could potentially give your productivity a real boost.

Simply getting out the office at break times can be a bonus in itself. A survey commissioned by Ryvita last year found some 79% of people felt refreshed after enjoying lunch out of the office.

4) Escape the Office Altogether

If you find you can’t avoid the attention of your colleagues whilst you’re in the office, why not ask your boss if you can work from home every so often? Locking yourself away in a home office can be a great way to get out of a potentially distracting office environment and get more done.

You don’t even have to work from home. The occasional trip to a coffee shop or local cafe for an afternoon of work could be all you need to remove yourself briefly from office distractions.

How do you avoid distractions at work so you can get more done?