How To Work From Home & Be Productive
Many businesses are now encouraging their employees to work from home with recent research showing that flexible working can help boost productivity and efficiency. But many of us still find it hard to stay motivated in our own homes. So here’s some helpful tips on how you can work from home and still smash your to-do list…
Set your hours
Before you begin working from home, set your hours the night before. It’s easy to procrastinate and get distracted on a coffee or snack break, so make sure you set and stick to work hours and give yourself a lunch hour. Get up, shower, put your comfy clothes on and get ready to seize the day.
Work near natural light
However tempted you are to work from you bed, don’t do it. The last thing you want to do is slip into a cheeky nap and wake up to a load of angry emails off your boss. Move your laptop and work essentials to a room that has lots of natural light or pick a spot near a window. Research shows that access to natural light has a direct impact in physical and mental health, efficiency, creativity and workplace wellbeing.
Keep your phone on DND
If you have a work phone, keep your personal phone in a separate room and set it to do not disturb. If you use your personal phone for work matters, disable notifications on social media and messaging platforms so that you don’t get tempted to scroll through memes all day.
Stay away from the TV
Even just having the TV on a low volume in the background can be a huge distraction. Switch it off completely and if you really want to tune into some Judge Judy-style daytime TV, then reward yourself with a lunchtime TV break.
Wear headphones
Whether it’s your neighbour’s noisy dog, a car alarm going off or the gentle hum of your washing machine, background noises are distracting AF. Plug in your headphones and tune into your favourite playlist – something mellow maybe? If you find music distracting then a pair of earplugs will help minimise noise and keep you focused.
Remember to ‘switch off’
We can become so focused on switching on and staying productive throughout the day that we forget to physically and mentally switch off when the working day is done. Make sure you have a routine that marks the end of your day. This could be something like going to the gym, going for walk, having a bath or cooking dinner. The last thing you want to do is be dragging your work into the late evening hours. Wrap up your work and wind down.
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