Work From Home Productivity Hacks!
Working from home is now the norm for a lot of us when it wasn’t the case before. It was made more possible by the pandemic as companies and workers alike came to realize the value of working from home. However, this does come with some unique challenges when it comes to productivity. It’s an entirely different environment and doing remote work takes some planning to ensure we stay as efficient, even while working in the comfort of our own homes. This is why in this post, we want to share four productivity hacks that can help you!
1. Set up a dedicated workspace.
It’s easy to blur the lines of home and work when you’re doing remote work, which can make all the difference when it comes to your productivity. This is why it’s important to dedicate a particular part of your house as your workspace. It can be a room, a specific desk in your bedroom, or even a spot at the dining table. What this helps with is creating a distinction: when there’s an obvious, physical boundary that separates work from home, then you’ll find it easier to switch into a work mode as needed as soon as you’re within your workspace.
An added bonus of this distinction is that it allows you to pay attention to work without distractions. You’re basically putting yourself in the zone. On the other hand, once work is over, stepping out of your dedicated workspace means you can now focus on leisure and other personal things.
2. Create a routine and stick to it.
One of the best ways to maintain and improve productivity is by sticking to a routine. This is still true when you’re working remotely—perhaps even more so! The reason? It’s going to be very tempting to blur the lines between work and your personal time. After all, work-related things are within reach and if you can spend just five more minutes on what you’re doing… before you know it, your tasks have taken over and you’re not quite focused on your home life.
Inversely, spending just a little more time on that break instead of going back to work can have a minor impact once, but what if you start doing it every time and for longer periods?
Just as someone at work would have their own work hours and break times (including lunch), stick to a general routine and make sure you follow it. Sure, no one’s really going to tell you off for not doing so but it can have a negative impact on your productivity in the long run.
3. Be proactive about eliminating—or minimizing—distractions.
Distractions are hard enough to avoid at work. What more from the comfort of your own home where you’re most likely your own boss and have complete control over your time? It can be anything from household chores to social media notifications—or even the pull of the couch or your own bed where you can relax anytime you want.
To combat distractions, you can try using a productivity app that blocks distracting websites or apps during work hours. You can also try noise-canceling headphones. Another thing is setting boundaries with family members or roommates to minimize interruptions during work hours—make it clear that your time at the moment is dedicated only to work-related things and, short of an emergency, that’s where you’d like to keep your focus.
Need some tips on how to stay focused? Here are five ways to do so!
4. Keep your work hours and breaks balanced.
While taking breaks may seem counterintuitive to productivity, it’s necessary. However, because you’re working from home, one of two things can happen: you either take less of it—because you can always take a break anyway so why not just do a little bit more work?
Or, the reverse: it’s easy to get back to work since you have all the time you need, so you end up taking more or longer breaks than you actually need.
Aside from following a schedule and sticking to a routine, it’s important to build the self-discipline needed to focus on work when it’s time for it, and then step away as soon as you’re done for the day so you can focus on your personal life. Keeping a balance is key! This ensures you enjoy all of the benefits of working from home while staying productive and efficient.
Need help with developing self-discipline? Check out this post for some of the things you can try!
How do you stay productive while working from home?
There are no challenges in life that we can’t overcome and this includes the ones presented by remote work. Though it may take some getting used to and a lot of discipline and accountability, with some effort, you’ll be able to make the most out of your work hours at home in no time!
What other productivity hacks can you think of? Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below!
