In recent times, Remote work is on the rise. A large number of people are shifting towards working from home. A lot of companies have started to implement work from home remote work systems in their organizations.
Do you know working from home can actually result in higher productivity? As per the recent survey, it is found that 90% of people believe that remote working makes them more productive. It helps them to achieve work-life balance.
Also, according to one recent survey, the employees who are working remotely are much healthier, happier, and far more productive than the office-bounded workspace employees. But, that doesn’t mean that work from home does not come with drawbacks.
For one thing, when the sofa calls your name to that midday nap or to watch your dream series in the afternoon hours, there’s nobody there to crack the whip.
On the one hand, where working from home seems to be a perfect way to increase productivity, on the other hand, it requires some careful planning to do so.
Here, I have engulfed 07 excellent tips that will help you boost productivity when working from home –
Make a separate work home space that shines
You do not have a proper space to create a different office in your home, but you can try your utmost to establish as much distinction as possible between your personal area and your workplace.
This may be as easy as having a rotating desk at the end of the day or even turning a closet into a fold-away table. Again, the goal is to build as much of a barrier as possible between your job and your personal life.
Most people who work at home find it very challenging to concentrate on work, while there are big amounts of washing to be finished, or a whole sink full of dishes that they keep crashing into.
The more that you are willing to separate yourself from certain kinds of distractions, the better it would be for you to concentrate on work.
Stick to the daily work schedule
This is one of the most important things that you need to follow. Setting up your daily routine and schedule will help you keep productive the whole day. All you need to do is stick to the time when you start, no matter if it’s 5am in the morning or right after brunch, you have to make sure that you keep up to your schedule daily.
The key to get successful while working from home is to set the real work hours. You have to organize your routine like replying to the emails in the morning hours and dealing with the clients meetings until the EOD. You need to manage the time efficiently.
If you are a long term remote worker, you also need to set the schedule on a weekly basis. And if you are a worker whose work differs every single day, all you need to do is to create a simple to do list or you can make sticky notes for your day to day tasks. This will help you to complete all the tasks without any delay.
Get yourself dressed up like you are going to the office.
We all know that the most exceptional benefit of working from home is you can just put your pajamas on and work the whole day/night. But, do you know that this can actually hit your productivity? How?
Humans are a creature of habits! Our habits make us what we are, what we do. And, sometimes these habits can trigger us. Your attitude is what creates your mindset. You should see someone do yoga daily. Even after having a long hard day, the second they put their yoga pants on, something shifts quickly in them internally.
Specific attire can set and gear up your mood. So, to be focused and keep your mind and body dedicated, you must dress up like you are getting ready for the office, and then should start working. Clothes can intellectually prepare your mindset, and it’s a guarantee that you will see the results in your work.
Cut Off and Say a BIG NO to distractions
There are countless distractions, with which you have to deal while working from home. The sound of the television, your spouse or your kids talking to you, your friends showing up at your working hours, the neighbor calling you for borrowing a bowl of sugar. If you don’t take strict actions towards controlling this, you may not be able to work properly and dedicatedly.
You need to set firm boundaries and set the time limit to pay attention to these sorts of distractions. Also, you can utilize your breaks to interact with your family and friends. Be punctual, and do not sacrifice your work for the silly things. Act like you are at the office, even if you are at home.
Give yourself short breaks.
Although I have dedicated this blog to stay productive while working from home, you know that sometimes the opposite can happen. People do think that while working from home, they will be able to get more and more work done. This may lead to working too much and over-committing, which can be a big productivity killer.
The thought part of your brain, your prefrontal cortex, requires work breaks to prevent exhaustion in making decisions, and increase productivity and improve your imagination.
You should take breaks rather than preferring to sit for straight eight hours. If you take breaks, you will be physically as well as mentally fit.
Use tool to monitor your Productive and Non-Productive hours
This is one of the most important work from home tips that you should follow. In order to be ahead of the curve, you need to assess your every move. For this, you can use a time tracking and productivity measurement tools like EmpMonitor.
This Exemplary time-tracking and productivity measurement software help you to know your total productive and non-productive hours. Also, it helps you to examine the total time spent on the apps, websites. It also logs your attendance and helps you to be on track.
Using such software will let you know the whole productivity you made and help you know where you are lacking behind.
Say bye-bye to your social media during work hours.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram can be a major time-suck giant, if you are not careful. Spend your time wisely. Put your social media off to avoid the temptation you get to scroll the news feeds.
To save time, you can also do one thing – that is, to set off the notifications from all your social media channels. You can also check with your company social media guidelines and work accordingly. If you are surfing through your social media, this may distract you and will eat a lot of time. That is why, to not waste much time, you can set a definite time slot and accordingly you can check your social media accounts in that particular time.
Invest in Technology, Be a tech-savvy
No matter if you have a new branded smartphone or a branded laptop, you should definitely think about investing in a nice pair of headphones with a mic. Make sure it has a great noise cancellation feature as it will help you to improve the clarity of your phone calls.
Also, you can take the help of Google Docs in order to create, share, and edit the documents with your colleagues. You can also create a group in popular professional communication platforms like Telegram, Watsapp – Through which you and your colleagues can have watercooler chats, share ideas, discuss important things, and work in the right direction as a team.
Be watchful against Security breaches and threats.
Just because you aren’t at the workplace doesn’t imply you aren’t a hacker target. Your system and your company’s data and information are extremely useful to hackers and terrorists, so be vigilant and work safely.
Get in touch with the IT assistant in case you face any issues. Also, keep in mind the company network policies and work accordingly. For encryption, you should use a business-grade VPN. Be alert and save yourself and your company from any kind of threat.
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Final Words
Productivity is nothing, but the outcome of how well disciplined you are. The biggest difference between work from home versus in a workplace is that you have far more time in your own house or your chosen remote place to eliminate the distractions than you would have at your workplace. The trick is – how well you do it.
Work from home is now no more a novel concept. Around 40% of the companies are transforming towards implementing such a type of remote work. Moreover, as I have told you all in the Introduction, the employees who are working remotely are way more productive than those who are working in the workplace. Work from home embraces to develop a balance between work and life.
The above-mentioned work from home tips will surely help you double the productivity if you follow. Plan your tasks, get your pants on, and work hard. Also, do not forget to get yourself a break walk outside – A little oxygen can do wonders in your brain.
Remember, Schedule, and structure will keep you on track when you are working from home. Stay dedicated, monitor your productivity, and improve, stay true to yourself and your company.
