Whilst British workers are stumbling bleary-eyed into the office at nine o’clock, resigned to being stuck at their desk until five at the earliest, over in Sweden, nurses are happily bouncing in to start their six-hour shifts.

It’s part of an experiment to find out how reduced working hours affect employee happiness, absences and the level of care provided.

And so far, the results are positive, with all three areas seeing a huge improvement.

There’s only one downside, but it’s a big one. Recent reports suggest that the cost involved in Sweden’s small-scale trial make permanently adopting such a routine far too expensive.

It’s disheartening news for those of us who dreamed and prayed 2017 would be the year that six-hour working days became the norm.

You may have to give up that fantasy for a while, but you can continue to make a strong case for shorter office-days by focusing on boosting your efficiency.

Here are a few top tips to help you on your way.

Lighten your workload

There’s so much new software on the market designed to lessen the burden of time-consuming admin and HR tasks, there’s really no need to struggle under a heavy workload.

By outsourcing payroll to a trusted company like SD Worx you can forget about Excel spreadsheets and scheduling nightmares, and focus your energy on more important jobs instead.

Be strict with emails

With messages flying in non-stop and unanswered queries continually piling up, it’s easy to get distracted with emails.

Reduce the amount of time you waste dealing with your inbox by prioritising urgent emails and leaving the rest until the end of the day as you’re winding down.

Improve your wellbeing

Sloping into the office half asleep and nursing a mild hangover is never going to be a recipe for success.

To face each morning feeling motivated and energised, get yourself into a healthy routine. Try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, drink plenty of water throughout the day and take regular breaks to keep your brain ticking over.

Get your workstation right

Set the right tone of efficient organisation by keeping your desk free of clutter and messy piles of paperwork.

Instead, focus on making yourself a comfortable workstation. To encourage good posture and reduce back pain, the top of your computer screen should be at eye level whilst your feet should lie flat on the ground.

Work towards targets

Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed by a big project or lulled into a false sense of security by a deadline that’s weeks away.

Whether busy or enjoying a quiet spell, keep track of your workload by writing a to-do list and setting yourself small, daily targets. Ticking off tasks as you go will soon become your biggest motivational tool.

The six-hour working day might still be only a dream for the moment, but you can make your nine-to-five much more efficient by following our top productivity tips.