5 Ways To Stay Productive Working From Home
Although working at home is literally most people’s dream, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart because there’s no one there to remind you of your tasks, double check your errors, or even tell you when it’s time to take a break. After all, you are your own boss!
If you want to successfully work from home, finding ways to remain productive, eliminating constant distractions, and becoming a self-motivator are key.
I have been working remotely since November and to say the least, it was a bumpy transition in the beginning. If you are new to working from home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, I'm sharing 5 quick tips to help you make the best of it below.
Plan Your Week
It’s primitive at the top of the week to sit down and list out everything that has to get done for the upcoming week. Notice I didn’t say what you’d like to get done because priorities need to be in place in order to be productive. Do this by reviewing your calendar, project management tool, etc. From there, break up your days by listing out your “focus” for that specific day. What that is are the tasks that are non-negotiable for that day. These focus tasks are also the tasks you should chip at first before you get into any other tasks.
Be The Early Bird
You’ve heard the saying, “The early bird gets the worm” right? Well, I want you to practice being the early bird. It sounds absolutely insane to wake up at 4am when you’re used to waking up at 9am. But look at it this way, when you wake up at 9am your competitor has already woken up 5 hours ahead of you. Give or take that’s 4-5 hours of work they’ve busted through. That could be YOU! Also, who likes staying up super late staring at a computer screen? Not me! The earlier you wake, the earlier you get to clock out and unwind away from work.
I’ve given it a try and it's been a game changer for me. It takes me a while to get going in the morning but by waking up earlier, I’m getting my brain going for the day. I make my coffee, read a few articles and get started on my emails. By the time my clients and colleagues start rolling in, I’m already feeling energized and ready to take on the day.
Setting Up Virtual Office
Treat this step as your “good morning” intro into the office. I personally love Slack for this but your company might be using something different. Whatever you use, make a habit to log in first thing and let everyone know you’re online. Use tools like Zoom, GoToMeeting or Google Hangouts to schedule all of your meetings so you can remain visible.
Get Up And Get Dressed
When you think of working from home you probably think of the casual wear we can lounge in while working. Pj’s can be so comfy trust me I love my p being comfy but working in your pj’s is asking for a never ending nap.
Although you’re working from home and you might think that it doesn’t matter what you wear, wearing PJ’s when you’re working might actually be making you feel less productive.
Instead of wearing your sleep clothes, wear clothes that you would normally wear to work. This will not only get your mind conditioned to “get to work” but you’ll feel better about your appearance.
Take Breaks!
THIS IS VITAL.
Just as I mentioned above to plan your month, week, and day it’s important to time-block in breaks. You might have an urge to overcompensate but this will only lead to burnout and overall discontentment with your job. Stepping away allows you to refocus and recharge. Take breaks just as you would if you were in the office.
Get some fresh air, start a load of laundry, make a new pot of coffee or spend 15 minutes reading something educational. Leave the work space and don’t return unless your time is up. You are more useful to your company and clients sane, so take care of yourself.
the recap…
Working from home can seriously be an amazing experience if you set yourself up for it. Being productive from home calls for planning your week, waking up early, setting up your office, getting dressed, and taking breaks.
Now that I’ve shared these tips with you, which of these have you been doing? And which of these are you eager to start doing?
