While the workforce has grown more mobile than ever in the last decade or so, we’re currently dealing with an unprecedented number of people, for reasons beyond their control, having to work from home for the time being. Now, working from home initially seems like a pretty good deal. Who doesn’t want to skip their commute and work in their pajamas?
However, working from home — as any freelancer will tell you — isn’t all roses. In fact, it can be downright difficult, particularly when there are distractions in abundance.
There are a few things we must all do if we are to work from home successfully and productively. During this trying time, arm yourselves with good, healthy strategies for staying on track while you do work from home.
5 Keys to Working from Home Productively
1) Dress for the day.
Believe it or not, your morning routine can make-or-break your daily productivity as you work from home. It’s so important that you still shower, dress, and go about your normal routine as if you were going to physically go to the office. Get up at the same time (or earlier) and try to keep roughly the same schedule.
Doing this helps put your brain in the “work” mindset. If you were to roll out of bed and stay in your pajamas or use your laptop in bed to work, you will be tempted to treat your workday as a day off...and we can’t do that!
2) Keep a schedule.
As with working in an office, a schedule is invaluable. Start by knowing what it is that you have to get done. Keep your same work hours — be it nine to five or otherwise — and take breaks of appropriate length. Take your lunch hour. What’s important here is that there is a structure to your day.
While there is a temptation to shuffle things around, dedicating appropriate time for your tasks along a regular schedule is key to productivity. Don’t let unpredictability stifle your ability to do work well.
3) Create a real office space.
As with getting dressed, the spaces we inhabit play a significant role in motivating and demotivating our work ethic. Working from the living room or a kitchen table while the television blares and children play don’t make for a great work environment. If anything it is more stressful!
Improve your work-from-home experience by creating, as best you can, an at-home office. We might not all have space for it, but even if it is moving a desk into the guest room, it will suffice. The point is to have a real place to work where you can close the door and block out distractions.
4) Set appropriate boundaries.
During our quarantines, it’s likely that you are not the only person in your house. Kids are out of school, one if not both parents work from home, and there are a multitude of people and issues trying to capture your attention.
I don’t want to tell you not to spend time with your family. Absolutely spend time with them! But if you want to work from home effectively, you have to set boundaries during your designated working hours. Some parents use a “stoplight” approach by keeping a red, yellow, and green indicator outside of their home office.
For us, we have to keep these appropriate boundaries, even with the people we love. Stop by on your breaks and check in, absolutely. Eat lunch together! But also make it clear that you need this time to work as normal. In the same way, do your best to mitigate outside distractions.
5) Minimize disruptions.
I can’t stress the importance of schedule enough. Working from home affords us a great deal of flexibility. You could go to the grocery store in the middle of the day, hit the gym in the afternoon, or pick a mid-morning slot for that dentist appointment. (Though right now, I only suggest doing the grocery shopping!)
Switching between work and non-work taxes the brain like switching constantly between tasks. We have to re-engage our minds to do the task at hand. This is difficult not only when you are switching between work assignments, but especially if you’re jumping in and out of work time and personal time.
Don’t take personal calls. Don’t hang out on Facebook. Schedule appointments as you would if you were in the office. Treat your working hours as sacred — use the flexibility afforded to you only if absolutely necessary.
How are you handling working from home? Share your productivity tips in the comments.