Working From Home | Tips To Stay Productive

Work from home is what some people dream of. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy sitting in PJs, listening to their favourite music, and taking lunch/snack breaks without logging in and out of office? However, working from home comes with its fair share of struggle. Especially for everyone who goes to the office on a regular basis, the lack of a formal office environment can do serious harm to your productivity, which in turn, can drag down your output.

Here are some of the most effective methods to be your most productive self when you are working from home:

 

Create a designated workspace

Assign a comfortable, yet a distraction-free work area in your home. It could be your bedroom, your dining room, a dedicated room for work or even your living room. Designating a specific area subtly creates behavioural patterns to actually work when you’re in that space. This helps you stay away from slacking off or from lazily lounging where you’re supposed to work.

While you can choose the seating and space arrangement that works best for you, it’s ideal to choose an adjustable chair and a work desk. Place these in an area with ample natural light to prevent your eyes from straining. Ensure that you do not have any distractions around you. 

 

Make a checklist

Checklists are a must for people who are working from home. They not only help you become more productive, but they are also a great way to manage your time and to ensure that your productivity is consistent throughout the day.

To optimal productivity, we suggest breaking down your day into 4 or 5 time blocks, depending on the kind of work you have. Vague tasks with no timelines are the ones that you’ll end up procrastinating on, and eventually the ones that are most likely to pile up. For instance, if you are working 8 hours a day, try to break that down to 2-hour blocks. Make it a point to complete your tasks within the time you’ve given yourself. 

 

Stick to your daily routine

It is a human tendency to slack off when you are in the comfort of your home. Most people, when working from home, get lazy to even freshen up before they start working. It is crucial that you follow your workday routine even on days when you work from home. 

Wake up early, freshen up, have your breakfast, take a shower and most importantly, dress up. Staying in your pyjamas all day long will just make you way too comfortable, which in turn, might make you lazy. Also, all you workaholics out there, remember to logout on time. 

 

Minimise the distractions

Set limits on your time online. We know it’s hard not to get sucked into the binge-worthy content on Youtube and Netflix, or refraining from endlessly scrolling through your Instagram feed. However, you may have noticed that when you’re binging through social media, an hour seems to go by like a minute. 

The best way to minimise this distraction is to switch off all your social media notifications during your work hours. This way, it’ll be easier to resist your urge to while away time when it is time to work.

 

Take planned breaks

Now, we all know it is crucial to make a checklist and assign time blocks for each task, but it is equally important to take planned breaks if you want to bring out your productive self. This will boost up your productivity and make your work hours stress-free.

Set a reminder every half an hour to take a 5-minute break where you sip some water, stretch, walk around and at the fifth minute, get back to your work. Also, every 2 hours take a 15-minute break to have some snacks, play with your pet, check your messages (only messages, refrain yourself from scrolling through social media) or just listen to some music. These planned breaks will help your physical posture and mental sanity. 

And, those were our hacks to make you work more productively from home. Do you have any tips of your own that you follow? Share them with us.