Not dealing with the hustle of morning traffic may come as a relief, but working from home has its own set of challenges.
For starters, it is difficult to recreate the discipline of an office environment. There are distractions and interruptions which disrupt work input. It may seem fun to stay in your pajamas all day but keeping your toddler from screaming bloody murder while you attend that conference call or your cat from snoozing on your laptop can be tricky.
Regardless of the challenges, it is possible to achieve maximum productivity even when working from home. All it takes is a little management and some self-discipline.
12 Ways to Increase Productivity
Here are 12 ways for you to be productive while working from home:
1. Set Up Your Home Office
The first step is picking out a spot in your home where you could set up your laptop and your office supplies. Put up your desk in a quiet room or corner away from the bustle of family members.
This will keep distractions to a minimum and help you stay focused.
2. Pretend You Are At Office
Follow your regular morning routine. Wake up at the same time you would if you had to beat the traffic to get to your office on time. Going through the same motions as before will keep you mentally alert and focused. A structured day where you have a schedule for completing each work task will make you more productive.
3. Start Early
It is better to start early and get on top of the workload. Sleeping in and putting off starting your work until it is late will let morning sluggishness takeover and affect productivity.
4. Stay Organized
A cluttered space offers many distractions. For one it is a constant reminder of all the things that need to be done apart from work. The strewn clothes scream to you to put them in the washer, the empty coffee mugs plead you to put them in the dishwasher, the disarray of books begs you to put them back on their shelves and it goes on and on.
Organization is the key to minimizing distractions. Put your clothes away in the laundry basket, don’t let dishes pile up and keep clutter to a minimum. This will not only de-stress you but keep you more aligned with your office work.
5. Lay Down Ground Rules
Chances are that while you answer those emails and attend that conference call the people you share the space with may barge in. So lay down some ground rules. Let them know your work timings and ask them to respect your workspace.
6. Decide Work Hours
Working from home may give you the luxury of not punching the clock. But that does not mean you should not have a clear idea of when to start and when to stop. Set up definite work hours along with a lunch break. The more order and predictability you manage to create while working from home the more you will be able to achieve.
7. Dedicate Time Slots To Different Tasks
When you work from home you have the opportunity to customize your workflow. What times of the day do you feel most active and alert? Morning or early afternoons? Those are the times you should dedicate yourself to performing the most brain-teasing tasks. Less challenging tasks could be performed at those times when you feel low on energy.
8. Run Errands In Between
Get rid of those pins and needles in your legs from sitting too long by taking a short break and doing laundry. Exercise in between working has shown to maximize productivity, so why not use this opportunity to get some chores done. Put the clothes in the washing machine and get back to your desk. Aim at completing a certain number of tasks before you hear the washer ring.
9. Make That To-Do List
Planning is so important to get ahead of the workload when working from home. So dedicate a few minutes each day and plan out your day. Write down the tasks that need to be done and assign time to each task based on your level of productivity throughout the day.
Start your day with a general outline and commit to sticking to it. Check off tasks from your to-do list and give yourself small rewards to keep you motivated.
10. Be a Busy Bee
Keeping yourself busy is a sure way to get the most things done. Lounging or slacking is going to thwart workflow. Remember like attracts like, the more you commit to getting things done the more you are likely to get them done. Don’t laze around and put off getting back to work, keep focused and dedicate yourself to executing all the assigned tasks.
11. Turn Up The Music
Working from home gives you the luxury of walking into the kitchen and whipping up some coffee when you feel your energy waning. Likewise, turn up some music to keep when work starts feeling like a drag.
12. Keep It Bright
Bright lighting is proven to increase focus and attentiveness while dim mellow light has the opposite effect. Moreover, the glare from your computer screen can hurt your eyes. So draw back the curtain or roll up the blinds. Enjoy the view from your window while working on your laptop during the day.
Summary
Here’s a quick recap of 12 Ways to Increase Productivity While Working from Home:
- Set Up Your Home Office
- Pretend You Are At Office
- Start Early
- Stay Organized
- Lay Down Ground Rules
- Decide Work Hours
- Dedicate Time Slots To Different Tasks
- Run Errands In Between
- Make That To-Do List
- Be a Busy Bee
- Turn Up The Music
- Keep It Bright
Working from home gives the perks of devising a flexible schedule which capitalized on an individual’s maximum levels of productivity throughout the day. It also allows you to interact with family and create a comfortable work environment.
It is, however, important to manage working from home effectively so that you don’t lag. Creating the right work environment and keeping distractions to a minimum can help reap the maximum benefits of working from home.
