During this time of COVID and quarantines, work from home statistics have risen to an all-time high and is continuing to do so. While some people thrive with the work from home scenarios, some people may find the new setup and environment a little bit challenging.
Productivity is a core factor when you are faced with real work from home jobs because basically, you still have to work and show results. With the new normal scenario, you need to come up with strategies on how to be productive at home and the tips here will show you how.
So whether you have been working from home online for some time, or you are new to this and are just adjusting to working from home – you may want to check out these 9 tips for working from home effectively.
Have the proper mindset.
Even if you are at home you need to have the mindset that what you are doing is still work. There may be some benefits of working from home – and producing less output is not one of them. You need to accept the reality that you are still working, it is just that you are doing this at home instead of the office. If you have this mindset then everything else will follow.
Freshen up.
One working from home best practice is really to freshen up before your day starts. Your body will be motivated to work if you prepare yourself for work. Do your same routine as if you were actually going to your office.
If you go to work without changing your clothes for 3 days, and you work in your pajamas, then it is like you are telling your body that nothing has changed from you lying in bed. You may find yourself sluggish and lazy.
Planning your day.
When working from home you may be tempted to come in late since you are at home anyway. This is one of the disadvantages of working from home. This is why you should plan your day, set a schedule, and follow that schedule.
You should establish your working hours, and stick with it. Keeping the same work hours in a day is a good strategy. You can also use tools and calendars or a notepad to keep order when you make a schedule. Keeping and making a schedule will help you in getting motivated.
Have a space to do work.
Another tip to work from home effectively is to have a dedicated work spot. If you consistently use your bed to work, then you may find yourself dozing off when you should be doing work. The same goes with your kitchen table, if you use this for work, then all you may think of food and would rather eat than focus on the tasks at hand.
Train your brain that there is a specific area where you are supposed to focus on tasks and just do work. Make sure that your area is also conducive for work, it should be decluttered, have proper lighting, and your tools should be in place.
Eliminate your distractions.
Eliminating distractions should add to working from home productivity. A good example is your phone, if you find yourself distracted by every Instagram update, or every tweet then you may want to consider putting your phone in another room. If you have a hobby like a book that you cannot wait to finish, it may not be wise to put this book on your workstation.
People around your home may also cause distractions so you need to establish work from home rules. You should communicate with your family members and kids that you need to work for a specific time. You can politely ask them for help to make sure you can focus on your job.
Even if children may be a bit of a challenge, you can still try to talk to them and say that they can always talk to you if there are emergencies, but they need to occupy themselves for a certain time.
Have an accountability partner
Another one of the ways to be productive is to have an accountability partner. This is a colleague or someone at work who can check up on you and your tasks. You can ask them to follow up on you if you are doing the task and you are good with your schedule. This makes both of you accountable for the actual work that must be done, and you can help each other out be more productive.
Use project management tools.
Working remotely at home poses new challenges such as keeping a team on track, or meeting deadlines. To help you monitor progress, you can use project management tools. There are lots of project management tools that are effective and free that you can use.
These project management tools can assign team members and put specific dates on when tasks are supposed to be completed. This is a great way that you can meet deadlines and make sure you are on track.
Take breaks.
Working for long hours may cause your brain to stagnate, this is why to make sure you stay productive, you need to rest. Working too long may strain your eyes and your mind, so you need to refresh yourself.
Make sure you take breaks and try to do this somewhere away from your workstation. You can step out a bit for 15 minutes and get some fresh air. Go to your kitchen and fix yourself a quick snack. Quick breaks will give you a breather and will help you re-focus on the tasks you need to do.
Say ‘hi’ to people
Lastly, a great way to boost productivity while working at home is communications. Since you don’t have colleagues you can physically say hi to, you need to actively engage. Try to call them up when given the chance or say a quick hi to them. By communicating, you will feel that you are still connected and it may boost your drive and productivity.
