6 Tips That Guarantee Productivity While Working From Home

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have moved their offices from a building to their homes. In fact, working from home seems like it may become the norm for many industries. Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics, says that “Our best estimate is that we will see 25–30% of the workforce working at home on a multiple-days-a-week basis by the end of 2021.”

Working from home can seem a bit daunting.

So how do you remain accountable? How do you make sure you’re productive? How can you prove yourself as valuable when you’re not going into the office anymore?

There are lots of different strategies and procedures you can follow to make sure you’re successful while working at home. For the sake of time, I will share 6 of these tips that will help you remain productive as you work from home.

1. Begin your day with your regular routine.

This one is hard. It’s tempting to skip the shower, throw on an old, frumpy t-shirt, and grab your cup of coffee before sitting down at your desk. But here’s the problem. You’re setting yourself up for failure. It’s all about your mindset — the way you perceive yourself will bleed over to your work. If you’re skipping your morning shower and forgetting to brush your teeth, it is highly unlikely that you will see yourself as a valuable asset to your job and produce your best work.

2. Keep normal work hours.

It’s important to prove that you are a benefit to your company while working from home. You want to make sure you’re readily available, just like you would be while in the office. It’s tempting to want to start work later than normal. You may want to take the dog for a walk, clean out that messy drawer, or finish the last page of your book. But don’t let yourself get into this habit. Bad habits become routines, which will eventually affect your productivity at work.

3. Tackle your hardest projects first.

It’s best to begin the projects that require the most brainpower first thing in the morning. This is when your mind is generally thinking most clearly. It’s easy to want to jump right into checking emails or responding to phone calls, but I recommend putting those items off until the afternoon. Trust me, an email can usually wait a few hours. Instead, close out all other distractions and tackle your hardest project first. Once you’re done, you’ll be glad you didn’t put it off until the afternoon.

4. Put away your distractions.

I think we can all agree that smart phones are amazing. Unfortunately, with the internet, social media, and interactive, engaging apps right at our fingertips, they can be a huge distraction. Here’s the problem — our love of distractions is killing our productivity. Turn off the tv, shut the door, and put your phone in the desk drawer. If you have to, put your phone in a completely different room. Don’t worry, when you take a break, you can check to see who has posted the latest cat meme in your group chat. And that brings me to my next point…take a break!

5. Take a break.

This seems like a no brainer, but once you start working, it’s easy to let the day get away from you before you’ve had the chance to stand up and stretch. The body isn’t made to sit for hours. Neil Patel, a best-selling author and very successful marketer, suggests that we should take a break every 50–90 minutes for 15–20 minutes. Set your alarm for every hour and get up and walk around the house or walk outside for some fresh air. Throw a load of laundry in the washer or feed the dog. I’m generally not an advocate of doing chores during work hours, but if it’s quick and something you can do while moving your body, then I say go for it!

6. Don’t forget to socialize.

It’s easy to feel forgotten when you’re working from home. But here’s a tip — don’t let things become quiet on your end. Start your morning by sending co-workers a friendly “good morning” chat. If you’re in the middle of an email conversation, suggest moving it to Zoom or Skype. Interacting face-to-face onscreen makes it feel like you’re in the same room. And, still attend those office happy hours — unless we’re in the middle of a pandemic, of course.

If you strive to follow these tips every day, you can have confidence that you’ll be successful working from home.

References:

https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/work-at-home-after-covid-19-our-forecast

https://www.inc.com/neil-patel/when-how-and-how-often-to-take-a-break.html