“With many of us faced with no option but to work from home, we have had to adapt to the routine of home working. But does working from home impact our overall productivity? How can we boost productivity when not in the workplace? Does working from home actually increase productivity? The answer can be yes, as long as you have the right mindset to follow. It can be hard to dedicate all of your time to work, especially when many of us are surrounded by family members and lovable pets vying for our attention. To make working from home a little easier, we have some quick tips to make your working from home experience as productive as possible.
Confine your work space
Confining your work space is the best place to start if you’re looking to work productively at home. Ensure that your space doesn’t overlap with the lives of those that you live with so that you can focus on your work. This can be any space in your house, but try not to choose a space that will be a hotspot for distraction, for example, the kitchen table or your sofa. Make sure your zone is quiet and stress free, enabling you to concentrate and dedicate your time to work. If you are lucky enough to have a designated office space, make full use of the room and only do work in this room. Having separate areas for work and relaxation time is essential in creating a work-life balance.
Make a checklist
The humble to-do list is a great way to push productivity when working home. Simply writing your tasks on paper or using an online software will help you keep track of your work, and will enable you to spread your time more effectively. If you don’t want to use paper, consider using an online tool to help you keep track of your workload. Click-Up is a great example, and enables you to display your work tasks in a clean and professional way. This application allows you to work collaboratively and you can simply tick off a task when it’s done.
Ditch the phone
Many workplaces across the country actually ban phones from the office, and it’s no surprise why. Research shows that regularly checking your phone during working hours, even if it’s just for a minute or two, can prevent us from maintaining a state of flow whilst working. Although you don’t have to ditch the phone completely, allow yourself to only check it after a couple hours of work, or during your allocated breaks. As tempting as it can be to update yourself with the latest messages from friends and checking social media, staying off the phone will definitely increase productivity when working from home.
Avoid cabin fever
With the recent Coronavirus pandemic causing us all to spend a disproportionate amount of time at home, it’s important to get outside as much as possible. Whether that be spending your break in the garden, or having a quick walk outside. Spending time outside lowers stress levels and helps you clear your mind. This can be particularly important when working from home, as you can often find yourself being immersed in work. During your breaks or after work, enjoy other areas of your home by reading, cooking or watching your favourite film. Take advantage of your social devices outside of work hours to help build a strong work life balance.
Useful resources
Here are some useful resources to help you work from home a little easier.
Harvest – Useful time tracking tool to assist you in keeping track of tasks and how long you’ve spent on each one.
Zoom – Video conference app to make collaborative working simple.
Click-Up – Effective workload planning and management tool
Evernote – Note taking app
Freedom – Distraction blocker
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By: Richard Edwards
Published: 30th April 2020