How to Win the Productivity Battle When Working From Home
Who doesn’t like the occasional work-from-home day? But now that working from home is the new “norm” what used to be a fun change of pace can feel like it’s dragging on forever.
It’s easy to fall out of sync from your normal schedule and pick up bad habits; how do you transition to full-time work-from-home and make sure you’re staying motivated/productive?
Here are 5 tips to stay on track:
Get up and get ready just like you would to go into the office
Who doesn’t love an extra 10-15 minutes of sleep and staying in your PJs all day?! But sticking to your pre-Covid-19 routine is important. This will help get you into the “work-mode” mindset. Take a shower, eat a healthy breakfast, put on some normal clothes and…
Find/dedicate a work space in your home
Whether you live in a small apartment/studio, a ton of roommates or a huge, empty house, you need to find a space you can work in. Areas that are tidy, away from heavy foot traffic/easy distractions, and with some natural light are ideal. If you’ve got roommates, consider informing them of your work hours so they know when not to disturb you.
Don’t be afraid to take breaks
There is nothing wrong with taking a mental break. It’s good to pause, regroup and come back ready to go. Some ideas can be going for a short walk, reading a chapter in a book you’ve been dying to finish or a (short) binge-watch of TikTok videos! Whatever it takes to get yourself away from work for 10-15 minutes can really help increase productivity. And remember – if your break schedule isn’t working for you, there’s no shame in changing it up!
Continue to engage with your coworkers
It’s easy to feel isolated when you can’t lean around the cubicle wall to chat with your neighbor – remember that you aren’t the only one feeling that way! Check in with your coworkers, see how their day is going, or see if they need help with anything. Even a two minute chat can really help with feeling connected/still a part of the work community when you’re away from your office. Our team has set up “Water Cooler” video-meetings twice a day for 15 minutes to check in and say hi (no shop-talk allowed)! It’s a great way to see a friendly face too.
Have a cut-off time
When you’re working from home it’s easy to accidentally let work bleed into your down-time. Creating a hard-stop point for yourself to end work for the day can motivate you to get everything done before then. Plus it’s a great way to give yourself permission to mentally check out for the day and look forward to tomorrow!
Bonus Tip!
If you just can’t seem to keep yourself on track, try the Pomodoro technique. This is a simple process to help better manage your time while boosting productivity. Here is how it works: pick a task you’d like to get done; set a timer for 25 minutes; work on that task until the timer goes off; check that off your list and then take a short 5-10 minute break . For every four Pomodoros you complete, take a longer break. Typically people take a lunch break by this time.
Still struggling? We’re putting out new tips and tricks throughout the week on our blog, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Check them out or send us a message with your question!
