Are you currently working at home? Are you finding it hard to stay motivated and productive during the day? Working at home is not for everyone and there are a lot of people that struggle being away from the office lifestyle. But, world events mean that it is likely to be the reality for a lot of workers for a while.
This does not mean that you cannot start to change your habits now. There are a lot of things you can do to increase your productivity when you are working at home. Here are some tips for doing this.
Create an Office Space
Where do you work at home? Are you guilty of answering emails in your bed? Anybody that works from home will tell you that your environment is key to success. There are a lot of places in your home that you associate with things. For example, being in your bed can make you sleepy. Lounging on your sofa can make you relaxed. You need to create an office space that is going to encourage you to work and focus on your tasks. Something as simple as having a desk and chair can create a workplace you go to do your job.
Take Regular Breaks
A lot of people underestimate how important breaks are in the working day. Unfortunately, it is common for workers to skip breaks and try to get more work done. But, this is not how it works. It can be more damaging to skip your breaks. You need time to relax and allow your brain to take a break from all the tasks you have. During this time, you should try to do things that you enjoy. This can take your mind off tasks and allow you to refresh and re-energise. This can give you the motivation you need to continue with the day. For example, you might like to complete a crossword or perhaps you like to catch up on your favourite television shows. Just make sure that you are strict with your breaks so that you get back to work on time and do not fall behind.
Have a Plan
You may have heard the phrase; fail to prepare, prepare to fail. This is something that can apply when you are working from home. There is nobody there to tell you what to do. So, you are your own boss every day when you are working. It is going to be up to you to have a plan of action and make sure that you get through all of your work. Therefore, create a plan at the start of every day. This should detail what jobs you want to get done, as well as time schedules. This can help to keep you on track and to know what you are doing at all times. You can make it a checklist so that you can tick off the tasks you have completed. A lot of people find this motivating.
Minimise Distractions
Working at home can make you procrastinate. You can walk to the refrigerator and grab a snack whenever you want. You can browse on your smartphone and check social media. The problem with this is, it demotivates you and causes a distraction from your work. In order to avoid this, you need to work on minimising distractions during working hours. You can wear headphones to block out the noise, as well as putting your smartphone away in another room until you are done. Work out what your triggers are and put them away.
Switch Off Devices
At the end of the working day, it is important to switch off your work devices and tune out for the night. Just because you are working from home does not mean that you have to work extra hours. In fact, you want to make sure that you are not contactable outside of working hours. This is your downtime and you deserve a break after working hard all day. With technology, it is easy to know when emails are coming in. But, you have to do your best to ignore them. Your downtime is important for recharging and having some fun. This is going to allow you to be motivated for your next day of work. Remember that this time is valuable to you and you cannot work 24/7 even if it is from home. Unless you are doing overtime, stick to the normal 9 to 5 schedule.