Happy workers day!
This is the season where most of us have no option but to work from home, no thanks to covid-19.
With the spread of the novel coronavirus affecting everything from international travel to the availability of alcohol based hand sanitizer, curbing COVID-19 has become a growing concern. That’s why many companies are mandating or recommending that as many employees as possible work from home until the virus spread can be slowed.
Before now, plenty people fantasized about working from the comfort of their homes, foregoing their commute in favor of more sleep, family or exercise time. Well, now you have it. It’s pretty glaring from pictures and short videos on social media that most people are finding the very thing they wish for, difficult to manage – Working from home.
Working remotely is a double-edge sword. Sure, you get to stay home, but it can be harder to focus on actually working when there’s a pile of laundry that suddenly looks more appealing than your bosses’ to-do list, or a quick three-hour binge of that one TV show you’ve been wanting to watch, staying productive at home can take a little extra effort. Plus, the isolation can quickly become boring for those used to socializing at work.
Well you don’t need to look at your to-do list every morning and feel terrible for the former day’s work that couldn’t be completed. So, here are some tips that could help you become more productive as you work-from-home.
Location matters:
Try to find yourself a dedicated and comfortable spot to work that you can associate with your job and leave when you’re off the clock — that means getting off the couch, and definitely out of bed. It would be helpful if you set up a dedicated home office where you can close the door and shut out distractions.
Get started early:
When working in an office, your morning commute can wake you up and make you feel ready to work by the time you arrive your desk. At home, however, the transition from your pillow to your computer can be much more difficult to achieve. Believe it or not, one way to work from home productively is to dive into your to-do list as soon as you wake up. Starting with a project first thing in the morning can be the key to making progress gradually and then throughout the day. Otherwise, you’ll prolong breakfast and let the morning sluggishness wear away your motivation and before you know it, it’s bed time.
Pretend like you are going into the office:
The mental association you make between work and an office can make you pretty productive. When working from home, do all the things you would have done to prepare for an office role. Set your alarm, make coffee (or order), and wear nice clothes. It sound like wearing neat clothes for nothing but guess what? It works.
Structure your day like you would in the office:
When working from home, you are your own personal manager. Without things like a personal assistant or meetings to break up your day, you can be quick to lose focus or burn out.
To stay on schedule, segment what you’ll do and when you have to get it done over the course of the day. If you have an online calendar, create personal events and reminders that tell you when to shift gear and start on new tasks.
Co-work with friends virtually:
This is more about accountability. Social interactions, even with coworkers, can alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness. That colleague of yours asking if you have accomplished goals for the day can help put you on your feet.
Make it harder for yourself get distracted by social media:
Social media is designed to make it easy for you get informed and connected yet this convenience can be detrimental to your productivity. To help yourself, you can remove them from your browser shortcuts and log out of every account. Always having to log on can help guarantee that you won’t be tempted into taking too many social breaks during the day.
Work when you’re at your most productive:
Except your company monitors your work time even remotely, find out what time of the day you’re most productive and chose to get things done at that time. Never make the mistake to think you can work from morning till evening. Please take a break after all at the office, you do so. To capitalize on your most productive periods, save your harder tasks for when you know you’ll be in the right headspace for them. Use slower points of the day to knock out the easier, logistical tasks that are also on your plate.
Communicate expectations with anyone who will be home with you:
This is a must if you have a spouse and kids. Talk to them politely that although you enjoy their company, they need to respect your space during work hours. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’re free to play, joke and bum around.
Pick a definitive finishing time each day:
You might be under the impression that working from home indicates more work-life balance, but be careful as you can get carried away. When working in the office, seeing colleagues packing up and leaving reminds you to do the same. So, set an alarm at the end of the day to indicate your normal work day is coming to an end. You don’t have to stop at exactly that time, but knowing the work day is technically over can help you start the process of saving your work and calling it quits for the evening.
So, working from home can be exciting if only you put these tips to work. How has working remotely been for you? Please share your experience with us in the comment section.
Stay safe!