Working from home tips to help you stay focused and productive
Let’s face it, if you’re not challenged or stimulated by your job it’s easy to fall into a rut.
The future of work is here, with increasing numbers of people now transitioning to home work environments with a multitude of distractions.
Being able to find focus and stay productive is crucial if you’re to survive and thrive. Here’s some essential working from home tips to help you find your way.
Turn Off Your Phone
It’s not attached to your hand. Put it down!
Stay off the internet entirely, unless you need it for work purposes. Do your job!
Make a list
A to-do list makes your goals concrete and helps you prioritize your day. A good list is like a map that helps you navigate through the challenging work-at-home waters.
Break tasks into manageable chunks
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was that quarterly report you’re working on. But if you hack out a portion of it each day, the puzzle becomes clearer.
Many people find they’re more productive working from home. The lack of a commute opens up blocks of time – which means more time to tackle items on the to-do list!
Learn how to prioritize
So you got your list…now, what’s most important?
Put the number one in a circle next to that item.
What’s the next most pressing task?
Put a circled number two next to that. Do that for the rest of your list.
Make your time count when working from home. Start by working smarter, not working harder.
Pomodoro, baby!
The classic pomodoro work method is working in 25-minute increments, followed by a 5-minute break. After 90-minutes, take a 20- to 30-minute break. Repeat four times and your 8-hour workday is done.
A good time tracking app can make this process a breeze. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish!
Don’t multi-task
Be mindful instead. All too often we waste time and resources by trying to do too many things at once.
Focus on one task at a time and do it well. When you’re done, go back and check your work for errors.
Find motivation in doing your job right, not getting it done quickly.
Do deep work
Deep work is clearing a block of time — preferably every workday — to focus solely on one project. This is how books get written, buildings get designed, and other grand plans come to fruition.
Take time out
If you feel yourself losing focus on a work task, take a break.
There are points during the workday when we could all use a reality check. Get up, get on your feet, and get moving. Get that blood pumping! After a five minute break, return to work, but switch locations. If you usually work at your desk, move to the kitchen table for a few hours. A change of scenery is good, even if it’s just the room next door.
You can also combine this with getting your workplace in a perfect order. Remove the stuff you don’t need, keep it minimalistic so you can better focus on your work and do not get distracted by random objects sitting on your table.
If you have too much stuff, sell them off! Make some extra cash by getting rid of things that clutter your workspace and harm your focus. For example, selling your surplus toner online is basically a matter of a few minutes.
Eat right, sleep right, and exercise
Treat your body right and you won’t be falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon.
You won’t need to slug down coffee and soft drinks all day if you had a better diet overall. You should get more sleep and exercise, too.