Tips To Being Productive When Working From Home

How did you feel after the first few days of working from home? Most people left excited, relieved, and stress-free. It probably felt like a much-deserved vacation since you didn’t need to go through stressful traffic multiple times a day. Did you continue to feel this way after the first month of working from home? Probably not. 

Studies have shown that many people who were forced to work from home because of the Covid-19 pandemic are now tired, isolated, and fed-up with staying at home all day. The motivation and will to keep working is no longer there. Since you’re reading this, you are most likely looking for a new source of motivation to help you remain productive as you work from home. To help you, here are five ways to stay productive while working from home:

1. Follow a Schedule 

Without the structure of an office environment, it will be more difficult to meet your daily workload. Creating a schedule on your calendar and sticking to it is the best way to follow through. You can use your Google calendar to make a to-do-list. Between 10 and 30 minutes before the scheduled time, you’ll receive a reminder for your upcoming commitment. If you’re not a fan of Google calendar, you can use Calendly, FreeBusy, Schedule Once, Acuity Scheduling, or Rally. Many mobile apps can help you plan your day effectively. Web developers and mobile app developers see to this. 

2. Don’t Work on Your Bed or Couch 

Working at home isn’t an excuse to be lazy. To increase your productivity, it is important to avoid staying on the bed or couch. It’s easy to sleep off when you’re too comfortable. So, invest in a small office table and chair and designate a part of your home to work. The designation shouldn’t just be in words but in action too. If you live with others, make sure that they don’t mess with your designated area. You shouldn’t mess with it either. In your designated workspace, avoid doing anything you wouldn’t do in your office. For example, you shouldn’t use social networking apps when you’re in your home workspace no matter how many notifications you get. 

3. Do Jumping Jacks During Breaks 

Staying in one place for hours at a time isn’t good for your posture. To protect your health and increase your productivity, consider doing jumping jacks or any other high-intensity program anytime you feel dizzy. Moving around isn’t just going to improve your productivity; it is also going to help you stay in shape. Another benefit of working out in between jobs is the release of endorphins. Each time you exercise, even for a short time, the endorphins are released and you’ll start feeling positive and happily keep working. 

4. Block Out Noise 

One of the biggest challenges people face when they work from home is background noise. This is especially so when you stay with family members or friends. You might be tempted to join a conversation, watch a show, or dance to music that might be playing in the background. You can’t optimize productivity in such situations except by blocking out the sounds with a noise-canceling headset. Go for a comfortable over-ear option so you can use it for hours without getting tired. 

5. Care for Yourself 

Not going to the office every day isn’t an excuse to give up on self-care. When you wake up in the morning, take a shower, dress properly, and go to your designated workspace. If you used to go to the gym every day before work, look for a home workout app and train as efficiently as possible every morning. Take a YouTube yoga class, practice skincare, and eat healthy meals. It’s easy to eat a lot of empty calories when you spend all day at home, so use reliable software to track your eating habits and food intake daily. 

Conclusion 

Working from home comes with many benefits but it is not without some disadvantages. The same can be said about working in an office. If you’ve been working at home since before the coronavirus pandemic, you might not have too many difficulties adjusting to the new reality. Those facing challenges are people who didn’t have any experience with working from home before the virus started to spread.