The work-from-home situation is challenging our productivity in ways we never thought possible. Gone are the days of freezing cold office temperatures, coworkers interrupting us with mindless chatter, and participating in a birthday party with cheap, stale cake. Instead quarantine partners are interrupting us with “cute” YouTube videos, we’re fulfilling that urgent need to clean out the fridge, and working out of a closet because there’s nowhere else to do so. Despite the new normal, there are lots of things you can do to increase productivity when working from home. We’d love for you to try some of what we suggest and let us know how it goes. Or, tell us how you stay productive so we can try your tips!
The List
- Routine/Habits
- Tried and true, a routine is a sure way to keep you on track. You know what to do and when to do it; you can now use the brain power you would have used to make a minimal decision on more important things. For instance, instead of waking up and hemming and hawing on if you should work-out first thing, check your email, or run errands, pick one and do that every day. We’re particularly fond of working out first thing so that it’s out of the way and sets a healthy tone for the rest of the day.
- Environment
- Sights, sounds, smells, and touch make up your environment. All can trigger certain feelings and affect you in ways consciously and subconsciously. Increase productivity when working from home by surrounding yourself with the color blue, making sure your work spot is quiet, using invigorating smells like mint, and having furniture that is comfortable for you to use for the duration of your day.
- Do Not Disturb Paired with Timed Work Sessions
- We’re a big fan of working for 45 minutes then taking a 5-10 minute break and repeating this cycle for the rest of the work day. Set an alarm on your phone and (if possible) also set it to do-not-disturb mode. This way you’ve got 45 minutes of guaranteed uninterrupted, focused work-time. During your breaks, you can check your phone, text messages, etc.
- Community
- Even though working from home prevents you from chatting face-to-face with your colleagues, there are other ways to stay engaged with your work community. Zoom, BlueJeans, Skype, some people are even using video game chat rooms to meet and then playing the game afterward.
- Expanded Engagement
- It’s a great time to expand your knowledge or learn new skills related to your job. Because this is our blog, we get to shamelessly self-promote our events: check out some of the things LOKAL is offering that could add some new knowledge to your wheelhouse.
What Are You Doing to Increase Productivity When Working From Home?
We don’t pretend to be experts in all things; we only talk about what we’ve tried and know what works. But what works for us, may not work for you. Tell us what you’ve done to increase productivity when working from home. We’ll give ’em a try and report back!
