If you are one of the many employees working from home since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, you are not alone. While working from home has plenty of benefits, balancing work responsibilities with family commitments and household duties can also be difficult.
Fortunately, some useful tips can help you stay focused and meet all your deadlines while working from home – without letting it take over your personal life. Check out these three helpful tips to increase your productivity.
Make a schedule
This can be particularly useful if you are a working parent. While during term times, school-aged children will be at school, giving you the peace and quiet to work, there are some times – vacations, illnesses, and school closures, for example, when they will be at home. Trying to work when kids are running around, making noise, demanding your undivided attention and unlimited snacks can make your productivity levels dive.
If this is something you find yourself having to deal with, you need to look at setting a schedule for the entire family. Look at how you and your partner, if you have one, can coordinate schedules or shifts to accommodate the need for someone to look after the children. One can work in the morning and the other later in the day. You could consider getting up earlier to work when the house is quiet. Looking into outside childcare options such as camps or babysitters could be necessary if these aren’t options.
Designate a space to work.
While working from your couch or bed can be tempting, setting up something a little more formal can help you stay productive. You could set up a makeshift office in the dining room, or if you are fortunate to have the room, have an actual home office. In an ideal world, the space should have a door for you to close out the distractions, and you should have everything you need to complete your job without repeatedly leaving the room.
Of course, another option is a co-working space. While these aren’t permanent bases for leaving all your resources in, it can be a great way of socializing and collaborating with others in your position. Another way to get a change of scenery is to head to a local coffee shop with your laptop for a few hours. Enjoy some freshly made coffee, have a bit to eat, and work in a friendly atmosphere.
Avoid online distractions
When you are in the office, you don’t have much time or opportunity to check your social media. However, when you are working from home and potentially in charge of your own hours, it can be very easy to lose hours in a social media rabbit hole.
Avoid them as much as possible. Remove social media platforms from your bookmarks and log out of your accounts. Disable notifications on your cell phone and keep your phone out of reach.
There are lots of challenges when it comes to working from home, but by establishing a schedule, finding somewhere to work and eliminating digital distractions, you can remain productive.
