Working from home has become the new normal for many people. Some people find it a pleasant change and they even more productive.
But for others, it just doesn’t seem to work.
If you’re one of those people, follow our three tips to boost your work-from-home productivity.
How to be more productive at home?
Deal with distractions
Distractions are your worst productivity killer when working from home. Ever noticed how cleaning the kitchen suddenly looks a lot more attractive?
Unfortunately, these distractions don’t only come from within. They come from all over the place: family members, the media, neighbours and so on.
If you want to be focused and actually get some work done at home, you need to deal with every single source of distractions. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started right now.
- Install a website blocker
- Keep your desk and office clean
- Turn off push notifications and apps
- Delete social media apps from your phone
- Train your focus through meditation, breathwork …
- Let people around you know you don’t want to be disturbed
Finally, it makes sense to plan your day. When you know exactly what you need to do, it’s easier to stay focused. When you don’t, your mind will quickly wander and think about dinner, status updates and Tinder dates.
Don’t let distractions get in the way of your productivity. Plan your day, keep a clean desk, and avoid unnecessary interruptions.
Disconnect at the end of the day
There’s only so much you can do in a day, so don’t kick yourself if you fall behind schedule. Working more hours often won’t cut it. It may even lead to burnout, anxiety and stress. You’ll lose productivity…
It may sound counterintuitive, but if you want to be productive while working from home, make sure you disconnect regularly.
Set a fixed time to clean your desk at the end of the day. Log out of your accounts or at the very least shut down your computer. Spend the last few hours of the day on something that feeds you. Read, go to the gym, cook a nice dinner.
And if that doesn’t work. Disconnect from work more drastically. Take a day off. Get out of your house. Move away from everything that reminds you of work, even your kitchen table or bed.
Keep personal and professional life separate by finishing work at a fixed time and closing everything down.
A few more tips to be productive while working from home
Avoiding distractions and taking care of your mental space will already help you to be more productive at home. But we believe you can supercharge your work-from-home productivity with a few final tips.
First of all, consider adding routines to your schedule. A morning routine can do wonders to prepare you for the day and get you in the right mood to start work.
Work routines can also help you streamline processes. When you repeat the same actions or process every day, it becomes easier. You almost do them without thinking. This means you’ll complete the task faster while also saving decision-making power. For example, if you have a fixed time to check your emails, you don’t have to worry about that the rest of the day.
Secondly, it may help to set goals. Self-imposed deadlines are great for motivation. For example, tell yourself you can do something fun, only if you finish your assignment before 3 pm.
Finally, we encourage you to optimise your environment to find flow. In a flow state, your activities almost feel effortless. Everything we’ve discussed so far will help you get in the zone. Additionally, consider these tips to induce flow.
- Create a flow-inducing work playlist
- Push yourself just outside your comfort zone (tighter deadlines/harder tasks)
- Stay focused on the present. Forget about the past; don’t think about the future.
Set yourself up for more productive days at home by creating better habits, setting deadlines and optimising your flow.
Your turn to boost your work-from-home productivity
All in all, working from home has a lot of benefits, until it doesn’t…
When you’re productivity plummets, remember to follow these steps:
- Remove distractions
- Make sure you disconnect properly at night
- Add routines, deadlines (and flow) to streamline your workday.
How would you rate this information about work-from-home productivity?
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...