Managing any office, no matter what size and no matter how many employees, can create many challenges. While they may vary slightly from profession to profession, one of the biggest bottlenecks in any company is keeping employees and (ok, let’s be honest) often, ourselves on track. Focusing and being productive throughout the workday can sometimes be hard. Every office in the world has experienced the occasional mid-workday slump, where everyone’s brains start to turn off and distractions like social media and personal phones seem more and more tempting. While there is nothing wrong with allowing employees to cut out early every once in a while, if you find your office is repeatedly losing momentum you will likely want to look for other more proactive ways to boost productivity.

Did you know studies show that offices that actively promote office camaraderie are significantly more productive? It’s true! It may seem counterproductive at first, but if you allow your employees some time periodically throughout the week to enjoy non-work related activities together, your office as a whole will get more done.

Try scheduling weekly office lunches for your staff; take them out to a restaurant or order in and have everyone sit together and eat. You could organize an office sports team, support a charity cause together, or have one night a week where the staff leaves early and goes to a local happy hour. Fostering an environment where your employees enjoy spending time together makes for an overall happier and more productive workplace. Team projects will get done more efficiently and with less conflict, and it will also help cut down on one of productivity’s biggest enemies—interoffice gossip!

Bottom line: happy people get more done, and if people look forward to coming to work every day, they are going to be more inclined to work hard to ensure they keep their jobs for a long time. Not to mention allowing for a little mid-day socializing gives your employees a chance to blow off some steam and recharge a bit, and will help them focus on their work the rest of the day. Remember, all work and no play can make for a stagnate office!