9 Ways to Improve Your Productivity When Working From Home

Being able to work from home is a blessing. There are even talks that working from home will become a permanent thing for many businesses. As they start to see the huge savings when they do not include rent in their monthly overhead costs.

Distractions are all too common when working from home (WFH), and trying to stay focused can be a bit of a nightmare. Whether you are a business owner or an employee you can increase your productivity while working from home with several positive habits. Here are some tips for working from home and staying productive.

Working from home with a Laptop on a desk

Improve Your Productivity When Working From Home

Schedule Your WFH Day

Planning out each individual task can really help you to gain more control over your day. Begin each day by assessing what you have to get done, and figure out how much time it should take on average to complete each different job. You may be tempted to work longer hours when operating out of a home office, but it’s best to stick to a normal 8 hour shift to reduce the chances of you suffering a burnout.

Make a small timetable that features little snippets such as ‘complete writing task – 20 minutes’, you can help yourself to stay on track and work to a set time-frame. Make use of a stopwatch or timer to let you know when to move onto the next task, and stick to your plan no matter what.

If you are someone who does a better job getting things done in the morning, wake up early at the same time every morning to get your day started early that way you are not finding yourself working late into the evening. If you find yourself being more productive in the evening and late-night, tailor your daily or nightly schedule around that. Either way, you need to stick to a schedule.

If you’re a business owner or manager it can be difficult to know what everyone’s working day looks like when embracing hybrid and flexible working. But using online tools you can receive instant push notifications when employees clock in and out, find out more at www.timeclockwizard.com.

A Designated Work Spot

Working from the bed or couch is cool until it becomes really uncomfortable. When you have a reception desk or better yet a home office, it will help your mind shift into work mode a little easier. Invest in a comfy office chair, a leg rest and arm rests.

A designated work area can also help you create some boundaries as you do not want to feel like you are working all the time. When you are working, going to a designated space will keep you motivated and when you are not in that designated space, you will not be tempted to do work.

Office Monster also has some great options for office supplies, stationary and furniture which you can explore over at https://www.officemonster.co.uk/ and get your office space kitted out with.

Choose your internet provider wisely

Bear in mind that working from home requires fast internet connection. Do your research on the best internet options for working from home here.

If you’re home has wifi dead spots you could try a wifi booster. I bought one of these recently for £15 and it works perfectly!

Avoid Distractions

The home is full of distractions! The presence of the TV and family members act as constant reminders of the stuff we indulge in outside of the office. But to be productive when working from home will require you to resist these temptations. Here are some ways that I beat the distractions when working from home:

Use a calendar or to-do list.
Have a clear and designated desk/working space.
Reward yourself for staying off your phone.
Leave the house where possible; even if you spend 1 day a week working from a coffee shop or go for a walk on your lunch break.

Be Smart

There are lots of ways that you can be smart and use your initiative in order to work in a timely manner. Whether this be by making the most of business document creation that can help you save valuable time making perfect suitable pages for every individual task, or gain stronger access to the internet or your employers data network to transfer files at lightning speed.

Think outside the box as much as you can to figure out any alternative ways that might help you balance your home when working from home.

Dress Smart (Sometimes)

We have all been guilty of doing work in our pajamas all day. Though that maybe something fun and comfortable to do on some days, it is better to do it every so often. Dressing up to go to work is another way you can increase your productivity as you will be more motivated for the day. You do not have to wear a suit and tie, but you can put a little more effort into your outfit to feel ready to work.

Staying Motivated When Working From Home

Being motivated to complete all of your work to the best standard can encourage you to get everything finished in the most efficient manner possible. Troubles with motivation are very common in workers who operate from home. This is because it’s easy to go into another room and do something more fun and enjoyable like cook a meal or watch TV.

Cutting out distractions will help you to stay motivated. The more you are able to focus on your work, the better the chance of you completing it quickly.

Resist The Urge To Do Housework

It can be very tempting to do housework in between tasks, but you wan to avoid doing this. Just because you are cleaning parts of your house, that does not mean that you are being productive for your workday. It is the same thing as frequenting the water cooler. This is still a source of procrastination.

It Is Ok To Take Breaks

As long as you plan them, and stick to the plan, taking breaks is a great way to make sure you are staying productive. There is nothing wrong with taking breaks as it is not healthy to stay glued to your desk all day.

When I started working from home I struggled to get a good nights sleep. If this is the case for you, you could consider sleeping remedies such as kava. If this is something you are interested in, make sure that you do your research on the different types of kava to make sure that you choose the best product for you and your needs. Lavender oil, pillow spray and avoiding screen time before bed may all help with sleep too.