Since the global pandemic COVID-19 has started to affect all aspects of our lives, many companies have been switched to the remote working model and recommending their employees to work from home as much as possible to prevent the spread of the virus.
Many professionals might have dreams of working from home where they are at the comfort of their home and they don’t have to commute or wake up early to start working.
But for those who have never worked from home, it can actually be a challenge to focus on working. Staying productive can take a lot of effort while there are many distracting elements when you’re at the home whether is a pile of laundry or a Netflix show you’ve been wanting to keep up with.
Also, social distancing and isolation can add more stress to your mental health and you may find it hard to stay motivated. But there are some things you can do to stay focused and productive while working from home and live up to your self-isolation expectations.
As a company that has converted to the full remote working mode, here are our tips to manage your time effectively while working from home and stay productive:
Get to work when you’re most productive
When working from home, having a daily schedule that is usually built around your most productive times can help you work more effectively. While this depends on each individual, knowing when you work best and scheduling your daily tasks around those times will help you immensely.
If you are at your best very early in the morning, make sure to dedicate enough time soon after you wake up to get most tasks done. It might take you some time to get yourself to your desk than normal since you don’t have the morning commute when you work from home so try to adapt to your new circumstances and see what works best for you. Usually, our daily plans are influenced by people around us so you won’t have your colleagues around you to plan meetings with but you can always use virtual meetings and team management tools.
If you have kids, working from home can be challenging but you can make sure to plan according to their school schedule in case you need to help them.
Act as if you are at the office
Get dressed as if you are going to the office as it will help you to mentally switch to the working mode and separate between home and work life. If you normally start the day with a cup of coffee at the office keep doing that every day to have the same routine going on. You’re your own manager while working from home so plan your day and write a to-do list to keep you focused.
Also, try using daily planner tools such as Trello to stay on schedule and set reminders and alarms or use tools like Google Calendar to make it easier for you. And if you’re working with a team, online team management tools such as Slack can help your team stay on track while working remotely.
Make sure to have breaks during the day as if you would do if you were at the office, chatting to your colleagues or family members and having a lunch break will enable you to refresh and can increase your productivity when you go back to your workspace.
Explore your WFH Style
While it may be difficult to focus on working when at home, you can find the things that will help you work better and make remote working work for you. You might want to change the place you work; put some music you like or wear whatever will make you feel better while you work.
If you don’t like working in a noisy environment and you can’t have a separate workspace with a door, try getting some noise-cancelling headphones. Investing in a hands-free headset could be also very efficient when you have to move around the house during a team call. Also, if you have to be seated during long work hours, getting a comfortable chair with back support might help you work more effectively.
It will take time to get used to working in a different environment but try to enjoy the perks of working from home and not having to commute or wear uncomfortable shoes.
Working from home can be challenging if you’re used to working at an office your whole life but it comes with perks so try to embrace this period and remember it won’t last forever. If you rely on these tips and some of the remote working tools, your transition into a more flexible working style could be successful.
