Today, if your job allows it, you’re probably working from home, according to Pew Research. About 60% of workers work remotely at least a few days a week. But if you’re working from home, it’s sometimes easy to fall off the productivity wagon. How can you stay consistently productive even while working from home?
7 Tips for Work Productivity at Home
- Start by making your work schedule and set rules that your family should not bother you during certain hours so you can stay focused. For parents, handling childcare while juggling work can be challenging. Consider how you can adjust schedules to allow more work to be done when the house is quiet, and the kids are distracted.
- Set up your workspace and treat it like an office. This effort will help you get into the headspace of working. It will also keep you from leaving work-related clutter all over your house. If you have an actual office, make sure you have rules about what interruptions can occur when the door is firmly shut.
- Set your schedule the day before. The most productive people clean their desk and make their to do list before work ends. That way, you can dive right into work the next day.
- Block your schedule into chunks of time to focus on key tasks. Hardly anyone multitasks well, and studies show each time you are interrupted it takes more time to refocus on your core task. Instead, block out a few hours every day and set goals for that time. Do not answer emails or IMs during that time, instead, focus only on your to do list. You can also set time blocks for answering communications.
- Take breaks throughout the day. Really, it works; studies show purposeful breaks refresh the mind and help you focus more when you return. Set an alarm if you get so immersed in work that you forget. The break can be to walk the dog or play with your kids. What you do is less important than just taking a break from the computer for a while.
- Set rules for checking social media. These rules fit well into the time blocking idea. For example, you are “allowed” to check social for 10-minutes in the morning. But then you have a time block where your goal is to accomplish two big tasks. Your reward could be to check social media again (for 10-minutes) before you get up and take your break.
- Try meal prepping to save time and money. It’s easy to run through a drive-through, but that takes time. Instead, plan your meals the night before. Make something healthy you can eat throughout the week on Sunday. Making food in bulk and then storing them in containers in the fridge is a great way to stay healthy and save time.
Working from home is a huge benefit but there’s no doubt you must use your time wisely. If you are looking for a remote job, call on Blackstone Talent Group today to talk about your options. We’re here to help connect you with your dream job. Call on us, your trusted career partner.