While some people may view working from home as a great flexible option, it can often become your worst nightmare. It turns out that the luxury of remote working has the potential to turn into a missed opportunity if it is not planned and executed efficiently. In some cases, working from home can lead to a dip in productivity levels. Our minds can be distracted easily, causing us to lose focus. So, to help you out and keep you on the right track, we have put together some essential tips that will help you increase productivity while working from home.
Keep Your Morning Routine
Set your alarm for the morning in the same way that you would do going into the office. It is always better to start your day on the same schedule as if you were heading to the office. Associate your home environment with your work environment. The sooner you make this part of your routine, the better your transition to home working life will be. Once you establish a grounded routine and understand time management, your productivity levels will increase, and your focus will steadily improve.
Set Daily Targets
You must ensure that you set up daily targets and deadlines for your day to motivate yourself to finish on time. Take a few minutes in the morning to plan your day and set goals. When you follow an objective-oriented approach, you tend to optimise the productivity levels. You can keep a planning journal to help set targets and objectives for the day.
Take Breaks
Taking short breaks at regular intervals is not a waste of time. It makes you feel more productive and helps to refresh the mind. Try to stop for at least 5 minutes after each hour to refresh and reset during the day.
Create a Home Office
Some people believe that the best part about working from home is the level of comfort. While this may be true, it can come at a huge cost regarding productivity, targets, and focus. It is convenient for many as it allows you to cosy up in bed or work on the sofa. It can become very tough to resist the temptation to take a short nap or waste time on the phone. This is why it is important to create a home office with a proper ‘office set up’. You want to create an office environment that is set apart from the home environment.
Eat and Sleep Right
Another huge benefit of working from home is unlimited access to the kitchen. Who hasn’t been tempted to quickly grab a snack during a short break? As delightful as this may sound, it should be avoided! Maintaining a healthy diet is essential, which is why you should eat food that can help you be more functional and maintain energy levels instead of food that can drain you. Reach for fruits, vegetables, nuts, and berries instead of the snack cupboard. Or, better still, remove all temptation and empty the snack cupboard!
To Summarise
If you are working from home, you will need to change some of your habits to increase your productivity levels. You could even try dressing up for work at home if that helps.
If you’d like more support with your productivity or business planning please get in touch as I’d love to help you 🙂
