Remote working and working from home have become increasingly popular over the years, with many businesses realising the added benefits of giving employees freedom. The current Coronavirus pandemic has seen many workers suddenly having to set up an office at home and adopt new working practices.
Some people love working from home and find it increases their creativity, while others struggle to avoid distractions and stay productive. Whether you are used to working from the comfort of your house or are currently a home-worker because of the UK lockdown, it is crucial that you continue to do the best possible job. We’re sharing our tried and tested tips and tricks for increasing productivity and staying focused when working from home;
Eight Tips For Productive Home Working
1. Create A Dedicated Workspace
It is vital that you confine your work to a specific space within your home. Not only will it prevent your job from intruding on other members of your household, but it will improve your productivity. When you set a dedicated workspace, you will create an area where you can properly concentrate and focus on the task at hand with no distractions.
Avoid checking your emails or voicemails in front of the TV and set aside a space for that very purpose. Ensure your workspace is quiet and stress-free, with no distractions. If you don’t have a spare room to transform into your home office, try to find a quiet corner away from the main areas of your home.
2. Start Early
If you are used to your morning commute to wake you up and get you feeling ready for the day ahead, then working from home might be a shock to the system. The transition from pillow to computer can be difficult with no commute to break it up.
One way to avoid putting off starting your working day and that dreaded morning sluggishness is to dive straight in. Simply starting a project first thing can help set you up for a productive day ahead. Alternatively, if your brain takes longer to get in gear, try exercising first, but always aim to be sat at your desk before your normal start time.
3. Get Ready For The Day
When you have no reason to leave the house, it can be tempting to spend all day in loungewear, but this can be a nightmare for your productivity levels. That mental association that you have between being in an office and doing your work is powerful, and you shouldn’t lose it when you are working from home.
Even if you are just commuting to the lounge, continue to prepare for the day in the same way as you do when you go to the office. Set your alarm early, make a coffee and get dressed in your workwear.
4. Learn Your Productive Times
Everyone’s productivity levels will ebb and flow throughout the day. Even the most productive workers aren’t working full throttle from morning until night. Understanding your own productive times and slower times is a great way to increase your overall productivity for the day.
Schedule in harder tasks and projects for those periods where you are most productive. At those slower points, focus on easy, logical duties that don’t require too much hard work.
5. Stay Connected To Your Team
If you are used to working in a busy office and a large team of colleagues, suddenly working from home can leave you feeling cut off. It is important you are still connected and up to date with the larger operation of your business.
Utilise technology, such as video conferencing and instant messaging to stay in touch with co-workers. This can really help to boost productivity when working from home because it will remind how your job is contributing to the big picture.
6. Communicate With Your Household
Just because you are working from home, it often doesn’t mean you are on your own. It is likely that there will be roommates, spouses, children, parents, siblings or anyone else around during your working day. Be sure to communicate with them your working hours and where your workspace is and ask them to respect your space during this time.
It is important they are aware that just because you are working from home, does not mean you are at home.
7. Exercise
Being stuck at home all day can become tiresome and boring, and that does nothing for your productivity levels. While you can’t pop to the gym on your lunch during the Coronavirus pandemic, you can still fit in a workout at home. Schedule some time for exercise during your working day, whether it is a quick run, an online workout class or a walk around the block.
When you return to your desk, you will feel refreshed and energised to get on with the task at hand.
8. Keep Your Brain Active
It isn’t just your body that you need to keep moving, but your brain too. Working from home can become mundane and tedious, especially if you work in a repetitive role. Keeping your mind stimulated is vital for productivity, and one great way to keep it busy is through additional learning.
Taking a training course alongside working from home can not only keep your brain whirring but enhance your career prospects.
Here at TSG Training, we offer a range of online training courses and webinars to enhance your skills. Business Analysts, Business Managers and Project Managers can benefit from our
Business Analysis Foundation E-Learning Course. This course prepares learners for the BCD Foundation certificate in Business Analysis exam.
We also offer our
Better Business Cases™ Foundation E-Learning Course, which is relevant to anyone responsible for producing spending proposals.
In addition to a vast range of training courses, we also offer free webinars covering various subjects. Our
ITIL® 4 Foundation Webinar on 4
th June can help you to understand how ITIL® 4 can help businesses to navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution. During the webinar, we will discuss key concepts of service management, fundamental concepts of ITIL®, Service Value System (SVS) and much more. Sign up today to make sure you don’t miss it.
