As I write this, I am ironically attempting to be productive while entertaining my one-year-old son who is crawling around my feet. During this societal exercise in social distancing, I, like many others around the world, are working from home. There are a number of unique challenges that come with working from home or teleworking, many of which have been addressed on our Scatterling blog. One of these challenges is how to stay productive in the less-structured and sometimes chaotic environment of a home office.
10 Tips to Be Productive While Working at Home
While everybody’s home-work situation is different, here are 10 tips that have allowed to me be distraction-free and focused during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Set up your home office in a traffic-free area of your home. If you don’t have a separate room available, consider setting up dividers to give you some private space to concentrate.
Wherever you choose your home office spot, make sure it is distraction-free, without the temptation of a TV with Netflix, a fridge with yummy snacks or a washing machine to do laundry.
Distractions can also include noise and other normal sounds found in a home. If a separate room is not available and you are working amidst other activity, consider using noise-canceling headphones to eliminate these types of interruptions.
Put a lot of thought into a comfortable chair and desk. Because you will be spending significant time in this space, choose a chair that is comfortable, self-adjusting, can support your back and spine over many hours.
When using this designated office space, stick to the normal work hours as you would if going to the office. Also, with family members or roommates, communicate to them that this area is off-limits during the work hours.
Unlike a normal office, it is important to put away any work-related tools and items when the work is done. This is important to practice while working at home because it will allow you to truly unplug and relax during non-work hours – out of sight and out of mind.
Make sure you take regular breaks, especially the lunch one, as you would in a normal office. This not only helps your productivity but helps maintain your emotional well-being as well. And make sure these breaks are spent somewhere away from your workspace – that’s very important.
Like your emotional well-being, your physical well-being is directly connected to your productivity. During the aforementioned breaks, try to get out and go for a walk or run or maybe go to the gym – your brain and body will thank you for it.
Regularly have video calls with fellow employees to discuss projects as well as to connect. Just because you aren’t working in a physical office together, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a positive and engaging work culture online.
Take advantage of this unique employment situation by spending more time with loved ones and, within reason, doing needed chores around the house. If you can balance your home life with work while at home, you can be very happy and productive.
About the Author:
Gen Handley is a Marketing and Growth Coordinator for Scatterling and is currently working from home with his wife and one-year old son. Gen has more than 10 years of marketing and freelance writing experience.