Many of us have learned a thing or two about working from home over the last couple of years. However, there’s always room for improvement, especially when it comes to time management and productivity. I’m constantly looking for ways to stay productive and motivated, even when balancing my home life with my home office feels impossible. If y’all feel the same way, check out these tips for staying productive in your home office.
Customize Your Schedule to Your Needs
We all tackle the day in our own unique ways. Some people are great at diving into tasks first thing in the morning, while others are most productive in the afternoon. Make the most of your natural bouts of productivity by catering your schedule to your needs as much as y’all can. Even if you can’t dictate your own working hours, you can make small adjustments to your day to help you stay focused and motivated.
For example, figuring out a convenient lunch hour and sticking to it every day helps you create a dependable routine. You can also harness your productivity by silencing notifications and hunkering down during the times of day when you’re at the top of your game.
Cut Out Distractions
While it’s easy for us to label something as a distraction, it takes a lot more effort to actually cut that distraction out of your routine. The first step is to address why this thing is interfering with your work. In my experience, there’s usually an underlying problem beneath the distraction itself.
Let’s say your significant other is constantly talking to you while you’re working. That may be annoying in and of itself, but the underlying issue might be a more serious lack of boundaries in your relationship. Another example is looking at your phone throughout the workday. We all distract ourselves with games and social media apps, but if you’re constantly glued to Facebook or Twitter, you might need to find a way to work through a social media addiction.
Identifying and addressing the issues that lie beneath daily distractions is the key to making sure y’all cut out those distractions for good. Your life—both at work and beyond—will be better off for it.
Don’t Neglect the Water Cooler
It’s easy to socialize with coworkers when you’re in the office. But when y’all can’t just turn around for a quick conversation or greet someone as you walk by on your way to the break room, those casual interactions become more difficult.
Socializing with coworkers might not seem like a good tip for staying productive while working from home, but it’s a crucial part of creating a successful and satisfying work environment. Chatting with coworkers brightens your workday, makes your job more rewarding and makes it easier to ask questions or collaborate on a project when the need arises. Make an effort to connect with your colleagues by participating in team-building chats, posting silly memes, and turning on your camera during video calls for some quality face-to-face interactions.
