Working from home is now the new normal. Whilst, remote working has its perks (no nasty commutes), it can be challenging.
When life doesn’t go according to plan, a few obstacles can set you back, making daily deadlines difficult to achieve.
Should you find yourself procrastinating, more than producing, read on. These must-know tips for being super productive in your home will transform the outcome of your working day.
This guide gives you all the tips and tools you need to help you achieve your home working goals. Implement the following working hacks, and soon you will boss your workload. With a few little adjustments, your life will become a breeze and your supervisor will be considering a raise.
1. Make A Work Schedule
Working around your family is no easy feat. You can’t be productive if you have to stop every half an hour to organize a family member’s problem.
Sit down with the members of your household and organize a schedule. This will ensure you have the essential duties covered, so you know how much undistracted work time you can achieve each day.
2. Organize Family Members
It can be a struggle trying to juggle your workload around children. If you are a single parent, make sure you have the support of a family member when necessary.
Set out a schedule for your child’s day, so they have a good routine in place. Having consistency, and knowing when they will be able to spend important time with you, will benefit both of you.
If you have a partner, share the duties and responsibilities evenly. That way you continue to be a team, and a very productive one at that!
3. The Early Bird Catches The Worm
This idiom is so true. If you find you are just not getting enough undistracted time throughout the day to meet those targets, read on.
Set your alarm clock for a couple of hours earlier, and you will be amazed at how much you get done. It can be difficult at first to adapt (especially for those who hate mornings).
However, you will soon find that getting up earlier offers far more benefits than if you stayed in your pit.
4. Make Your Own Office
Having the right working environment can be a game changer for productivity. You won’t get much done sitting uncomfortably, balancing your laptop on your knee, with daytime TV blasting out in the background.
If you have a spare room, turn it into your office. Get a desk and good chair, and remove any electronic distractions. You will be amazed at the difference this makes. However, those with limited space can still benefit from sitting at a table in a quiet area.
5. Noise Canceling Headphones
Noise-canceling headphones must have been sent from the gods, because, wow! This genius invention solves so many problems. Living in a small apartment, there is not a hope in hell you will have undistracted time to focus on what needs to be done.
Whether it’s your children playing online, your partner watching the game, the neighbors fighting – there’s literally no escape. Noise-canceling headphones enable you to ignore the world, so you can get on with being super productive in your home.
6. Love The Breaks
Make sure you factor in regular breaks to calibrate. Set your alarm to go off every hour or 1 ½ hours, and give yourself a well-earned 10-minute break.
Make a coffee, go to the loo, check everyone in the family are doing fine, and return to your desk, refreshed. This little tip can greatly improve your productivity.
7. Give Yourself Incentives
Make a list of all the things you want to achieve within your job, and why you like the work you do. Ask yourself where you vision yourself in 5 years from now. Jot down 5 positive things your role offers, and the future possibilities that will arise from putting in continued effort.
Also, give yourself an incentive. Book a short break away, or pin those gorgeous boots you want to buy. Give yourself incentives with rewards upon completion of work. We all need things to look forward to in life.
8. Preparation Is Key
We all have to prepare and cook meals, walk the dog, and fulfil other tasks. When working from home, it is easy to find these chores cutting in to your valuable work time. Before you know it, the day is over, and you still have 6 hours to get in (scream).
Eliminate this distraction by preparing your meals the night before, so it is one less thing to do. Set a time to walk your dog, and any other thing you need to get done.
That way, you are not worrying about the little things while you work. Having as many of life’s responsibilities taken care of, means all you need to do is focus on being a fantastically productive worker.
9. Make a Playlist
Wait what? Isn’t this a distraction? Choosing wisely, not at all. Make sure you don’t add the melancholy music that will only bring you down. Avoid picking too many songs from bands you love.
You’ll find yourself singing along to the entire album, blissfully unaware of anything else. Ignoring crucial details, like the 5000 words that seem more like a 200-word paragraph by the end of the day!
Instead, decide an upbeat (but mediocre) playlist. You need something that will keep you feeling motivated, energized, and positive.
Some people prefer to listen to instrumental music without lyrics. A constant upbeat sound in the background can keep your mind focused on the job at hand.
Wrapping Up
These tips and tricks for improving productivity at home should make a big difference to your working day. By implementing these changes, you can go from just managing to being a super-productive person.
At first, working from home can be challenging. Life can also throw you a curveball that turns your best plans into a pit of poo, without any warning at all. If you make a schedule and make a few life edits, remote working will be a breeze.
