When working from home, it can be a challenge to hold focus. There might be distractions keeping you from finishing your tasks. Since nobody is supervising, the pressure is on you to work efficiently. Here are some tricks to improve your productivity.
Use Productivity Tools
It is critical to use the right productivity tools to improve your efficiency. Some of the apps you must install on your computer are:
- Team communication apps: Ensuring seamless remote communication is critical to finish tasks quickly. Apps like Slack must be in your arsenal.
- Focus apps: These apps are designed to help you finish work on time by eliminating distractions. For Mac users running Monterey or Ventura, Focus is an app that comes in-built to help them set different modes to finish various tasks.
- Video calling apps: Video calling apps make it easier to keep in touch with your team members. Most of these apps even come with screen sharing and video recording capabilities. Some widely used apps are Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.
Additionally, it would help if you learned how to split screen for extra productivity. So you wouldn’t have to go back and forth. You can use two apps or programs simultaneously, saving you time. For example, you can use one screen to reply to emails, and the other can be used for an ongoing video meeting with your colleagues or clients.
Maintain A Morning Routine And Set Daily Goals
You must make it a habit to wake up early, even if you don’t have to leave for the office. Set your alarm, go through your morning habits, like when going into the office and then get ready for the day. This will signal your transition into the workspace when in your home environment.
Also, before you start working, you must take a few minutes to plan out your work goals for the day. Then, you can take these daily goals to create a larger weekly goal that will contribute toward finishing your assignments or projects on time.
Set Specific Work Hours
Yes, you are working from home. But don’t make the mistake of becoming lax. Then, you’ll find yourself working throughout the day, and your work-life balance will go for a toss.
Therefore, treat your work from home duties as if you were sitting at the office. Tidy your workspace and create a working schedule. It would be best to have specific working hours with breaks and lunch hours. As you get comfortable with this routine, it will help you concentrate and work harder. You will meet your deadline during work hours and not stretch your hours.
It will do you good to set boundaries to separate your work life from your home life. So you can quickly get in and out of work mode.
Create A Designated Workspace
So it has been a long time since you’ve worked from home. It is high time to create a designated workspace. Create a workspace in a separate corner or room of your home. Choose a spot where you can work without distractions and noise. You must also set boundaries and let others know that the area is your dedicated workspace, and they must not disturb you during work hours.
Have A Fixed Time For Lunch
Working from home does not mean you can eat lunch whenever you want. This will disrupt your work routine. Instead, eating your lunch at the same time as you would when in the office is recommended. So your body will get used to a scheduled eating plan, and you will not give in to the temptation of longer lunch breaks.
Don’t Forget to Take Breaks
It is impossible to sit at your disk for 8-hours every day. You must take short breaks and work them into your work schedule. Set aside five minutes between tasks to step away from your system and refresh. Use this time to reflect and reset, so you do not experience burnout.
During these short work breaks, you can go outside and enjoy nature. Or, you can stretch yourself so you don’t experience shoulder, back, and neck aches. This helps reduce stress, and you can return to work feeling refreshed.
Eliminate Distractions
Focus applications help a lot in cutting down distractions. Furthermore, you can take steps to stay organized so nothing can pull your focus away from your work. For example, don’t open social media apps during work hours. You may feel you are only scrolling through Reels or Stories for a few minutes, but in reality, it might be a few hours.
The Bottom Line
Working from home is a boon for many, but you might need a proper routine. Follow these tricks to maintain the right work-life balance and augment your productivity.
