Today, many people are working from home, voluntarily or otherwise. Changing the work environment from an office to your home can be a big deal regardless of the circumstances. There are many things to be adapted, like how you will be productive when your bed is right there, the cat is meowing at you, house chores, and the lack of human interaction.
Indeed, the home office environment is different from the regular office environment or any other place you work. You have a lot more flexibility, which can turn your work life into hell if you do not know how to benefit from it.
This does not mean that your home cannot be optimal to focus, be productive, and continue your work like it was earlier. In fact, it can even be better if you know which aspects you need to be careful about and the tricks of working from home.
Improving your productivity while working at home is indeed in your hands. If you put in the effort, then what can block you from being productive? And luckily, today, we are here to share with you five tips to improve your productivity while working at home. Without further ado, let’s get started.
How Is It Possible Being Effective as a Remote Worker?
All remote workers would agree on the fact that it might be challenging to see the home as a place dedicated to work. As a concept, a remote working environment might look less efficient, and people tend to infer that a remote working environment is not as productive as working from an office.
But what if we tell you it’s otherwise?
According to a study made by an HR consulting firm Mercer, 94% of 800 workers claimed that their work productivity increased or stayed the same, leaving only 6% who stated that their productivity has decreased. Now those numbers are something that does not give place to indecisiveness.
And, it gets better. Statistics also say that those who are remotely working from home are 22% happier when compared with other workers, thanks to lower stress levels, better focus, and a better work-life balance. Moreover, Indeed.com’s data shows us that 75% of remote workers think working remotely was a balancing factor while maintaining professional life and personal life.
So you see, working from home can be your heaven, especially if you know how to handle it. But how do you handle it, really? Even though the statistics show us that remotely working from home often yields good results, how do we handle the fact that one needs to manage working in the same place they sleep, do daily chores and basically live?
The answer is obvious. By following the tips, we will give you!
Being productive working from home during COVID: Challenge of the New Era
COVID changed everyone’s life in every aspect you can think of. And of course, remote working and career life, in general, is one of the most influenced aspects. Many companies switched to a remote model, and many stated that they would be continuing to this work style, even when the pandemic is over.
The challenges of remote working during the COVID pandemic are a lot different from the usual challenges. During COVID, you don’t have any options but to stay at home for the safety of yourself and your loved ones.
We have been experiencing something that most of us didn’t experience before, and it’s impossible to overlook the psychological influences of it. Being away from your loved ones, the anxiety of getting sick, isolation, and lack of motivation are all challenges of the remote work environment.
Another challenge remote workers have faced during COVID is the fact that it happened suddenly. One day you were at the office, and the next day, they announced that you would continue to work remotely for an indefinite period.
Best Ways of Being Productive in Your Home Office
We talked about many things regarding remote working from home, and we said that by following the tips we would give here, you too can be productive and efficient in the remote work environment. Keep in mind that those are general tips and might not be fitting to your job’s nature and requirements. So as always, keep what resonates and leave what doesn’t! There is always a place for adaptation while following some tips, so you can figure out something similar to work with what you have. The following are the top tips for being productive in a home office environment.
1. Create a Routine
Intentionally or unintentionally, almost everyone has a routine when they are not working from home. You need to wake up at a specific hour to get ready, then get ready to head to work.
While working from home, it might not always be possible to create a “natural” routine, but you can easily solve this by creating yours. For example, your work may start at 9:00 AM, and you can wake up at 8:00 AM or 8:50 AM. At the end of the day, how hard can it be to go grab your computer?
Well, creating a routine for when you wake up and the small things you will do during the day can help you a lot. You can manage your time easily, see what is expected from you during the day ahead of you, and be more productive. So, if you think that you can wake up whenever you want since you work at your home office now, even though that’s technically true, you wouldn’t want to do that.
Create a simple routine for you and stick with it. You will see the results!
2. Arrange your “Office”
The environment we work in creates a huge aspect in our productivity. While arranging your home office, you would want to have an area, just for the purpose of working.
Of course, you may not have an extra room in your home to make it an office, but you can always pick a particular place that will be your everyday working area. It can even be your dining table, but make sure that you sit in the exact same spot each time!
3. Exercise
One pain point of remote workers is the lack of physical activity. It is more likely that the longest distance you walk while working from home can be from your bed to your kitchen. But let’s change that for the sake of productivity and being more efficient.
The benefits of exercising to productivity are endless, both physically and mentally. Maintaining your physical and mental health while working at home can yield incredible results on productivity and efficiency. You will need your endorphin levels up to stay positive and productive!
4. Set your Boundaries
This one plays a crucial role, especially when you share your home with others, but it is also valid for those living alone. We mean by setting your boundaries: you are still working, even if it’s from home. Do not let anyone, under no circumstance, interrupt you: no knocking doors, no doorbells, and even phone calls.
You can inform your social circle about your working hours and mute your phone so as not to get distracted by any notifications. Remember, it’s in your hands to decide to eliminate certain distractions, and by setting your boundaries, you can easily achieve this.
5. Eat and Sleep Right
Our health is a combination of physical, psychological, and social aspects of our lives, and it is known that health affects productivity. If your physical health is suffering, then it is not plausible to expect wonderful results from your psychological health and productivity.
Eating and sleeping are two basic concepts that keep us alive. So, by eating at least two healthy and complete meals and by creating a decent sleep schedule, it is possible to increase productivity. While working from home, it is pretty easy to disrupt our sleep and eat routines, which causes mood swings, lack of energy, decreased overall well-being, and less productivity.
It gets simpler if you think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Physical requirements to stay alive come first. So, do not ever overlook the importance of what you eat and how you sleep!
Is it hard adjusting to working from home?
Are we really more productive while working from home?
What does work from home productivity statistics say?
Originally posted on January 11, 2022 @ 12:21 pm
