Working from home was probably only a daydream for you before the pandemic blindsided the world. More than a year and a half later, here you are—trying your hardest to maximize productivity just to get through your daily workload.
In the midst of it all, you’re probably asking yourself, “Why am I struggling to stay in the zone? I’m working in the comforts of my home—shouldn’t this setup make me more efficient?”
Well, I hate to break it to you, but your home was never meant to be conducive for work.
Why?
Because it’s normally the place where you disconnect yourself entirely from your workplace responsibilities!
But the sad reality is, circumstances have left you with no choice but to find a way to boost productivity as you work from home. With that said, here are THREE ways to do that!
1. Set a Schedule (And Stick To It)
The main thing you have to come to terms with when working from home is your freedom from the systematic work routine you’ve been following long before the advent of the pandemic.
Although the idea of breaking free from that system and having more time on your hands may sound appealing at first, it could have severe consequences on your well-being. Doing so creates the illusion that you have more time to do the actual work—that you have greater freedom to accomplish more tasks.
Yikes! Might as well just start referring to your home as office 2.0, am I right?
To make sure that you sustain an ideal work-life balance, you need to make a schedule that works best for you! Identify the optimal time for you to work and set your schedule around that. As much as possible, don't deviate from this schedule. Routine can be good as it brings order to chaos.
2. Designate a Workplace at Home (And Only Work There)
If you want to be consistent and efficient, then this is something you should seriously consider.
As we’ve established earlier, your home is typically not conducive for work-related activities because your brain has been conditioned to tell you to let loose and be unproductive. The solution is to designate a particular place in your home where you'll do all your work.
When designating the right workspace, avoid places that can easily disrupt your focus, such as the living room, the kitchen, and—most of all—your bedroom.
The right workspace doesn’t even have to be a room. It can be a corner in your house which you can organize and turn into a functional work area.
3. Take Breaks As Needed (But Don't Overdo It)
Your mind and body can only endure so much.
When you feel like you’re getting way too deep into your work, make sure to check in on yourself from time to time and take a break when needed!
It could be as simple as taking a short water break or having a snack—as long as you’re able to momentarily detach yourself from whatever it is you’re doing.
Trust me, you’d be surprised by how much taking a short break can rejuvenate your focus and drive!
The Final Word
Considering what everyone around the world is going through right now, it’s quite easy to misconstrue the idea of working remotely as an obligation to double up on your productivity. This kind of thinking should stop now!
At the end of the day, getting your work done should be about producing optimal results, and the only way to get there is by working smart! This means being mindful of not only the quality of your work but your well-being as well!
And if you find yourself faced with too many tasks, you can always hire a virtual assistant to help take some of the load off your back!
Lucky for you, TopVA offers just that!
To learn more about how we can help you, click here!