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If working from home is new to you, it can be stressful.
By Cena Block, MS, CPC, COC — Written on Apr 12, 2020
Many people are discovering the joys and hardships of working from home right now due to the COVID-19 coronavirus quarantine.
While working from home has its benefits, there are also some issues you'll need to overcome as you transition so you can keep your productivity up, even while under the stress and anxiety from the quarantine and subsequent isolation.
Thanks to rapid advancements in business technology and increasing accommodations for flexible work schedules, remote work is the new thing! Freelancers, "mompreneurs," and regular 9-to-5ers alike all have begun to benefit from part or full-time remote work arrangements.
The ability to perform your job from anywhere in the world is a valuable benefit. And for those interested in creating a balance between remote work and personal life, it can be a dream.
But it’s important to consider if and how remote work affects personal productivity. Although there are certainly distractions and interruptions that accompany communal office work, remote workers also face challenges.
When it comes to staying productive, working off-site provides additional challenges to manage distractions and stay on-task. If you find yourself easily distracted, try integrating these tips into your remote work routine.
Here are 5 simple tips for keeping yourself productive and successful as you learn how to work from home.
1. Create a dedicated workspace.
Although you may be tempted to spend your off-site days relaxing at coffee shops or sending emails between errands and doctor’s appointments, having a dedicated area for work can help you focus on the task at hand and help you switch into a more productive mindset.
Especially if you work exclusively from home, making a workspace can help you separate your work and personal lives, which can be challenging to accomplish if these two spheres inhabit the same space.
Bright lighting, comfortable seating, vibrant wall colors, and adequate storage for important documents are important design features that foster a productive remote workspace. It's important that your space match your organizing personality style.
2. Use the right communication tools.
Often, your ability to productively communicate with colleagues and clients depends upon the tools you use. As a coach, my work is almost always virtual. As such, I have many favorite communication tools.
Some of them are storage depots like Dropbox, everything Google, my project and task management tools, and my conferencing apps. Equally as important is your WiFi connection, data bandwidth, and other systems support.
With so many advanced tools on the market, be sure you can take advantage of them by using the right ones.
I can't tell you how many people make the mistake of using their handset for calls. If working with your cell phone, use your headphones to manage fatigue and keep your hands free.
Or, find a high-quality, rechargeable headset. A rechargeable headset helps you stay at your workspace, work from a desktop, stay hands-free, and ensures sound call-quality.
Be sure to also set up features such as call waiting and voicemail. It will help you to manage phone call interruptions throughout the day.
Another added benefit is to pay for the voicemail-to-text feature. This can help you avoid missed messages and improve your productivity.
Similarly, chat channels like Slack, Messenger, or Chat should find a place in every remote worker’s communications toolbox.
As opposed to traditional, formal emailing, these tools bolster rapid responses. They help you create more direct messaging that isn’t bogged down by fluffy introductions or complex language.
Using the right tools increases your productivity because you can stay focused on tasks longer and avoid interruptions. This enhances the time you spend actually working.
3. Use distraction blockers.
The internet is a double-edged sword when it comes to remote work productivity. While it provides nearly limitless knowledge that can help you more quickly accomplish your tasks, it is also home to limitless distractions.
Working distracted can double the time it takes to get your work done.
Fortunately, there are plenty of free or relatively inexpensive applications for blocking certain sites, tracking the time you spend online, and blocking email or chat notifications that can prevent you from getting into a productive groove.
4. Set and share your schedule online.
Many who work remotely also have the privilege of setting work hours that best suit the demands of their personal lives.
Even if you have the ability to vary your hours from day-to-day, creating a consistent and public schedule can help you manage expectations.
Using an online scheduler shows in-office coworkers when you're available. Adopting a shared schedule as a workgroup helps the team to stay more connected. Feeling part of the team helps to avoid feeling isolated.
If you're a remote worker and find yourself working long hours that stretch into the night, a set schedule helps improve your work/life balance. Setting your schedule is essential for long-term productivity.
Sharing your “work hours” can help deter business-related calls at inappropriate times. When team members or customers know you’ve finished for the day, they can make better choices that help support remote work arrangements and keep your boundaries.
A set schedule also can provide a good daily endpoint. To help manage burnout, use your time after hours to do everything else!
Remember to intentionally make time to rest, rejuvenate and prepare for tomorrow.
5. Remember to take breaks and stretch.
Movement motivates. So when you're feeling down, lethargic or unfocused, the best way to shift your productivity is to move your body.
Without the company of coworkers, the need to walk to your next meeting or for quick chats by the watering hole is not available. As a result, working from home offers little to no space in your schedule for rest.
Since breaks are crucial to improve productivity, creativity, motivation, and general wellbeing, you need to take them. It's important to integrate breaks into your remote work from home routines.
A break can include anything from a neighborhood walk, exercise or workout, time to review mail, or do a quick household chore. Many people make stopping by the local coffee shop a part of their work-from-home routine for a change of scenery.
And finally, when you’re screen-facing all day, computer exercises and stretches are a quick and effective way to restore energy. Stretches help undo repetitive motions, like typing or answering the phone.
Cena Block works with ADHD entrepreneurs to turn ADHD blind spots into super powers through coaching. To learn more about how she can help you, visit her website for a complimentary discovery call.
This article was originally published at Sane Spaces. Reprinted with permission from the author.