Work from Home and Stay Productive with 3 Smart Tips!
By
Theodore Henderson
The Wisdom Man
Work from home and stay productive? Really? How are you doing with this setup? Of course, we hope that you and your loved ones are all safe and well in these trying times. However, the reality is if you are blessed to have work, how are you going to successfully handle doing it from home?
The safety precautions imposed by the government will inevitably have affected you as well. You might be one of the many people who are forced to work from home, to comply with the health protocols. As a result, you might be having a difficult time adjusting to working from home.
Don’t worry! With these next three excellent tips, you’ll be back to your tip-top working shape in no time. They show big dividends and are easy to implement.
Tip #1: Your Work From Home Changes Little from Your Work Routine.
If you find the sudden change of environment jarring, counter it by going about your daily routine as always. For example, if you’re used to waking up an hour earlier than your work shift, don’t change it. It might be tempting to sleep in for as long as you like, but if you start your workday late, you might end up pushing tasks back because you have no more time.
Wake up at the same time as you did when you commuted to an office. When you work from home, it can be tempting to remain in bed, hitting the snooze alarm, and wait until the very last minute possible.
I still rise at 6 am, and after doing several of the activities listed below, I’m working by 7 am. This routine allows me to stop working at 4 pm. Or I may take an extended break mid-day if I have to teach or facilitate any business programs in the evening. Your morning routine can be vital to the success of your work at home experience.
Nine tips to help create a work from home routine.
- Do not go online first-thing.
- Exercise.
- Shower and get dressed.
- Have breakfast.
- Household chores.
- Listen to music or a podcast.
- Set your goals for the day.
Prep the night before for what you will wear and need first thing in the morning.
If you keep your mindset in work mode, the change in setting won’t affect you much.
Tip #2: Work From Home Is Not Work in Bed.
We know how tempting it is to lounge in bed while working on your laptop. Still, this relaxed, laidback atmosphere is counterproductive. We naturally associate our bedrooms with resting and relaxation, so our minds and bodies instantly go on low when we’re in our bedrooms.
Many years ago I made a personal rule of no computer or TV watching in the bedroom. I’ve never felt the urge to change it, and I sleep and relax better as a result.
If you live in a studio-type pad with no room divisions, you can create a “room” by blocking the bed from your sight. You can use curtains, indoor plants, or even rearranging furniture. It’s up to you how you do it but do it, and you will see the results quickly.
Lastly, prioritize creating a separate workspace before doing anything else. It doesn’t have to be a dedicated room set up as an office (even though it would be nice). If you don’t have a separate room, then it should be an area that mentally prepares you for your work mindset. Whether it’s a different room, a small desk set up in a corner, or a laptop at the end of the kitchen table.
What you do not want it to be is a place you go to relax, like your bedroom or your sofa. If you are living with other people, then it must also be a place that other members of your household know is designated for work.
Tip #3: Work From Home And Keep in Touch.
Working from home, especially if you live alone, can be quite lonely. You might miss the interaction you had at your on-site job. Or miss going to see clients and visiting field offices. While you can’t physically keep in touch with your colleagues, you can communicate virtually.
You can set up a group chat or group video call so you can check with your office besties. This is especially great if you work in a team.
Knowing that you’ll be logging in with your colleagues might even push you into working at your usual regular hours, which can boost your productivity level.
- Get on Social Media – Be smart about connecting and keeping up.
- Use Online Collaboration Tools
- Hold Regular Meetings
- Create a Daily “Commute”
- Schedule Personal Phone Conversations
- Set Calendar Reminders
- Find a Telecommuting Buddy
These are just 7 of 17 great tips shared by Virtual Vocations whose website specializes in helping you find remote work.
What are remote employees doing? – (Source – Krisp.ai blog)
- 36 percent of employees who work remotely use some type of cloud-based management tool,
- 34 percent use an instant messaging service, and
- 13 percent use collaboration software.
The impact of using these tools. – (Source – Bit.ai Blog)
- About 75% of employers rate teamwork and collaboration as “very important.”
- 86% of employees and executives cite an absence of collaboration or ineffectual communication for workplace failures.
- Up to 80 percent of businesses use social collaboration tools to improve business processes.
- Companies with effective communication are 50% more likely to have lower employee turnover.
- Finally, 31% of baby boomers, 40% of Gen X, and 49% of millennials embrace social tools for collaboration.
Conclusion
These three tips might seem so simple, but doing them will surely boost your productivity even when you’re working from home. And when you’re productive, you finish tasks on time or earlier, which leaves you free to pursue other means of passive income.
There are so many ways you can earn more now that you’re working from home. You can even make money during your free time. See our other posts at the Wisdom4Business Blog. We’d like to help you in achieving just that!
It doesn’t matter if you are a budding entrepreneur, current business owner, or newly minted remote worker. Make the work from home experience a successful one starting with just these three steps and stay current with our other post! For more insights on this topic read my previous post How To Adjust and Work from Home Productively.
About The Author
Theodore Henderson works with business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate professionals on their business skills, marketing, and leadership strategies. He is an Amazon best-selling author, a Certified Career Coach, Business Skills & Leadership Coach, and a Certified Social Media Security Professional Powered by CompTIA.
There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post, but these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.