While working from home had been picking up pace for years, it has gone into overdrive since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. It seems that, nowadays, major portions of the workforce are being asked to perform their duties from a home office. This has radically changed the working dynamics for tens of millions of people around the world.
Working from home certainly has its fair share of advantages. Gone are the days of sitting in traffic before the official workday even begins. Working in your house allows you to run the laundry while in a virtual meeting, keep half an eye on the kids in the other room and save money on food by preparing hot meals at home. It’s little wonder that countless workers are raving about their new lifestyle.
But while the benefits are numerous and life-changing, working from home does have a major downside. Left to your own devices and with no boss looking over your shoulder, it can be hard to stay productive in your home office. We’re all guilty of the occasional diversion down a useless back alley of the internet, but sometimes these distractions can become a major issue.
In order to stay productive in your home office, you need to be purposeful about limiting distractions and adopting healthy habits. It takes hard work and determination to keep yourself on task. Here are some tricks to consider as you seek to improve productivity in your new home office.
Turn Your Office Into The Optimal Working Environment
In order to make the most of your home office, you need to optimise the space. This means eliminating potential distractions while supplying yourself with everything you could potentially need over the course of your workday. Televisions, radios and free access for family members are all to be avoided. Keep everything you could need within reach from your desk chair, so that you can grab all necessary supplies without losing your train of thought. Also, be sure to keep the space organised. A messy desk can ruin your chances of maximising your productivity.
Organise Your Time
A productive day almost always begins with a solid plan. We all have our own tendencies and preferences, but almost everyone benefits from dividing their day into distinct blocks of time. Before you start working, lay out exactly how you’ll spend the rest of your day. This will give you a foundation on which you can build each of the day’s tasks. To remind yourself of your prospective schedule, you might want to write your plan down and pin it beside your computer. This will force you to stay on task.
Give Yourself Smart, Realistic Goals
In order to make the most of your time, you need your goals for the day to be well-defined. It’s not enough to simply “want to get a lot done.” You need to lay out exactly what it is that you’re hoping to accomplish. The best goals are realistic and concrete, giving you something you can plausibly aim for over the course of the day. Goals can take both long-term and short-term form. The most productive workers start out by setting long-term objectives, then plan each day so that it will bring them closer to achieving their goals.
Take Plenty Of Breaks
There’s a fine line between being a hard worker and becoming a workaholic. If you try to work non-stop, you’ll only set yourself up for burnout down the road. The most productive workers learn to take effective breaks. Your mind and your body need the occasional bit of rest to recharge and prepare for another round of productivity. Schedule breaks throughout your day and make sure they’re long enough to actually be rejuvenating. Simply washing your face won’t cut it but taking a walk around the block could be just the breather you need.
Successfully working from home is all about doing the little things to maximise your efficiency. None of the items on this list involve massive changes or extreme measures and yet they’ll make you a more productive worker. With just a few small adjustments, you can start making the most of your new home office.
Author: Abby Drexler, Sr. Digital PR Specialist
Photo Credits: Pixabay
