I've been working in my professional field for a long time, but it seems that lately I'm not getting as much work accomplished. It may be the changes I've experienced. My physical office has changed from a separate space with a door to an open work environment. My role has changed with added responsibility and more people needing to meet with me and needing direction. And well, I've changed—older, wiser and maybe not as available to jump in and volunteer at work.

If you feel like you aren't getting the same results that you once did, it's time to carefully consider the underlying causes of your diminishing returns. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share these recommendations from John Rampton, founder of the payment company, Due.

1. Poor office ergonomics. You may think that office ergonomics is just a buzzword used by furniture and equipment suppliers who want to pad their bottom lines, but the reality is that issues in this area can have a tremendous impact on productivity.

According to one research study, an insurance company saw a $620,000 improvement in productivity from a $500,000 investment in ergonomic furnishings. Things like poor back support, cramped spaces, lack of elbow support, harsh lighting, noisy settings and other factors could be slowing you down. By fixing these issues, you may see a direct uptick in output.

2. Complex approval processes. Few things are more frustrating than roadblocks when decisions need to be made. Approval processes can often be unnecessarily complex, and it can take days or weeks to get green-lighted on something simple. Sometimes instilling steps, like opting for electronic signatures, can save a significant amount of time that you can apply to something else.

3. Excessive multitasking. The average professional in today's work environment assumes they're proficient at multitasking. But the question is, are you actually being more productive? According to research conducted at Stanford University, multitasking makes you far less productive than doing one single thing. Furthermore, the long-term effects of multitasking result in poor information recall, lack of focus and a lower overall IQ.

4. Poor lunch diet. Something as basic as what you eat for lunch probably impacts your productivity back at the office. This is especially true if you're grabbing fast food on a regular basis. If you have a heavy lunch, your body is going to spend energy trying to break down the refined carbohydrates, causing you to feel sluggish or sleepy. Focus on those foods that will give you energy and boost through the afternoon.

Try these basic tips to get your productivity back on track. When handled properly, the results can be transformational.

Source: John Rampton is an entrepreneur, investor, online marketing guru and startup enthusiast. He is founder of the payments company Due.