People tend to be more productive when they work from home. It's been proven by a research. When Stanford University research experts surveyed 250 employees at a large travel agency in a 9-month study and found that remote workers’ performance improved by 13%. They took fewer leaves and breaks as compared to in-house employees and were more productive every minute. These employees had the benefit of a quieter work environment.
However, not all employees who work remotely have such improved productivity. Employees working with a TV on in the background or using phone after every 10 minutes may not achieve that level of productivity. One needs to maintain decorum to keep up the organized routine. Here are a few methods to get more done and supercharge your productivity when you are working from home.
1. Establish “Do Not Disturb” Rules
It is natural for your family members to come and talk to you when they know that you are in the room. In such circumstances it can be difficult for you to build work momentum, especially when you are being distracted by the voices at home and continuous door opening. Here, you need to draw a line and establish “Do not disturb” rules to enter the “work zone”. The latter means to have a state of optimal creativity and productivity.
Once you make up your mind to work and go in that zone, you will be able to churn out work and have creative ideas. Deal with your family by patiently explaining them that when you close the door, it means that you do not want to get disturbed. If they need to talk to you urgently, they should either knock the door or call you before barging in. Also, locking the door can be one of the strategies to avoid talking to anyone, making you productive for hours.
2.Ignore the Dirty Dishes
Whether you are in office or at home, procrastination will not leave you anywhere. At office, it may mean chatting with your coworker, having a cooler discussion. While at home, it can be more difficult to procrastinate socially but a break room can be your kitchen. You may find some of the morning dishes already piled up in the sink that can make you think of washing them.
Though, more than 1/3 of the people do their chores along with working from home but if you really want to boost your productivity, we advise you to resist the urge to even sneak in chores between your office work. Even if you are taking care of those dishes, it’s still procrastination. Focus on your work and take care of the rest later, when you are done with your tasks.
3.Block Your Social Life for a Few Hours
Nothing will happen and no one will even notice if you zone out of Facebook for just a few hours. Millions of people use social media after every hour during their work which definitely negatively impacts the productivity level. When you deactivate your social media accounts for some time, we bet you will be more productive. There will be no sounds of notifications for at least a few hours to distract you from work.
By following the mentioned way, you will be able to focus and dedicatedly work on your tasks and finish them promptly. Once you are done with your work, you have all the time to enjoy and scroll through your social media accounts.
4.Be Productive in the Morning
Most of the people who work from home often think that they can lounge around in bed until 8:55 a.m. and report in their pajamas at 9:00 a.m. This isn’t what a responsible and punctual employee does. One should be serious about the work ethics as it does pay off. As a responsible and dedicated employee, one should get up timely at least half an hour before, freshen up, and begin work. Remote employees always have this benefit of saving their precious hours.
Unlike others, who are slogging their heart out on the highway, trying to get to work at 9:00 a.m. and these remote employees have already hammered out 90 minutes of work. Not only this, by 3:30 p.m., their work will already be done and they won’t also have to drive back home. However, one can surely take a few hours out during the day to do the dishes, run personal errands and clock off at 5:30 p.m. to welcome partner at home with a glass of their favorite drink.
5.Plan Short Breaks
While we have discussed several disciplinary tips for people working from home, it may sound counterintuitive to say that you should also take short breaks. According to a research, people tend to be more productive when they take short breaks. Another post in Inc. Magazine suggests that break for a few minutes make a person active. Those few minutes of fun, relaxation, and entertainment directly impact your productivity.
Such short breaks prevent fatigue decision making, reduce the chances of poor quality work, boost and restore motivation for long-term goals. However, it is necessary to make sure that the breaks are effective. It is not advised to take social media break or of cell phone usage, but some quick activity at home with your family member can be of help.
6.Track Your Productivity to Boost It
Following the aforementioned habits at home, if you still find yourself lacking, it is advised to keep a check on your productivity. Track record if you have ended the day in a fuzzy manner. Download a good app to track your hours and work throughout the day and allocate that time to specific projects.
Remote employees have flexibility and are bound to no rules. Both of these aspects can be of great advantage to them only if they are being utilized properly. Prioritizing their tasks and planning their breaks accordingly can make their remote working journey hassle-free.
