Work Smarter

If you've a  got a heavy workload just now, and are feeling the pressure, try these ideas to lessen the load.
Meetings

• Shrink appointments. Most people schedule an hour, usually more than needed. Book 45 minutes for long meetings and 20 minutes for short ones. 
• Insist on an agenda.
• Don't book back-to-back appointments. Add downtime between meetings to take stock of recent meetings, and respond to new enquiries.
• Start on time - even if not everyone is there. If key people are missing, cancel the meeting - it's not ok to waste other people's time.
• Delegate or duck out. Not sure what the meeting is or why you've been invited? Ask the organiser to clarify why you're on the list. If they've asked the wrong person, suggest a colleague. If they fudge the answer, decline; you might ruffle a few feathers but save yourself some time and sent a strong message.

To Do Lists: Making 'to do' lists sharpens our focus. Writing down items, completing them and crossing them off, gives a sense of accomplishment that can energise. But not all 'to do' lists are the same, so here are some suggestions.

•  Be your own boss for two minutes. Ask yourself 'Which three tasks does my employer care about most?' Every day cross reference the list with today's tasks and prioritise.
• Timetable your tasks to match your most productive times. keep a diary for a week to note the time you are at your best.
• While you travel, use a Dictaphone to make notes on things you need to do. (Kelly Hoppen)
• Use an Excel spreadsheet with a colour-coded list to see what is most urgent. Each morning take 15 minutes to review and move items up or down to prioritise. (Sophie Hobson)
• Use blank sheets of unlined paper and draw pictures and diagrams. (Edwina Dunn)
• Use a paper diary with a week per page. Don't double-book and space out meetings and deadlines.

How to Push Back

• Be less available. Unless you've promised to be available at a certain time or you will reply straight away, they should be able to wait until a time that suits you.
• Suggest alternatives. If you see a smarter way to do things, suggest it to your boss. Could two weekly meetings be merged? Does a pointless form slow you down? 
• If you can't say No, say Not Now or Not Me. If it isn't urgent, ask to postpone it. If a colleague is more suitable, ask them to replace you. If anyone questions this, politely explain you have a heavy workload at the moment and need to prioritise to get it all done.

Turn off Distractions

• Divert calls to voicemail.
• Check email only twice a day.
• Switch off alerts and reminders - they are distracting.
• Find a quiet room.
• Don't share your work emailwith friends.

Finally

• If you wake up early, get up and do something useful. Clear your email, think about long-term plans or read an interesting article.
• Plan your wardrobe the night before.
• Go Mediterranean and add nuts and fish to your diet - they can improve mood and focus in ten days. 
• Exercise at lunchtime releases feel-good endorphins which improve mood and reduce stress.
• Take proper breaks away from your desk or computer. Take a walk if you can. 
• Keep emails short. Be clear in the subject line - Action required or For information only.
• Plan to spend proper time with family and friends at the weekend to feel more relaxed and revived for Monday.

Feature in Glamour, September 2014

Financial Records

It's all to easy to drown in paperwork, but some stuff you have to keep - just not for ever. So here is a list of how long you need to keep specific types of document.

• Bank statements - One year.
• Bills - One year
• Payslips - one year (until your next P60 arrives)
• P60/P45 - Indefinitely
• Mortgage documents - Indefinitely
• Insurance agreements - While policy is active and until any switch to a new provider is complete.
• Investment and pension documents - Indefinitely
• Car servicing, repair bills and MOTs - Keep until you sell the car

For any papers you absolutely must keep, file in an A-Z concertina file, or filing drawer. For everything else, go digital.

• Opt to receive paperless bills and view them online.
• Sign up to online banking: 24/7 access should make it easier to monitor spending. For security reasons, only log into your account on your home computer or your own personal electronic devices and make sure you sign out every time.
• Upload scans of remaining documents to your computer.
• Be sure to back up your computer files on to a separate hard drive. Free online storage service Dropbox lets users store up to 2GB worth of files. Google's Cloud Platform and Apple's i-Cloud also let users save files to their online storage facility.
• Before you throw out old financial documents, shred any that contain sensitive financial details, account numbers and contact information.

