Working from home is a bliss that almost everyone wants to make the best out of. However, the leisure of being at home can get tricky on days when you don’t feel like working, and those are the days when productivity takes a bad hit.
While it is highly recommended that people working remotely have a dedicated working space to prevent distractions, there’s still a lot one can do to stay productive. This can include finding smart ways to simplify tasks with browser tips, allocating rest time, and investing in ergonomic sitting arrangements that make working a breeze. Here are more smart ways to stay at your productive best while working from the comfort and convenience of your home.
5 Smart Ways To Stay Productive While Working Remotely
1. Organize your day in advance:
Most organizations working remotely resort to using project management tools to make every team member aligned with projects and deadlines. However, in case your organization doesn’t have a dedicated team management tool, you can consider signing up for free tools like Asana or Notion.
Alternatively, you can create your own sheets to track projects at hand and the work to be done along with their respective deadlines. This will ensure you are able to plan your day ahead of time and invest in projects accordingly. It will also allow you to make practical decisions if your schedule allows you to take on more projects or if you need assistance from other team members for timely completion.
The practice of staying organized will significantly boost your productivity by allowing you to invest only in places where you will be able to deliver the commitment.
2. Dress up and prepare yourself for the day:
Instead of directly waking up and getting to work, give yourself some time to actually dress up and get ready for the day. It may seem too much initially, but once you start dressing up for work, you will start to feel more confident in yourself and the work you do.
Additionally, doing so will give you the opportunity to feel what it’s like to dress up and get working. Furthermore, the whole time spent getting ready, bathing, doing makeup, and picking a work outfit (not your PJs) will give you a much-needed self-care time.
The same goes for when you are ending your shift and preparing to relax and unwind. Dressing down will help you get out of work mode and leave your work-related worries and stress away.
3. Create a snack bar for coffee breaks:
Working non-stop throughout the day can cause burnout, which can significantly affect your productivity and enthusiasm towards work. Instead of having to walk all the way to the kitchen to get a snack, consider allocating a special space in your working room that will be dedicated to snacks and beverages.
You can also consider getting a small fridge to keep your water and beverages cold, while a coffee machine can brew your coffee while taking a short break. This dedicated space will allow you to hang out with yourself (or with your partner if they working remotely as well) while keeping the feeling of “coffee break at work” intact.
4. Take breaks:
Various studies have shown that the human brain can focus for only 45 minutes straight without losing focus or attention. Whenever you have accomplished a minor milestone on the project, take a small 15-20 minute break. Instead of hitting the couch for a small “cat nap,” you can try and wrap up a small household task.
This will take away the stress of having to do it later and will also incorporate elements of exercise and movement into your workday. A smart way to do this is to set a 5-minute timer and try to complete the task within that time only.
Obviously, there will be tasks that will take more time, and that’s totally fine. The aim here is not to wrap the household chore completely but to get a headstart on it so that you have some progress going on.
5. Avoid multitasking:
No matter how many times you have read that multitasking is a great way to do multiple things at once, the truth is that multitasking is not for everyone. It’s never about the capacity of capabilities here.
Rather, the human brain is able to focus on one thing at a time. Removing distractions will significantly boost your productivity and reduce the mental stress of having to look at other ongoing stuff as well.
Parting words
Working remotely is an incredible way to save on many costs and be present in close proximity to your family and friends. However, it can get challenging to stay focused and attentive to work, considering there could be many distractions. These tips are sure to make you feel constantly that you are in work mode and rolling through the day while efficiently collaborating on all your projects.
