13 Ways To Be More Productive When Working From Home

Most of those who work from home, struggle to maintain a regular schedule. They may work for an hour today and pull an all-nighter shift tomorrow. However, that will hamper your health and productivity.

Do try your best to set a proper working schedule and stick to it. Of course, you will face interruptions such as unexpected client deadlines or some family obligations once in a while. However, don’t let them interrupt your daily routine.

You can maximize your work efficiency if you know your body’s natural rhythm. This enables you to plan and structure your work day in and around your most active hours i.e. if you know that you perform best in the morning, don’t waste time checking your emails or reading newspapers. Instead, get to the job.

Of course, you can work in your pajamas as much as you want. However, if those pajamas make you feel dull and lazy, then change your outfit. Don some office clothes or formal wear and start working.

Having a separate home office room is a very good idea. This will prevent you from being disturbed while you are working. However, if that’s not possible, create your sacred space. This could be a small desk in your study room or your bedroom.

In fact, inform everyone that you shouldn’t be disturbed if you are seen working at that desk. This will increase your productivity. 

Most people who work from home sit on a desk or their bed for far too long! Schedule your working hours in such a way that it includes a couple of breaks. Don’t keep on sitting for too long, as it would start making you feel tired and lethargic. Get up from your desk and indulge in periodical short movements and exercises.

One of the most common problems of working from home is the accountability. Since there’s no competition and no boss roaming around, you can easily get distracted. Distraction could be anything from general household tasks such as laundry, cleaning, and dishes to taking care of daily errands. Try your best to avoid such chores while you are working. If possible, handle them before or after your working hours.

Spending all day alone can make you cuckoo (or crazy!). Therefore, stay healthy by giving yourself a daily dose of human contact. One of the best points of working from home is flexibility, which means you can take some time off and meet a friend over lunch or talk to one of your favorite relatives. However, ensure that the human-contact time doesn’t negatively impacts your work.

You decide to work on a project, start checking Facebook and an hour later, find yourself browsing videos of a kitty! If that’s happened to you, then you need to ration online time. In fact, you should block those sites when you decide to start working. Nobody can do the rationing part for you other than yourself.

If working at home feels too complicated, just go out. Start working in your backyard or the lawn. Or else, go to a café (you will probably get free Wi-Fi and some great coffee).

If you are working in an office-like shift, have your snacks sorted by and kept on the dining table. This will help you stay out of the kitchen. Many people distract themselves by going to the kitchen. Going to the kitchen, opening the fridge and eating snacks constantly is bad for your health and productivity.

If your home has some distractions, then buying noise canceling headphones is a great idea. Wear them and start working. These headphones are great for other purposes as well. For instance, you can mute them while discussing a deal with a client (to avoid background noises). Similarly, you can use it to prevent distractions.

If you are working from home, try telecommuting several times a week. Stay in touch with everyone so that you know what’s going it. This will also help you stay updated.

Many people who work from home sleep in small shifts instead of getting some shut eye for 7-8 hours in a go. But sleeping in batches will ruin your productivity and tire you. So, sleep well and have the specific time for sleeping. This will increase your productivity.

Also, sleeping is important for your concentration, focus, and overall mental and physical health. Good sleeping will result in better performance at work.

Go ahead! Use these strategies for how to be more productive at home.

Also Read: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Never Do.