These days, many more people are spending some or all their working hours at home. Whether this description fit you before the coronavirus lockdown occurred or was thrust upon you suddenly, as a result, rest assured that you can be productive and engaged in your work, even if your kitchen has become your breakroom and a corner of your bedroom your office.
According to a study reported recently in Business News Daily, remote employees work 1.4 hours more per day than their office-based peers. This may come as a surprise at first until you get in the right mindset and establish the right environment to work from home. Then it makes perfect sense. Here are some tips to become part of that success story:
Set up your ideal home workspace.
Find a workspace that best fits you and your preferred work style. Chances are you need a computer, but it could be a desktop, your favorite mobile device, or both. Think about what times during the day you tend to be most creative and task-driven, and plan to accomplish your high-priority assignments during those peak performance hours.
- Eliminate distractions. Did you know that remote employees can lose up to 27 minutes of work time due to distractions? But guess what else is true? On-site workers can lose as many as 37 minutes per day, so again, you’re ahead of the curve! When working, silence your phone (unless you’re expected an important call) and turn off anything else that draws you away from the job.
Stick to a schedule.
After taking breaks (more on that to follow), the most effective way for remote employees to stay productive, as noted in the abovementioned study, was to have set work hours. Establish a daily ritual, just as you would if you were commuting into the office and back. This helps you feel more structured and efficient and keeps your attention focused. Get up, get showered and dressed, have breakfast, and grab that second cup of coffee … whatever works for you.
- Keep a to-do list. Write down what you need to accomplish each day so you avoid constantly jumping from task to task.
Remember three B’s: breaks, balance and boundaries.
Ah, yes. This cuts to the core of working from home. It can be awesome and productive, but taking breaks and setting boundaries are critical steps to work/life balance.
- Get up every so often for a healthy snack, a quick stretch, or a 10-minute walk. And when you’re off the clock for the day, stay off it unless an urgent matter arises.
- You may want to try the Pomodoro Technique, which involves selecting a task, working on it for 25 minutes, then checking it off and taking a break before resuming work again. It’s time-tested and proven successful for heightened productivity.
To help you optimize your productivity and other key skills as you advance your career, contact the PrideStaff Fresno team today. We can help you build success in your current role or find a new one that’s just right for you, whether it’s temporary, full-time, or temp-to-hire. We look forward to working with you as you take that next step.