Hygiene Tips

Withour being obsessive about it, it is important to keep things clean in kitches, bathrooms and toilets.

• Rinse after washing up. It flushes the germs on hands, textiles and dishes down the drain.
• Loos have lids for a reason. Close the lid before flushing to prevent contaminated droplets landing on taps, cosmetics or your toothbrush - they can travel for almost two metres (6 feet).
• Buy his and hers bath towels. Intaimacy is wonderful, but sometimes hygiene comes first. Give everyone in the family their own towel and facecloth so they keep their germs to themselves.
• Bin the kitchen cloth. Once used, a kitchen cloth or sponge turns into a germ factory and may contain 10,000 bacteria per square inch, including E. coli and salmonella. Disinfect them regularly with sterilising fluid or buy disposables.
• Ignore 'clean' dirt. Dusting behind the bookshelves makes little difference to our health. Germs come from a source such as raw chicken, human waste or a pet, so targeted hygiene is needed to break the chain of infection. As bacteria and viruses can survive on surfaces for several hours or even longer, be vigilant about cleaning kitchen sinks and chopping boards, door knobs, fridge handles, phones, keyboards, the tv remote and our hands.

 Good Housekeeping, November 2013

Pensions

If you've moved from job to job, you may have belonged to several pension schemes. By consolidating the  different pension pots into one, you'll have a better idea of your retirement fund's value and be able to keep a closer eye on charges BUT there are two exceptions.

• If you have a final salary scheme pension you are better off NOT consolidating.
• If you are due to retire soon and have already built up quite large pension funds, you are also better off NOT consolidating.

However, small pots have flexibility which you may lose if you combine them. Take advice.

You can track down old or forgotten pension pots through the Pension Tracing Service: call 0845 600 2537.

Set up an annual meeting with your employer's pension scheme advisor or an independant financial advisor (IFA). They can see how your pension is doing and if you need to change anything. To find an IFA try the website unbiased.co.uk.

State Pensions (2020 facts)

• You need 35 years of contributions to get a full state pension. # Qualifying years of NI contributions take into account time spent raising children up to the age of 12, caring for someone who is sick or disabled, or spent in full time training.
• You may be eligible to pay voluntary contributions to build up additional years.
• Over 55, you are entitled to free face-to-face or over-the-phone guidance from pensionwise.gov.uk.

Beware fraudsters. If someone calls you offering to help you access your pension pot before age 55, it is likely to be a pension scam. You could lose your money and face a tax charge of up to 55% of the amount transferred plus further charges from your pension provider. Check the ScamSmart site for known pension scams (fca.org.uk/scamsmart).

Information correct at September 2013. Updated 5 March 2020.

Soundproofing

Life just seems to get noisier and noisier. Here are some tips to cut down on noise levels.

• Mind the gaps. Fill gaps around doors and window frames, seal spaces around pipes through ceilings and floors with insulation. For outer doors use draught excluders and keyhole covers. Put putty or expanding foam around pipes and wires where they enter the house.
• Use your decor. As a rough guide, at lease 25% of a room should be good at absorbing noise. As well as cushions, heavy curtains and carpets, use decorative room dividers and upholstered screens and break up sound reflecting surfaces with shelving and bookcases. If replacinginternal doors, opt for solid rather than hollow ones.
• Buy quieter gadgets. Unfortunately the best appliances are not always the quietest, though manufacturers are starting to develop less noisy products. Look for the Quiet Mark logo (a purple Q) launched in 2012.
• Block it out. Don't underestimate the value of good wall and loft insulation. Change from single to double glazing.
• Herd of elephants living upstairs? The trend for hard floors has led to an increase in noise levels. With wooden floors, insulate between the joists. For laminate flooring, use a good-quality foam-cushioned underlay. Put rubber or felt stops on chair and table feet.

Good Housekeeping, June 2013