Working from home is a dream job for many people. Depending on the line of business they are in, some people enjoy this perk. What is there not to love? One gets the opportunity to choose the time they complete the tasks, whether it is early in the morning or in the middle of the night, they are more relaxed, and most importantly, comfortable because they don’t have to leave their home.
However, regardless of how perfect this all may seem, some issues may arise. The transition between working from the office and doing the job from their home can be quite tricky for some people, especially those who have never done this before. As we all know, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of these employees is constantly increasing, which is why we are going to give you some tips on how to improve productivity at home.
Table of Contents
1. Create a workspace
img source: archify.com
Unless you already have an arranged office in your home, you will have to build one. We are not saying that you have to transform an entire room into a home office, but you will need a place where you will be able to completely focus on your tasks.
We know, it seems tempting to work from your bed, or a kitchen island while drinking a morning cup of coffee, but believe us, sooner or later, you will need a desk and a chair. The thing is that you have to be able to focus completely, and some people just cannot do it while in bed.
Mainly, due to this reason, you have to set a small corner for yourself, somewhere in your apartment or house. Our advice is to get a desk that is big enough for all the papers and devices that you need to use. What’s more, when it comes to the chair, we advise you to get one with lumbar support. After all, you will be sitting there for hours every day, which is why a dinning chair won’t work. When it comes to buying one of these, you will have to do research, so visit the Ergonomics Health Association website to learn what your options are, and also to find out what features are available.
2. Declutter the space
img source: amexessentials.com
There is one thing that most people have in common – they cannot focus when there is too much stuff around them. There is always something that will attract your attention, i.e., pull it away from the tasks. To prevent this from happening, you should remove everything that you won’t need. This includes any kind of device, books, and magazines, literally everything.
Moreover, throw away everything that you don’t use on a daily basis. This might take some time, but it is an important step in the whole process of designing the workspace.
3. Make a to-do list
img source: minutemediacdn.com
A lot of people do this in normal circumstances when they go to the office every day. It is a simple, yet very effective way to increase their productivity. When it comes to working from home, this list becomes even more important.
Make sure to list all the tasks that you have to complete that day. Since you won’t have to leave your home, you can include those that are work-related and those that are not. The most common mistake that people make is that they try to do too many things in a single day. Oftentimes, they put too much on their plate, and end up feeling stressed and disappointed when they don’t manage to complete everything.
This is something that you should do before you start your day. Think of the deadlines, and other urgent work that has to be done, and write it down. This list will allow you to better organize your day, and time since you will be able to create an entire schedule.
4. Remove all the distractions
img source: vulcanpost.com
Even though you will be working from the comfort of your home, you have to create that office atmosphere. What does this mean? That’s right, no distractions of any kind. Is there a TV? Unplug it. Yes, yes, we know, it is a great opportunity to listen to the news and stay on top of everything, but this kind of noise is going to distract you from your tasks.
Moreover, turn off all the social media. This can be quite tricky for many people. Let’s be honest, most of us are addicted to these, and we check our feed page every couple of minutes. This is the last thing you should do when trying to complete a work-related task. Why? Well, because you will always find something interesting, maybe a photo or even a funny video. You will end up scrolling through everything instead of working. Not only will this decrease your focus, but you will also waste a lot of time.
5. Play some music
img source: summitmedia-digital.com
This one seems to be totally opposite to the above-discussed tips about preventing distractions, but hear us out. A lot of people have a playlist for exercising and driving, and some even have one for working. This might not work for you, but you should still try it.
Naturally, you should go with some tunes that help you concentrate, and you should probably avoid popular songs that will distract you. These include your favorite songs, which is why you should go with some foreign music or even instrumental tunes. What’s more, according to some studies, classical music can greatly boost one’s productivity. This is why a lot of students listen to it when studying for the exams, so why shouldn’t you give it a try?
There are multiple playlists on popular streaming platforms that you should try out. However, unless you have a premium account on these, meaning that your playlist won’t be interrupted by commercials and other types of videos, you should create it on your laptop or smartphone.
Finally, if this doesn’t work for you, meaning that you need absolute silence, then you should consider this when setting up your home office. It might be tempting to put the desk in the living room, but keep in mind that this is a common area, meaning that you cannot expect any peace and quiet there.
