One lesson we all discovered from the pandemic is that remote work can be challenging.
Prior to the pandemic, people could only dream of working from home, thinking that it would be the ideal work setup. More time to sleep, socialize, or pursue hobbies. But what a lot of people were unaware of, is that remote work has its own challenges as well. While you may be in the comfort of your own home, it may be more difficult to stay productive throughout the day and check off all your tasks with all the distractions surrounding you, from house chores to your favorite Netflix show.
Though some people still prefer working from home despite these challenges, there are certain ways that we can ensure that we put our best foot forward. Here are 8 tips to help you stay productive while working from home!
Set up your home office space
One thing you need when working from home is your own workspace. Find the right area in your house where you can focus on your own things and be away from distractions. Create your own office space with only the necessities such as a desk, a comfortable chair, and maybe even a clean background in case of any video calls.
Stay connected with friends and coworkers
It may be easier to focus at times without the chatter of coworkers surrounding you, but we all miss the social encounters in the office throughout the week. Reach out to coworkers and other friends that may also be working from home through video chats such as Zoom, Discord, or other communication apps to help cope with the isolation and loneliness that comes with working from home. With this, you’d feel more motivated throughout the day knowing that you’re not alone.
Switch up your notification sounds
Notifications are something that you hear several times throughout the day, whether it be work, social media, or even a gaming app. Since we hear this often, we could tend to think of them as unimportant things and might ignore it every once in a while. This is why you should change your notification sounds. Set different notification sounds for work to be able to know the urgency once you hear it.
Stay organized
Working from home can be chaotic at times. Make use of organizational tools available such as folders for physical documents, and applications for to-do lists and reminders. This will also be helpful in planning out your day or week allowing you to mentally prepare for the tasks ahead. One example is staying organized by grouping your browser tabs. By doing so, you can easily distinguish work from personal use and boost your productivity and efficiency.
Don’t forget to take breaks
It could be so easy to be lost in the work while at home that you forget about taking breaks throughout the day. Breaks are much needed to help manage stress and our mental health. But rather than just opening social media or Youtube while sitting in your home office, try to step away from the screen and your workspace, which already makes up most of your day. Go for a walk, do a short stretch routine, or spend time with other people in your house.
Stick to business hours
A common assumption made about working from home is that it allows you to create a better balance between work and personal life, but this isn’t always the case. When working from home, you could be so focused on your task that you completely lose track of time. Avoid letting your work life bleed into your personal life by setting boundaries such as office hours. Set an alarm as a reminder to know when the workday is about to end. When you hear that alarm, begin fixing up and closing all work-related applications so you can relax after a day of work.
Create your own hybrid working arrangement
Some believe working from home is ideal and fits perfectly with their lifestyles, but for others, it could be quite draining, and would still prefer to work in the office. With this, set aside some days to work outside your home, whether it be a coffee shop or a coworking space. Find inspiration elsewhere. Being exposed to new environments once in a while can boost creativity, productivity, and motivation, leading to the best possible outputs for work.
Invest in your own skills
This is the perfect time to work on your own skills. Now that we practiced remote work, we all have our own work-from-home routine, and we could always continue to find ways to keep things interesting. Start learning or working on new skills outside of your day job. Instead of ordering food and coffee, try cooking or making your own latte at home. Maybe even start working out and investing in technology to keep track of your progress. These are just some ideas to make your days at home more enjoyable rather than tolerable.
As we move forward, it seems more likely that remote work will be incorporated by different companies, and now is the perfect time to learn how to do so efficiently and effectively. Try out these tips and see if they boost your mood and productivity throughout the week. Don’t limit yourself to these tips as well and explore different ways to stimulate your creativity as we all work in different ways!
If you’re looking to run your business from home, or even for a safe place to work outside your own home, we could have the solution for you! Just send us an email at connect@acceler8.com, and we’d be happy to discuss your workspace requirements.