Working from Home: How to Stay Productive
If you work remotely, it is vital to find ways to avoid prolonged working hours, and blurring lines between personal and professional life. Perhaps the only way to solve the issue is by increasing productivity. With all the modern technology at the fingertips, it would be understandable to see a dip in productivity.
However, with a few adjustments and simple habits, you can increase your productivity.
In this article, we have listed seven ways to improve your productivity when working remotely.
How To Stay Productive When Working From Home?
Create a morning routine
A morning routine is the most effective way to increase productivity when working remotely. It helps plan your workday by setting aside a few minutes at the start of the day.
You can write down all the activities you will be undertaking on a notepad or a whiteboard. Looking at your daily goals from time to time will help you stay focused throughout the day.
Repeat the activity daily, and you can see how it affects your productivity. This process of scheduling work before the day will help you bifurcate more time to meaningful activities and vice-versa.
Pro-tip: Planning your day will help you effectively divide time among different tasks. You can dedicate more time to completing complex, deadline-sensitive tasks and less to finishing easy ones.
Take breaks
There is very less material on how taking frequent breaks helps in boosting productivity. Walking in the garden or listening to music after completing a task increases productivity and helps achieve mental clarity.
Moreover, it helps divert your attention from the target and work to yourself for a few minutes.
Pro-tip: You can go on a walk or sit outside your patio during the breaks. It stimulates your mind and helps in giving mental clarity. You can also exercise to keep your body and mind active and re-energised.
Create a workstation at home
Creating a workspace at home helps in invigorating the feeling of “going to work”. A space without distractions motivates you to complete all assigned tasks effectively in a stipulated time.
Note: If you don’t have an office set-up at home, places like kitchen countertops and dining tables can work as an alternative to an office desk. Moreover, it would help if you avoided working in the bedroom mainly because the bedroom is traditionally associated with sleep and rest.
Therefore, working there can make you feel lethargic and affect your productivity.
Participate in online training
According to a global study, the sudden shift in the work environment has instigated self-doubt in employees. The survey reveals that 33% of respondents spend most of their time reporting to their supervisor or client, invigorating self-doubt.
Online training programmes can help a few employees regain confidence and expand their skillset and knowledge. Apart from that, it can help you during appraisals.
For instance, taking an online digital marketing certification course will help in learning a new skill and expand your knowledge of modern marketing. Moreover, learning a new skill outside your expertise can help you stay motivated.
Note: Emeritus India is a pioneer in online education for working professionals. We have partnered with renowned Indian universities to offer some of the best online advanced training programmes across various fields. So, if you plan to undertake online courses to stay motivated, choose from some of the best learning programmes across multiple fields like marketing, sales, data science, analytics, etc.
Ask for regular feedback
If working from home forces you to second-guess your skills and capabilities, it is better to talk to your supervisor. Ask for their feedback and tips on increasing your productivity and efficiency.
It will help you know what you need to work on and improve.
Schedule work hours
The sudden shift in the work environment has adversely affected the work-life balance of most employees. It has blurred the lines between personal and professional life, reducing productivity and focus. A recent online survey reveals that 40% of the respondents believe working from home has translated into long working hours. It is also suggested to have affected their productivity and efficiency.
The best way to motivate them to stay productive is by following the same work business hours daily. For instance, on Monday, you work from 9 AM to 5 PM, following the same work hours the whole week will help increase efficiency mainly because your mind is accustomed to the work schedule.
You can inform your family members about the same and ask them not to disturb you during work hours.
Pro-tip: You can follow the same work hours as your office. For instance, you used to work from 9 AM to 5 PM before the pandemic. So, follow the same. Take the same lunch break as your typical workday. You’ll have a healthy routine that prepares you to work effectively.
Integrate time management techniques
Along with the points mentioned above, managing your workday wisely can help in increasing productivity. You can incorporate some time management techniques to divide your workday. These techniques will help monitor time spent on a specific task and help you divide time equally.
Pro-tip: Many excellent time management strategies, like the Pomodoro Method, can help you to complete a workday and meet deadlines effectively. These time management strategies suggest how you can utilise time judiciously. However, it does not offer tips or tricks to use time effectively.
