3 Ways to Stay Productive While Working From Home
With many companies out of the offices, millions of employees are now finding themselves stuck working from home. Although necessary, many people are not big fans of WFH because they find themselves out of their element when it comes to their profession. Working in a different environment is complicated but after awhile it’s easy to get acclimated to it and possible to become even more productive then you would be at the office. To help to get acclimated, we’re bringing you NextStep GoodLife’s 3 Ways To Stay Productive While Working From Home.
1. Nail Down a Routine
Instead of waking up, getting ready for work, then going to work, many people that are WFH right now are waking up — and they’re at work. Since a lot of people depend on their morning routine to get them focused and ready in the morning, they can feel thrown off or uncomfortable due to lack of routine. If this sounds like you, it may be beneficial to construct a solid and strict routine for the day. For instance, if you start work at 9 AM, your morning routine could look something like this: Wake up 7 AM, exercise from 7:15–8 AM, shower and get ready 8–8:20, Make breakfast from 8:20–8:50, set up working space from 8:50–9, start your day at 9! Having a strict list of objectives to complete will keep you organized and help you get focused and ready for your day!
2. Find A Work Buddy
After going most of their lives working side-by-side with other people, most humans are wired to crave direct social interaction. Although the collaborative work aspect of this social interaction is a large part of people’s daily lives at work, the primary factor that people crave is the small, nuanced social interactions that go unnoticed. For instance, the water cooler talk, the “good morning” check-in with your work neighbor, and the small talk that come with every exchange. In order to fulfill the need for this during WFH, it’s important to have somebody that you can work with. Maybe a roommate, a sibling, or just a friend that you can check-in with from time to time. This will bring a feeling of stability and normality back to your work life!
3. Pick Your “Desk” Wisely
While you’re at home, it’s extremely easy to be distracted. Because of this, it’s important to find a place where you can actually get your work done and not be distracted. This can be difficult to do however because many people find that their homes are where they come to relax and unwind after work, not where they actually do there work. Studies have shown that in areas where we normally relax and avoid work, such as our bedroom or the kitchen, are much more difficult to focus on than normal work areas. This is because our mind is so accustomed to being relaxed, that it takes more to change it to “work-mode”. Try to combat this by finding a designated area in or around your home and making this your consistent workspace. Keep it distraction-free and away from anything that may prevent you from focusing on work.
We hope that with these pieces of advice, you can stay focused and productive throughout your day at work, even if it’s not at work. Check out NextStepGoodLife.com for more helpful and healthy tips!