We have all, at some point, savoured the idea of working from the comfort of our homes. Whether starting a new business or working remotely for a company, the idea of working from home has almost become the “new normal.” It could be either full time or part-time, but be it as it may, productivity and our personal wellbeing cannot be compromised. It is possible to be productive and not constantly busy and stressed. Here are four gentle working from home productivity tips to help you stay focused and feeling good.
Define Your Work Sanctuary
Just like the office environment, you would require a room or perhaps a designated area for your work needs. You need to avoid any form of distraction and this is increasingly necessary when you share a home with a spouse, children, or family. Privacy may be an issue depending on the nature of your work, and if you’ll be on the phone frequently. Therefore, you’ll have to choose an area in the home, perhaps, enclosed with less noise and good lighting to be efficient. Define your work sanctuary and keep it separate from the rest of the household activities, this distinction will help to keep you productive whilst working and relaxed during family time.
Plan Your Process
When it comes to staying calm and effective, you’ll need to outline your work processes and communicate your needs with those involved. Of course working from home might help you to cut down on capital expenditures like renting an office space. However, with many businesses, especially start-ups opting to go virtual, this may give rise to other needs, including infrastructure, be it digital or physical. Also, inasmuch as a virtual office comes with some flexibility, you may need to have a business address, mail services to help with package transportation and shipping, storage space, an active website, and email, as well as cloud-based applications to enable sharing of documents and applications with a remote team. To stay calm and relieve stress, take some time to outline your work processes clearly and make sure each person involved knows what they need to do, this will make working from home a much smoother operation.
Be sure to make some time for a break or two throughout the day. It’s important to step away from your desk or working environment, even for five or ten minutes at a time. Try doing a crossword or taking a walk around your local area to decompress and distract your brain for a bit from work.
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”
– Tim Ferris
Get Your Team Sorted
Are you working from home alone or with a remote team? If you’re working as part of a team then you need to all stay in regular contact, for your wellbeing as much as your productivity. How the team interacts or has access to necessary resources is crucial towards productivity and accomplishing your goals. Should you need to engage your team regularly, then it is necessary to have tech accessories such as computers, telephones, wireless routers, and software. You can check out some adobe connect reviews on some software you could use for video conferencing to ensure the smooth flow of work since there will be reduced physical meet ups. Establish how often you will meet up with your team, virtually of course, then get into the rhythm of weekly catch ups- this will help with team moral, motivation and accountability.
Schedule Your Time
One of the simplest ways to stay productive, is to have a way to schedule and track your time. At home, the temptation to work more hours is higher than working in traditional office settings. However, to work effectively, effort must be made to have a healthy work-life balance regardless of where you’re working. Your ability to track time will promote maintaining a good routine and regular working hours. Setting these boundaries are key to your mental wellbeing.
If your job allows you to work from home, then why not set up your ideal office setting. Create your own innovative, modern, and above all, comfortable working office. These tips are aimed at keeping you focused, productive, and efficient while you work from home. With the possibility to avoid the early morning commute and traffic, which means more time with family and loved ones, it’s not surprising that you’re already enjoying the “new normal”.
