Working From Home? Let’s Discuss Productivity Tips
One of the benefits of working from home is the flexibility it gives you to do your job. However, this luxury can often turn into a missed opportunity if not planned accordingly.
Below are some essential work-from-home tips that you can easily follow at home.
- Get Ready for Your Work Day:
Dressing up is something that people do not bother about while working from home but that’s not how it should be. You should get ready for your work as you usually do. Casual dress or pajamas are great, and they give you comfort and a sense of freedom but it may not help you to stay productive if you wear them for 48 hours straight.
Our brains are programmed in a way that it takes cues from our social and personal outlook while making a decision. When you dress up for your work, your brain gets a message. It’s like a natural alarm that can keep you alert throughout the day.
Getting dressed includes all the appearance-based tasks — taking a shower, doing your hair, and minimal makeup. These factors make you look presentable.
- Choose a Proper Home Office:
What is the best thing about working from home? Most probably, the level of comfort, but do you know that this comfort can come at the cost of lost productivity, focus, and target goals?
As much as home working is convenient for many as they can coop up in their bed or couch, it becomes challenging to resist the temptation of sleep. Also, You might sit at any place, start working on your task list, and all of a sudden, a movie or an ad plays on TV, causing you to turn around and take a glimpse, thus creating a distraction. It is likely for this to happen every now and then if you choose a random spot to work. Distractions will flow in every way.
Therefore, having a particular space all to yourself will do a great deal.
- Maintain consistent Working Hours:
How often do you lose track of time while working from home? Almost every day, right? When your mind is completely on work, it is quite possible for you to be unaware of the amount of time that has passed. However, this practice is unhealthy. Being a workaholic may be good but within the working hours. You should not overdo it.
A general work-life balance is a very important factor when working from home. Your personal life is just as important as your professional life.
You might have days when you need to finish a pile of work; in case of this, you can either resort to communicating with your manager for an extension or you can extend your work time for that particular day as one day can be considered.
- Invest in Quality Technology:
Yes, setting up a home office or workspace may require a small investment. Much like starting a new business, you may have to purchase technology, such as a desktop, laptop, tablet, or remote phone system to do your job every day. As much as we love working at our own pace, a poor internet connection or an outdated system can get frustrating. Good internet connectivity is the ultimate tool for remote workers. However, in order to acquire an affordable network, it’s better to do proper research on the specifications, speed, and price before making a decision.
In all, it’s advisable to invest in whatever you need to comfortably and efficiently do your job.
- Communicate expectations with anyone who will be home with you:
Of course, you might be working from home but still have “company.” Make sure any roommates or family members respect your space during work hours. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’re home. If you share space with another work-from-home adult, you may have to lay ground rules about meeting times, shared desks and chairs, and quiet times.