Practical tips on how to stay productive while working from home

Working from home sounds like a dream to some and a nightmare to others. Regardless of which camp you’re in, working from home during a pandemic is certainly not the same as simply working from home.

If you’re struggling to stay focused, cut yourself some slack. Businesses are struggling. New rules and regulations are introduced every day. Kids are out of school. These distractions wreak havoc on productivity.

To say that staying productive during a pandemic is hard would be a massive understatement. But it’s important. Here are some ideas to help you stay on your game! 

Work when you’re most productive — or able

A lot of advice out there says to start a morning routine and begin your day with a structured schedule. This is likely sound advice for many of you out there. And that’s great! In fact, research supports it.

But for others, the 9–5 routine doesn’t work out so well (that’s the life of an entrepreneur!) Sometimes you may work first thing in the morning. Sometimes you can start your day with yoga. And sometimes you might just feel like starting your day with an episode of Real Housewives. It depends on the day and how you’re feeling — especially now. You might not have a choice of when. If you have roommates, kids, or even pets that demand your time and attention as well, your work schedule could be subject to theirs.

And work where you’re most productive

Many studies have proven that context influences our behavior, and our environment can trigger mental cues, habits, and emotions. If you can, dedicate a specific space to be your “office.” No space available? Try other environmental cues — different hued lighting, music, even hang a sheet or curtain in a different color to change up your scenery. Or, you might be at the mercy of your home WiFi and be confined to a specific area in your home where the connection is fast enough.

You’ll want to find where works best for you. Everybody has a different system so it’s worth experimenting on where you work best. For Lisa-Jo Baker, a corner in her kids’ playroom works. Experiment in your own home and see what you like.

Working where you’re most productive could also mean wherever the kids can’t walk in on you. A closet. The car. A bathroom. The garage. Wherever you can find peace and quiet.

Here’s a fun “activity” to try with the kids: Get them to make an “On a Call: Do Not Disturb” sign for everyone in the family. Each person can hang their sign on the door handle when they need privacy. This gets the kids involved and (hopefully) helps them understand the message.

Track your time and try actual productivity techniques

Time tracking apps are a great way to get visibility into how you actually spend your day. Tools like Clockify, Toggl, and Harvest make it easy to track time against projects, and they also come with integrations and browser add-ons. A platform like RescueTime will give you insight into how you’re spending your time and ideas for optimizing it.

Source from Waveapps.com I Published on April 16, 2020