7 Ways to Stay Productive When Working From Home
Are you finding it hard to stay productive when the days blur into one? Working from home can make time seem to fly by. As we approach 5 months into working from home you may find that your productivity is slipping. One obvious solution is to take some annual leave and refresh yourself away from work. But if you’ve already done that, then below are 7 ways to reboot your productivity levels:
1.) Remind yourself why you want to be productive. What is this all for?
First motivate yourself by reminding yourself what you’d achieve by being more productive:
You want to make sure you finish at 5pm so you can spend more time with your family.
You want to hit targets and objectives and excel in your career.
You want to make sure you’re less stressed when it comes to hitting your deadlines.
Having a goal in mind will help push you towards getting things done.
2.) You KNOW this. List or Brainstorm!
As often as you need, write down everything you need to do. Once you get it all out you can then prioritise and decide which ones are urgent and which ones you can do later. JUST DO IT!
3.) Write down the time it took to complete each task on your list
This helps you to stay accountable for the time you have today. Have you ever had a day which just whizzed past and you don’t know what you did from it? By having a list and then writing how long it took you to do that task you’ll be more conscious about how long it should be taking you and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate and drag it out!
4.) Before starting on the task, write down the estimated time it would take to do the task efficiently.
Sometimes thinking the task will take ages to do can put you off completing it or make you feel like the task is such a drag it takes you longer to do. If you can get into the mindset that the task will only take you 30 mins if you concentrate, you’ll focus solidly to get it done!
5.) Set up a proper work station or revamp it if you’re already set up!
You don’t want to be distracted by an uncomfortable seat or a messy desk where you can’t find your important notes on. Set up your work environment once and for all. And if you’ve already done this then try revamping it, rearrange your furniture or hang up a new picture sometimes a change in environment can help you feel more refreshed.
6.) Breaks
It is mentally impossible to focus for more than 20 minutes at a time. And there will be diminishing returns when you work too much overtime and late into the night. It’s not cool to work late when you’re just being slow! Therefore make sure you pace yourself and take breaks including your lunch break for a more productive afternoon. Read What to Do in Your Lunch Break to ensure you’re getting enough breaks and don’t burn out.
7.) Reboot your new start with an easy and positive morning routine
Sometimes you need to get into a bit of a roll of getting things done. If you can start with a few easy wins such as: making your bed, getting in 1 of your 5 a day in your breakfast, you’re already starting the day ticking things off. This kind of positive start to the day can really get you into the flow for your work day. Read here for 10 morning routine ideas
Good Luck!
Let us know how you get on, what worked what didn’t. It would be great to get a discussion going.
WOTL Team
