Productivity Hacks for working from Home!
Since the spread of the COVID-19 virus has been taken seriously, we have pretty much been told to only work from home and not go to the office anymore [1]. Even though, it can be really nice to be at home, there are definitely a lot of distractions that can keep you from your work. Since I have some experience with working at home every now and then, I thought it would be good to share this knowledge considering these circumstances. So here we go!
Productivity Hack #1 : Wake up on time
It is really important that you stay in the same rhythm as before or maybe wake up a little bit earlier. Since you are awake early anyway, you can just start your day and working on your tasks that you need to finish. When you wake up later than usually, it is easier to start procrastinating tasks and that will definitely bring your productivity down.
Also, when you wake up earlier and finish your day of work, you will have more time at the end of the day since you don’t have to commute.
Productivity Hack #2 : Use a desk/table
Definitely use a desk or table! Laying on the couch or sofa will not help you to focus properly since you probably always watch Netflix and relax there. This will make your body wanting to go into the relax state and since you want to go into work mode, this will probably cause an issue.
Productivity Hack #3 : Put on a headphone and listen to some music
This one always gets me into the zone! I am big fan of putting on my headphone and start listening to some good music. For me, it is a great way of shutting out all the sounds and distractions of the outside world. Just find music that will help you get focused. I would not recommend music with lyrics, since that seems to distract me but that might be different for you, so just try out the different genres.
Productivity Hack #4 : Put away all devices that you don’t need
I guess this one is kind of obvious but I still wanted to put this one on the list. Put away all the devices that distract you, like your phone and probably also your PS4. When these devices are close to you, it can be really tempting to start using them.
Productivity Hack #5 : Create a new working schedule
Since you are not at the office, the same working schedule is probably not going to work. It is hard to focus for 4 hours straight, have lunch and then work another 4 hours. Just give yourself a break! It is really easy to over or under work at home. I would recommend you to just work for a couple hours, let’s say 2 and then take a short break to recoup. During the break, go for a walk/run (when you aren’t fully in quarantine), do a workout, or have some family time. Just make sure that at the end of the day, you worked for 8 hours if you are required to do so.
Productivity Hack #6: Have a TO DO list
Since you wrote down the TO DO’s of the day, you will be able to focus on your goals and it will give you a feeling of fulfillment when you check one of them off. This will make working at home not feel like one big blur of activities and you will have a sense of what you finished that day.
Productivity Hack #7 : Stay in contact with your colleagues
Since you are at home and probably alone, it can make you go crazy pretty easy! Just use the tools that are available to talk to your colleagues. So instead of having coffee at the coffee machine, have a coffee by using Skype and talk about your day. This will help you stay positive and will make working at home much better.
You probably also aren’t the only one experiencing up and downs with your productivity. There is a big chance that your colleagues experience the same thing, so talk to them about it and see if they have any tips for you to improve your productivity.
Conclusion
These are the productivity hacks that I have used over the years and they might just do the trick for you too! Give them try and see what happens. Also, give yourself time to adjust and get used to the new situation. It is quiet the change in a short period time, so don’t beat yourself up about it and take it day by day.
It is easy to say that this situation just sucks big time, but it also provides us with a lot of new opportunities. You have more time to spend with your family at home or work on other activities since you don’t need commute to work anymore. So stay positive and enjoy the spare time that you now have. Stay strong and stay safe, we will definitely get through this.
References
[1] “De komende tijd zal een groot deel van de bevolking met het virus besmet raken,” 16 March 2020. [Online]. Available: https://nos.nl/artikel/2327309-de-komende-tijd-zal-een-groot-deel-van-de-bevolking-met-het-virus-besmet-raken.html.