How to Boost Productivity While Working From Home
The coronavirus epidemic has compelled millions of individuals throughout the globe to work remotely. As the borders between their professions, home, and family lives have blurred, they have had to deal with a new set of obstacles, such as adapting to working outside the office environment and establishing a work-life balance.
Despite these obstacles, studies have shown that the majority of remote employees were as, if not more, productive throughout the epidemic, owing in part to fewer distractions, less commuting, and more independence.
And, as long-term remote work and job flexibility grow increasingly appealing to individuals and feasible to companies, it’s critical to remain motivated, productive, and prevent mental health difficulties and burnout when working from home.
Here are seven strategies on how to optimise productivity when working remotely and maybe enhance your health and career.
1. Create a Work-Life Routine That Allows Flexibility
A steady pattern can assure productivity and establish some separation, which may help you avoid the health, career, and family implications of burnout while working from home.
You might begin by asking your management whether they intend to need staff to work core hours for coordination and communication. This will help you plan out the hours you’ll need to work. For instance, after addressing the matter with your boss, you may both agree that you must be accessible to work and communicate with your team for at least four hours every day.
By creating routines based on a flexible work schedule, you offer yourself a better chance to optimise productivity and stay motivated when working from home.
2. Make Your Workspace More Comfortable
Create a physical location where you can concentrate and focus on your professional obligations. This workplace may consist of a laptop, desk, and family room chair, depending on your living circumstances. Alternatively, you may discover that you may optimise productivity by working in a corner of your bedroom or basement, or in a real office if you have enough space. Many individuals flourish when they work at their kitchen or dining room table. The greatest area to set up your “office” is where you feel most at ease working.
You should also avoid the desire to set up a typical workplace for more comfort and efficiency. How many file cabinets or work storage areas do you really require? Most individuals whose employment enables them to work from home need nothing more than a laptop or desktop computer, a printer, maybe noise-cancelling headphones, and a comfy chair.
3. Establish Interaction Time and Boundaries
Set limits for space and engagement with people in your family, such as children, partners, spouses, or parents. While you may not need to maintain regular office hours during this time, there will be occasions when you need to focus without interruption. Consider scheduling times when your family members or individuals in your home agree not to disrupt your work. You may also share available time slots with other adults in your family.
If your partner or spouse leaves the house to work, you may want to consider letting another adult—preferably a trusted family member or acquaintance who is virus-free—assist you.
Another option is to share child care with a group of neighbours who are also working from home, allowing you to optimise productivity during your kid-free periods.
4. Employ Productivity-Boosting Techniques Working at Home
If you find yourself wasting whole mornings reading emails and achieving nothing else, it’s time to acknowledge the value of using a few tried-and-true ways to boost your productivity. These approaches may help you optimise your workflow and offer you a feeling of satisfaction if you work from home on a flexible schedule.
- Make the following action items: Write down three to five major objectives you want to do the next day after each day. Choose the most significant thing and put it where you will notice it first the next day.
- Concentrate on the most vital task: First and foremost, do your most critical assignment. If you are unable to do any other tasks in a day, you will have completed the most important job. Remember that if someone really needs you, they will contact you, so don’t worry about other critical matters pending in email.
- Utilise folders and inboxes: To manage your inbox, use folders, labels, and several email accounts. Ideally, you should put all of the publications you wish to read “someday” in a folder. Shopping and other deal communications should never clog your primary inbox. Only use it for professional emails and intimate family contact. While it may take some effort to set up an email filing system, the benefits are undeniable.
5. Attend to Your Physical Needs
On days when you need to focus primarily on work, be sure to schedule a time to take a deep breath and relax. When working remotely, people have a propensity to blur the barriers between work and home. Dinner with the family is essential. Evening time is important if you have worked all day. You may wish to plan a family supper every day at 7 p.m.
Your physical wellness is equally crucial. If you don’t feel well, you won’t be able to maximise productivity, prevent burnout, or enjoy the perks of working from home. Here are a few tips to help you keep on track with your health.
Consume regular meals and set aside regular exercise time each day.
Make an effort to get necessary health testing, and schedule telehealth visits with your health care providers.
6. Maintain Consistent Communication with Your Coworkers
According to a Mercer survey on how businesses are reacting to the COVID-19 working climate, roughly 37% of enterprises reported that workers were having mental health concerns as a result of social isolation and economic distress.
Speaking with coworkers on a regular basis and participating in team-building activities that bring individuals closer together become vital when everyone is working remotely. Consider sharing photos with coworkers of the pleasure you’ve had with family members once you’ve embraced the freedom that working from home provides. This kind of activity may help increase morale remotely and motivate other team members to do the same. You can assist in preserving a feeling of routine and productivity by making an effort to keep in contact.
7. Modernise Technology
You’ll want to make sure that your applications and platforms are always up to date, and that your hardware, smartphone, and other equipment are all adaptive, up to current, and useful for remote work.
