Among the many changes that the pandemic brought in 2020, the onset of ‘work from home’ for millions of employees across the globe has gotten a lot of attention.
According to the different studies carried out in 2020, it seems that the majority of workers who have experienced working from home enjoyed it to the point of wanting to continue working remotely, at least till the pandemic is over.
In a FlexJobs survey from September 2020, 65% of respondents declared wanting to work from home full-time post-pandemic, and 31% would prefer a hybrid remote work environment, with some days in the office, some days at home.
While working from the comfort of your own home often comes with many advantages, such as the absence of commute, less stress, more time for personal activities before and after work, it can also be challenging to keep up with your office productivity and take some time to adjust to.
10 Tips To Boost Your Work From Home Productivity
We’ve put together a list of 10 tips to boost your work from home productivity:
- Work in a designated space
- Have good equipment and tools
- Follow a routine
- Structure your day
- Communicate…more
- Take breaks
- Plan distractions
- Prepare your meals in advance
- Listen to motivating music
- Set home rules
1. Work in a designated space
The first step for being productive while working from home is to separate your professional life from your personal life in your living space.
Many define work from home as living at work, which is why this separation of your space is so important to maintain a healthy balance between both aspects of your life.
If your home has an office, great! If it doesn’t and you live in a smaller place, it will be trickier to have that distinction, but not impossible. Working from your bed is not an option, so you might have to reorganize your space and dedicate a corner of your living room, and set up a desk that will be only for work.
2. Invest in the right equipment and tools
Once you have found your dedicated workspace, it’s time to think about your equipment.
You don’t want to be working 8 hours a day on a small laptop, squinting your eyes and with a bad posture from this kitchen chair that you’re sitting on.
If you can, it’s recommended that you grab a monitor, an ergonomic office chair, and a mouse from your office, to work in the best possible conditions.
3. Follow a routine
Getting in a productive mindset while being in your personal space can be challenging. To counter this, you must follow the same routine as when you go to the office.
Wake up at the same time and try to use the commuting time to do something useful such as exercise or meditation. While it may be tempting to stay in your pajamas all day, it definitely won’t help get you in the mood for work, so do dress up as if you were going to the office.
It’s also important that you define your working hours, and don’t work longer hours because you’re saving transportation time.
4. Structure your day
Your energy levels will naturally ebb and flow throughout the day, it’s inevitable.
Whether you are more energized in the morning or after lunch, plan your activities accordingly by working on projects when you are at your best, and schedule meetings at a time when you’re less focused.
Plan your day by reserving blocks in your calendar for each activity.
5. Communicate, communicate, communicate
Communication is the main key to remote work. To stay on the same page with your colleagues, you will have to consciously up your game, to the point of over-communicating.
Have regular calls with your team to discuss projects, share meeting notes, send recap emails, and stay in touch throughout the day via chat. Solutions such as Microsoft 365 can help you achieve optimal communication with the live chat app Microsoft Teams and OneDrive cloud storage for files and email.
If you are a manager, trusting your team’s ability to work independently is vital, but don’t forget to provide regular feedback to ensure that all employees know where they are performance-wise.
6. Take breaks
Working on your own, with no one to spend the occasional coffee break with you, it’s easy to forget that breaks are necessary to stay motivated and focused.
You have to plan regular breaks during your day, the same way that you would at the office. If you notice a tendency to skip them, don’t hesitate to schedule them in your calendar.
7. Plan distractions
Being at home all day gives you full access to your kitchen…and unlimited snacks. It can be hard on your body and your mind. To stay healthy physically and mentally, avoid overeating, go out for walks or exercise before or after work, and make sure you get enough sleep.
8. Prepare your meals in advance
Preparing your lunch the evening before, just like you would do if you were going to the office, is highly recommended.
Otherwise, you might find yourself spending your entire lunch break cooking, and have no time to have a relaxing lunch before getting back to work (or spend too much time on a break).
9. Listen to motivating music
Contrary to popular belief, listening to music can help you focus on your work. According to a study by Accountemps, over 71% of professionals said they are at least somewhat more productive when playing music while working, pop, rock, and country music providing the biggest boost.
It can be a good companion if you live alone and you find the sound of silence a bit heavy.
10. Set home rules
If you have a family, and especially children, it can be difficult to have them respect your workspace.
You don’t want to have them showing up on camera during a work call or interrupting a presentation. You need to explain to the people you share your home with what the rules are going to be, what they are allowed or not allowed to do, and when.
Work From Home Is Here To Stay
Given the fact that most leading companies are offering their employees the option to permanently work from home, this is a concept that is here to stay. As more and more companies see the benefits of having their employees work from home, the way businesses operate is sure to change.
The work from home productivity tips listed above should help you use your time efficiently and tackle the little hurdles that work from home brings.
Pro tip: Starting a blog or investing time towards building your pet project is a great way to stay productive and use your time judiciously.
Author bio
Amélie Wadoux, copywriter at EuroDNS, Internet domain registrar and hosting provider based in Luxembourg.