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In light of the novel coronavirus, more people are working from home than ever before. Instead of commuting to an office, they’re trudging to their kitchen table in their pajamas. These employees have kids, pets, dirty dishes and myriad other things to worry about on top of their daily workload.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, you might be struggling to maintain your productivity and work from home efficiently in the face of all those distractions. Luckily, there are a few ways to dial in your attention, find that work-life balance and get more done.
One of the best things you can do for yourself while working from home is to make a schedule. Knowing when you’ll begin working and when you’ll finish is key to staying on track and finding that work-life balance.
Use an hourly planner or simply set aside eight hours of office time with an hour-long break in the middle. Try to keep the same schedule every day, so your body and mind know what to expect and your workday doesn’t bleed into your personal life, and vice versa.
Once you create a schedule, you must stick to it for it to be effective. Use a time-tracking app to ensure you’re at your desk eight hours a day.
Some even track your productivity so you can determine whether or not you’re actually focusing on your work while you’re in your office. Productivity trackers will also allow you to see what time of day you’re most efficient so you can tailor your schedule to your natural rhythm.
Creating a schedule is one thing. Finding a routine that will support it is another. Typically, your morning commute would give you time to prepare for the day, and your coffee run or trek into the office would signal the beginning of the workday. Now, you simply walk into a different room in your house.
Finding your morning routine, therefore, is important. Ease yourself into the workday by making a cup of coffee or working out beforehand. Do this every day and create an end-of-day routine to help you phase out of work, as well.
It’s hard to take a break when you feel like time is money, especially if you’re punching a clock at home. However, if you want to remain productive and prevent burnout, doing so is essential. Moreover, you must take good breaks — ones that involve psychological detachment from work and all related thoughts.
Shift your focus by meditating, going for a walk, setting a new goal or enjoying a personal hobby. Then, enjoy that full half-hour or 60-minute break in its entirety. Detaching in such a way will help you reduce work demands that cause fatigue and allow you time to recover.
Working remotely comes with a few more distractions than you might find in the office. From screaming kids to phone calls from mom, there are many things to keep you from work. You might even be tempted to take a nap at times.
Limit distractions and stay focused by avoiding watching TV and doing household chores during work hours. Create a schedule for the kids so they can self-direct schooling or play for most of the day. Additionally, turn off notifications for email, texts or Slack. Check for new messages once every hour or half-hour to effectively limit interruptions and boost productivity.
Setting up a home office is also key to working from home successfully. Dedicate a room or at least a desk and chair and create some ground rules for your makeshift cubicle.
Let everyone in the house know that this room or nook is your office, and they may not store boxes, toys or other belongings there. Refuse to share this space while you work and make it your personal goal to only conduct business there. Otherwise, you may create negative mental associations between your location and your job. For instance, if you work from bed, you’ll find it’s more difficult to switch off from work and actually sleep at night.
Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you can’t jazz up your office space. You’ll want a few photos of your pets or family, and you might also go the extra mile by adding some greenery.
Plants cleanse the air of carbon dioxide and even toxins like benzene, xylene and toluene. They can also boost your productivity and mood, making you a healthier, happier and more efficient employee.
Managing Your Expectations
While these tips can help you succeed at working from home, it’s best to manage your expectations and remain flexible from the very beginning. Regardless of how well you manage your time, distractions and office space, things happen. You will inevitably miss a deadline or a meeting every now and again.
Therefore, you must avoid being too hard on yourself and be realistic about how much work you can accomplish each day. Once you understand what you’re working with and know what you’re capable of, you’ll be more likely to succeed — even if that success looks different than your colleagues’.
