One of the toughest things to handle while working from home is managing your motivation and productivity. Working from home provides ease but it also gets frustrating when the people around you don’t understand the dimensions of your work. Most people today have a mindset that a home-based job is somewhat not a full-time job. However, this is far from being true.
With this mindset, constant disruptions and interruptions are very much expected. This just makes it difficult to keep your motivation high and work ethics in check. It gets super easy to skip work, lag or prioritize something else. However, we in this article are going to list down a few tips that will make it easy for you to maintain productivity and higher output levels while working from home.
Set Up a Home Office:
The one thing that differentiates an office-based job from a home-based job is the workplace. This is also what ensures a more focused and work-driven mindset. When you go to an office to work, you naturally get more focused and this lacks in a home-based job.
To counter this, designate a corner of your house as your office space. Place a table, a nice comfortable chair, and a soft board to stick post its. Place stationery items and give the space an office feel. Be strict about letting people entering this space.
This will give you and your family the idea that you are actually working, even if it’s in an office right inside your house.
Shower and Dress Up for Work:
This might sound unnecessary, but it helps. Waking up on time, showering and dressing up for work, even though you just need to walk over to your workstation, helps in building focus and discipline. One key trait home-based workers need to instill, to stay on track, is discipline. It seems easy to work casually since you are at home, but this will only hinder your productivity and output.
Therefore, make sure you get ready for work properly every day.
Do Not Compromise on Your Schedule:
Working at home means interruptions and disruptions. People are unable to fathom the seriousness of a home-based job. Hence, they might poke around and cause disruptions during your work hours.
To maintain higher productivity, make sure you have uninterrupted work sessions.
Inform people around you about your work schedule and timing. You can take breaks in between and do urgent tasks if needed around the house. After all, home-based working is about providing you ease.
But make sure it is you who steers your work schedules and not the people around. If you let people disrupt you as and when they will, this will just hinder your work tempo, productivity and cause frustration.
Also, keep communicating with your family and people around regarding what your expectations are and how you would like them to behave. So, in case you have a partner, tell them how they need to knock to call you out rather than just barging in.
Turn Off All Notifications:
Constant beeps of the phone or alerts by your email browser will only negatively affect your productivity. When you sit down to work, remove all digital distractions around you. This might mean switching off your phone, turning it to airplane mode, signing out from your email browser, etc.
Also, avoid unnecessary use of social media during your works hours. The use of social media will eat up your time and kill your routine. Hence, make sure to avoid its use during your job hours. Avoiding distractions will increase your focus. An increased focus will enhance your productivity and motivation to work more and better.
Work in Chunks:
The human brain works best in chunks. Since you have the luxury to not restrict your work-time to an 8-hour job, distribute your working sessions into chunks over the entire day. Work for 90 minutes and then take a 20-minute break. Evenly spread your work hours. So, let’s say you work for two 90-minute chunks in the morning, two chunks in the evening and then two at night.
This will keep your brain active and fresh. It will also keep your productivity and motivation high.
Utilize Your Productive Hours:
There are certain times of the day we feel most active and on top of our game. These are the hours our mind is the most productive.
This is also the time where our brains can produce the best quality work. Make sure you utilize these hours to generate as much work as you can. The rest of the time can be utilized for more mundane chores around the house.
Be Your Boss:
The most difficult part of working from home is having to manage yourself. Having someone to report to, someone to direct and assign tasks are great motivators to achieve maximum output. Also, the constant pressure of meeting the expectations of your boss drives you to put your best efforts forward.
Even though working by yourself doesn’t necessarily mean you may not be able to achieve the same level of productivity, it will get difficult to keep yourself on track. Hence, you need to be highly vigilant to stay focused and maintain the right level of concentration needed to stay on track.
Make a To-Do List:
Having a to-do list will aid you in keeping your tasks organized. Working in a home-office often means unwanted distractions coming your way. In such a situation making a to-do list will help you keep track of the tasks that need to be done. It will also serve as a reminder and will make sure you don’t miss out on important errands.
Save Time Around the House:
Efficient management around the house will give you more time to relax. If the brain is overburdened and stressed, it will affect the productivity levels. Hence, to ensure higher productivity and motivation is achieved, make sure your chores are done efficiently and on time.
Cooking meals takes up a large chunk of a person’s day. Utilizing tips & tricks to save time in the kitchen will help you get more time for work.
Working from home isn’t as easy as the majority make it to be. It requires discipline, efficient management and focus to achieve the best output daily. Our tips for enhanced productivity while working from home will assist you in striking the right balance between home and work.