Looking for tips on how to stay productive while working from home?
Honestly, it can be challenging to stay productive when juggling your remote work with home concerns, but some tips can help you stay focused.
Being a remote employee is exciting until your neighbor starts firing up all sorts of noisy machines to build a time machine. And your cat begins to throw up, not around the house, but on your computer.
Whether you’re trying to adjust your work-life balance or you’re new to remote work, whether you can’t look past your couch and your bed is your designated work section, the detailed guide in this article will help you make changes.
How To Stay Productive While Working From Home
1. Multitask
You will have other tasks to tend to while at home and they could include cooking, feeding the dog, laundry, doing dishes, and more. You need to be able to multitask where you can to keep on top of these chores.
Work on those smaller tasks when you can to stay productive with your work.
2. Take Breaks
Never allow the guilt of working from home to prevent you from taking clear breaks. Use your break to get away from the work desk. Spend time with others, take or walk, or enjoy the fresh air.
You don’t need to be working 100% of the time to be productive. A stressful workday can leave us desperate for an escape. For some, the cure could be as simple as playing a few relaxing games. They’re pretty accessible and perfect for a quick checkout. In my case, for instance, I use the letter scramble and candy fiesta to relax.
3. Interact With Other Humans
At your home office, there are chances you’ll miss the casual social gists with colleagues. You lack that social interaction that makes the office unique.
So what can be done? Communicate.
Reach out to other employees via video chat, or whatever medium your company communicates. Remember, you’re not working from the moon, hence, interaction with others is allowed.
4. Designate a Workspace
Having a specific workspace can help you focus. This will result in less distraction and more focus. If you have an office, that’s great. But if you don’t, you can make the best use of your space.
Places that can work when you don’t have a workspace include the dining room table, kitchen counter, or hallway desk. Avoid your bedroom if you can.
5. Personalize Your Workspace
Customizing your work environment can be fun and a great mental exercise for relaxation. Whether it’s a plant, a picture frame, or a scented candle, customize your workspace with anything that makes you feel focused and motivated.
These things, especially plants, and scents can positively impact your emotional well-being and help you stay productive while working from home.
6. Listen to Music
A home office is an opportunity to create the best working environment. As shown by studies, classical and instrumental music increases productivity, hence, incorporating it into your work environment would keep your mind sharp.
Use music to your advantage but avoid the distracting ones.
7. Keep a Strict Schedule
Keeping a daily to-do list can help you maintain a regular work schedule. This one can be quite challenging but it keeps you accountable.
Make a to-do list every day and jot down a task list for the next work day. Also, include your meetings and calls in your schedule. The goal is to pull up that list the next morning as soon as you’re up.
8. Always Get Up Early
Knowing you don’t have to rush to the office might sometimes tempt you to sleep in. But if you’re having a hard time staying productive, setting an alarm would be helpful. Make yourself your favorite beverage before digging into the day’s job.
Wake up an hour or two before other members of the home. You’ll be surprised at how many tasks you can do when it’s quiet.
9. Stay Away From Digital Distractions
It is easier to lose your work time to social media when you’re working from home. One peek at a post, and an hour is gone before you know it.
To keep off these social distractions, you can eliminate them. Log out of all your accounts, disable notifications, and keep your phone away from you when working. Save social media for the evening when you’re done with the day’s work.
10. Communicate Expectations With Everyone Around You
When you have company at home, ensure they respect your space while you work. You may be working from home but you’re not home. Lay ground rules about quiet times.
Related:
Conclusion
If you want to be productive as a remote worker, your office setup plays a role here. Think of what made you productive in an office. Was it the solitude in your workspace? The Lighting? The office desk and chair?
It is easy to become your own worst enemy because no one’s watching you and you don’t feel any pressure to get things done.
Establishing a schedule keeps you aloof from all the challenges that come with working from home. If you’re moving from the work office to the home office, you’ll want to incorporate all the tips mentioned here to stay productive while working from home.