In the last couple of years, the world of work has changed fundamentally. It was a shift that had been building momentum for a long time, but certain societal factors accelerated its progression to an unprecedented degree.
Now, more of us are working from home than ever (one in seven, according to ONS statistics). We crave the flexibility it offers, and the chance to build lives more closely resembling the ones we’ve always wanted. For parents, it means more quality time to spend with their families; for younger professionals, fewer wasted hours spent on commuting and more to dedicate to hobbies and interests.
However, working remotely comes with its challenges, from boredom to loneliness, and even a perceived lack of visibility. We’ll look at our top tips for avoiding one of the foremost concerns among remote workers: declining productivity.
Create a tech survival kit
For those who work from home, the internet provides a vital link between the individual and the workplace. Without it, you can’t effectively communicate or complete tasks, which is why it’s essential that your connection and the devices you use to complete and send work are functioning as they’re supposed to.
So, how do you avoid technical issues negatively impacting your productivity? By pulling together a tech survival kit, like the one shared by ExpressVPN. This should contain various essentials, from a portable Wi-Fi hotspot for when your internet goes down to USBs, power banks, and spares of multiple items. The idea is to be as prepared as possible for whatever technical catastrophe you’re faced with.
Use lists to stay organised
In the office, there’s more of a sense of structure to our days. With the looming presence of managers and senior members of staff, we feel we must continually keep the pace up. At home, you have more flexibility regarding how you order your day – but for some, this can cause a loss of focus.
If you find it hard to organise yourself, turn to a trusty to-do list for help. This will keep your concentration on what needs to be completed and make you less likely to procrastinate. You’ll also have the satisfaction of getting to tick off your achievements once they’re finished, providing positive reinforcement throughout the day.
Splitting things into individual tasks can also help to make your workload seem more manageable and less overwhelming. Lifehack recently shared an interesting article on the subject.
Create a daily schedule
When you work from home, it’s easy for your attention to be diverted. Even though it’s wonderful that you’re now around to pick the kids up from school, it’s tricky to stay on track when your focus is constantly pulled away from what you’re supposed to be doing.
Why not create a schedule? This shouldn’t list only your work tasks, but everything that needs to be accounted for during your day. That means writing down when you’ll take lunch and how often you need to rest and refresh. If you’re going to break for the afternoon to walk your dog at some point, put that in too, and be strict about sticking to the schedule. This will help keep you on track and prevent you from putting tasks off until later.
When it comes to maintaining productivity, working from home can pose its challenges. However, so long as you’re prepared to combat this head-on, you may actually find your output soars and you’re more successful at completing tasks than you ever were in the office.
Tags: career, working from home
