How to Maintain Productivity When Working From Home

by The Editorial Team on December 3, 2020

As more and more people are unexpectedly starting to work from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these people are asking, how can I be productive when working remotely?

This means people who are not accustomed to working from home will have to figure out ways to be productive in an environment that isn’t traditionally assigned such a role.

These challenges become more critical because working-from-home will remain a part of our lives for a while. Countries and states have indeed started their lockdown measures once again. The possibility of a second wave of the virus is real and upon us.

If working from home becomes your new routine, there is nothing to worry about as there are measures you can take to get you started on the right track. When these solutions are applied, working from home will become much more manageable.

4  Tips to Maintain Productivity While Working From Home:

1. Avoid Distractions

It’s easy to get bogged down by distractions while working from home. You must be deliberate to avoid them.

This is why it is essential to get started early and focus on getting things done.

You should set time for calls, virtual meetings, and other collaborative work in a way that doesn’t clash with the periods of the day when you are most productive.

Social media is another major distraction you should be careful about. Social networks are designed to be intrusive and constant alerts on your phone can easily drag you away from work.

A good idea is to have a work phone and a personal phone. When you are working, your private phone should be kept away from you to ensure you are not tempted to take social breaks when you should be hard at work.

2. Take Advantage and Get Your Employers to Buy You the Stuff You Need

This may be an excellent time to get your employer to spend some money on your needs. You really shouldn’t hesitate to ask your employer for anything you need to work from home effectively.

Nobody expected the outbreak of a pandemic, and it is possible you do not currently possess a well-equipped home office.
You will be within your rights to ask your employers for things you need. Just be reasonable.

For companies that already have employees that telecommute, they will be used to providing home office equipment for their staff, but if that’s not the case then you should identify the tools and equipment you will need and ask for them.

3. Make Communication a Priority

Constant communication with your boss and your colleagues is crucial to your productivity. You must be clear as to the deliverables expected of you.

When you are working at the office, you are physically close to your colleagues and to your boss – this makes communication a breeze. The situation is entirely different when you are working remotely.

You can use tools like Slack and Zoom to keep in touch with your team.

When day-to-day expectations are clearly defined, it makes it easier to plan your day, and this will inevitably make you more productive.

Another issue that constant communication can help prevent or mitigate is the feeling of being isolated.

When colleagues that are used to working together are separated from each other for a prolonged time, morale and productivity can be negatively impacted.

Constant communication can help to address this. The team can bond over a virtual meeting and remote happy hours to help maintain a positive team spirit.

4. Maintain Your Normal Workday Routine With Minor Adjustments

On a typical workday, you will shower and get dressed for work. You should consider doing the same at home to put you in the right frame of mind.

When you structure your day like you usually do, you will be more mentally attuned to the reality that you have serious work to do.

You should segment your day into different tasks, and you can make use of tools like Google Calendar.
Do things you usually do, set your alarm, wake up early, get some coffee or tea, put on decent clothes – not your pajamas, and get to work.

The reason why maintaining your regular schedule is important is because of the considerable difference between commuting to work and moving from the comfort of your bed straight to your workspace.

Commuting to work shakes off the cobwebs from your night sleep and primes you up for the tasks of the day. This is different when you work from home. This is why having a semblance of normality is very important.

In closing

Workers need to get used to working from home simply because the pandemic will most likely be with us until at least next year. We need to make the adjustments and make sure that we can do those essential tasks that we used to do while we were working at the office.

Working from home will not be easy and requires adjustments mentally and physically. It will take time to adjust to the new normal but do your best to maintain your focus and to be patient. It will get more comfortable every single day.