Working from home: How to be productive
Working in an office space, away from home, allows you to mentally prepare for completing tasks and staying focused throughout the day. Your brain will automatically associate your office with work and your house with other life activities. When both work and leisure occur in the same space, it can create a mental block for completing tasks. The line between your professional and home life becomes blurred. Whether you are accustomed to working from home or this is a new reality for you, here are some tips to increase your productivity at home:
1. Create a Schedule and Maintain It
You will notice a lot more flexibility with your time when working at home in comparison to working in an office. On one hand, this could serve as an advantage. You could take care of laundry during your breaks, you won’t have as many interruptions from coworkers passing by, and you also don’t need to travel to begin your workday. A disadvantage to a flexible schedule is that it can be difficult to stay on top of everything you need to do in a day. Working from 9-5 could turn into 9-7 (or even later) if you do not manage your time wisely. By creating a schedule and adhering to it, this can create structure in your day and motivation to be efficient with your time.
2. Get Dressed
You may not have to put on full business professional attire, but taking the time to get dressed in clothes other than what you slept in the night before will do wonders for a productive state of mind. If your employer allows it, you can still stick to relatively comfortable clothes. Just be sure to separate these clothes from sleepwear. Wearing pajamas during the day can put you in the mood to do just what pajamas were made for—lounging around or sleeping. Not only does getting dressed in real clothes benefit your level of attentiveness, but it also keeps you in a routine of normalcy.
3. Have a Designated Work Space
Even though you may still physically be in your house, maintaining a specified location for work will help you to mentally separate aspects of life from work. You will want to find a place that has minimal distractions and is away from frequently trafficked areas such as a bedroom, kitchen, living room, or bathroom. If you need to set up your home office in one of these rooms, be sure to put it in a corner or away from the main focus of the room. Sometimes it can help to move to different spots throughout the day, such as outside or the kitchen table. However, it is important to at least begin and end your day from the designated workspace.
4. Work in Segments
One of the hardest parts about working from home is how accessible distractions can be. This can compromise your focus and lead to less overall efficiency. There is a productivity method called the Pomodoro Technique that can be implemented in order to help with concentration while working from home. The basis of this technique is simple. First, create a to-do list for everything you need to complete during the work session. Set your timer for 25 minutes. Focus on completing one specific task during that timeframe. At the end of the timer, take a 5 minute break. After 4 cycles, be sure to take a longer break. This one can be 15-30 minutes. Sticking to this technique will prevent burnout and increase your work output.
5. Don’t Forget to Exercise!
An added bonus of working from home is the access you have to all of your belongings throughout the day. During your breaks from work, try to avoid watching TV or mindlessly scrolling through your phone. Take a rest from screen time and do something active such as going for a walk, exercising, or even completing chores. Being outside can help clear your mind allow your body to create Vitamin D from the UV rays of the sun. In addition, increasing your heartrate is beneficial for stimulating your brain and improving concentration. Working from home can often signify more time sitting in front of a computer. Using your breaks to get up and get moving can reduce stress, improve your health, and even make you more productive at work.
In any situation, a healthy lifestyle will always help you to stay more productive. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep are habits that keep your body and mind functioning at their best. One way to ensure you are receiving the nutrients you need is by taking a daily supplement. Mybite offers a variety of delicious chocolate vitamins to add to your routine. Mybite Multi can provide you with a well-rounded combination of vitamins and minerals while Mybite Energy gives the perfect boost you need to get through your workday.
Takeaway
The biggest obstacle to working from home can be the difficulty of having both your professional life and personal occur within the same space. Productivity can decrease when there is a lack of routine or dress code. In order to work from home without compromising efficiency, it is important to carry out a regular schedule, get dressed, create a designated workspace, work in short segments, and stay active. Using the tips included above, will be able to reap the benefits of working from home without sacrificing your normal productivity.
