Most people struggle with working from home. Some people get too distracted by the most peculiar things while others may just not have the motivation to work at home at all. Here are 6 things to help maximize productivity while working at home.
1. Have a good morning routine
Your whole day is always determined by your morning routine. How you start off your day is going to affect how you go through it and how productive you will be.
According to several studies, your mind is overflowing with all the things that you need to do the moment you wake up, and as much as you want to finish these tasks, it instead has become an obstacle that’s difficult to go through.
The key to having a good morning routine is to take things one step at a time. This routine would usually start by making your bed. Making your bed gives you and your mind the impression that you are in control. When you feel that you are in control, every task that seems difficult at first glance would eventually not seem so difficult at all.
Dressing up is also a good way to start the day. This not only sets yourself in order for every task that you’re about to do, but it also allows for self-expression, regardless of whether people will see your outfit or not.
Having a good morning routine also includes eating a well-balanced diet. As the saying goes, “What you are is what you eat,” does not only entail what you will be but also how you will be for the rest of the day. It’s necessary, therefore, to start the day with a satisfied stomach.
2. Maintain consistent working hours
Maintaining consistent working hours involves telling your mind and your body when the right time to work is. Inconsistencies in working hours usually end up with being vulnerable to distractions, and since you have not organized your working hours quite specifically, it is easy to fall prey to them.
Strictly incorporating working hours just as what you would typically have when you work in an office would set your mind and body to prioritize the tasks in front of you. This would make you feel less vulnerable to distractions at home.
Once you’re able to designate specific time periods for working, the next objective now is consistency. Consistency is the principle that allows you to do things without your mind or body having the need to tell you. This comes with repetitively maintaining your working hours. This gives your body the blueprint to acknowledge that this is a daily routine, and you want to keep it that way.
3. Take clear breaks
Contrary to popular belief where it’s a sin to take a rest, it’s beneficial for everyone to take clear breaks. The body needs energy, and most of the time, we exert more energy than we recover.
Do not guilt-trip yourself in having to rest even in the middle of the day. Resting doesn’t mean giving up. Constant rests and power naps will help you prevent over fatigue.
Taking clear breaks does not mean planning out what you’re going to do with your task while you’re on a break. Taking clear breaks means really taking a break- clear your mind from everything. This helps you stay grounded, and know that despite all the tasks ahead of you, at the end of the day, you know you’re going to get through them.
4. Designate and organize your workspace
Working at home is difficult primarily because it’s a challenge to set the boundary between work and home. One minute you’re deep into working on a project and then the next minute, your child comes into your room crying about how they hurt themselves to something. Before you know it, you’ve already been distracted.
Designating and organizing your workspace means giving yourself a specific place in your house to tell your mind that when you’re in there, you should be working. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a room. Give yourself a table or a corner in the room. Remove distractions from your space that might potentially hinder your focus. That way, you are much less likely to lose your attention on the task at hand, and the boundary between work and home will seem much more distinct.
5. Plan out your objectives for the day
Don’t immediately start the things you need to do without proper navigation. Take half an hour every day to sort everything out and prioritize what needs to be finished for the day. After determining these tasks, create outlines and objectives for each task and what you want to do with each of them.
Be careful, however, with overdoing your objectives. This may instead backfire with the thought that it’s too much, causing you to underperform for the rest of the day. Keep it plain and simple, and keep it realistic. Being realistic means taking your rest and your distractions into consideration but to a minimum.
After each day, it helps to compile each task you’ve finished instead of throwing these papers away. That way, it gives you the satisfaction that you were able to have a productive day, and that you can take a rest without feeling guilty.
6. Keep your coworkers in check
The most important aspect of working from home is to keep your coworkers and friends in check because we are all in this together. Keeping up with the new normal includes catching up with everyone even through chats or messages.
Everyone can struggle just as much as you do, and having people genuinely care about you by checking up on you makes you feel less stressed and alone.
Check up on your friends, coworkers, supervisors, and relatives. Make your emotions and your warm presence transcend the screens. Make everyone feel loved despite the struggle. That way, everyone will realize that their workplace is not so bad after all.
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References:
HubSpot (n.d.). How to work from home: 24 tips from people who do it successfully. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/productivity-tips-working-from-home
Indeed (2021). 20 productivity tips for working from home. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/productivity-tips-working-from-home
Myva360 (n.d.). 10 science-backed benefits of a morning routine. https://myva360.com/blog/10-science-backed-benefits-of-a-morning-routine
VantageCircle (2021). 14 work from home tips to maximize your productivity. https://blog.vantagecircle.com/work-from-home-tips/