Seven Best Ways to Stay Productive When Working from Home
Working from home can be quite tricky especially when you’ve just started out. Different distractions may occur during the day and attempt to take out of your work time and make you less productive. However, you can be at your optimal productivity level even when you are working from home.
1. Wake up early
The first tip to being productive while working from home is to wake up early to start your day or rise at the usual time that you wake up when you were still going to the office. Waking up later than usual would prove tricky as well as suck away at some of your time to be productive. Waking up early also helps you get some stuff done before other members of your family wake up and start demanding your attention. Also, when you wake up, don’t just sit in pajamas all day long. Take your bath, brush your teeth, eat breakfast and prepare to take on the day as you have always done.
2. Have your own workspace
Another useful hack is to have a designated workspace in your house. It could be a carved-out space at your dining table or a separate study room where you can work undisturbed. Resist the urge to work from your bedroom or to lie on your bed while working. It would slow you down and you would not be as productive as you ought to be. Make sure to sit in your work area and have your work materials handy. This would help you avoid standing up every now and then to go get them.
3. Plan your workday
Another helpful tip is to always plan out your day the previous day. Don’t just wake up without a plan of what you want to accomplish that day. This would really slow you down as different things can easily come your way to distract you from the major tasks you should be doing. Have a to-do list where you list out the activities for the day in order of priority. Also, set timeframes for each activity of the day so as to avoid getting distracted or spending too much time on a difficult task. When you have a to-do list, it helps you know what you still have to do, what you have done, and what you should be working on. Seeing some of the tasks on your to-do list ticked off would also serve as a source of motivation to do some more.
4. Have boundaries
Differentiating work time from family time would help you when working from home. It is easy to get involved with your children or spouse while working from home and forget that you have a pile of work on your desk. It is therefore important to set clear boundaries between family time and work time. You may not have to work 9–5 while working from home. However, it is important to note times when you would be probably contacted by your boss, time for a virtual meeting, and also allot time when you focus fully on work, without distractions.
5. Take breaks in between work
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy! Studies have proven that people who take breaks in between work are more productive than people who do not. Don’t just work all day without taking a break or leaving your desk for some time to just relax away from your tasks. You can set out some time to bond with your children, take a walk with your spouse, walk your pet, take a nap, etc. These few breaks in between work re-energize your body and reboot your brain for fresh ideas.
6. Put away your phone, if not needed
This helps to avoid getting overwhelmed by social media and other distractions. You can leave your phone in the bedroom while you work, and check it when you take your break to return missed calls or make other calls. This is to help you avoid being distracted by social media notifications, emails, etc. In situations where you need your phone for work, you can put off your social media notifications, log out of your social media accounts, schedule a time to check your emails in batch, etc.
7. Connect virtually with your colleagues
Finally, don’t just forget all about your colleagues simply because you are now working from home. Reach out to them to collaborate if needed, attend virtual meetings in the office, and just interact in order to give yourself a sense of belonging while still working from home.