Be it the COVID-19 or some other reason, organizations are increasingly offering “Work from Home” as an option to most of their employees. The work from home option may sound easy and relaxing. But it has its own set of challenges. However, if you are diligent about scheduling your work and manage to focus on work without getting distracted, then you can make it a successful alternate for regular office work.

Working from home has many benefits, which is why it is becoming increasingly popular. But you have to be organized to increase your productivity by keeping track of your schedule, limiting and staying vigilant about distractions, and sticking to specific work hours.

Here are 6 tips for boosting your productivity while working from home.

1. Create Your Home Office

Establish an area in your home where you can use your computer, talk on the phone, and keep important documents stored.

Also, your home office must have all the requirements that you would expect in a professional office. Some items you might consider include a reliable and dedicated computer or laptop, a quality Internet connection, a filing system, general office materials, and comfortable home office furniture, including an ergonomically designed chair.

2. Organize Your Work

When you are working from home, your job should become less stressful. But sometimes it can disrupt your workflow, since you battle between home and work life. That means you have to optimize and organize your home office for better productivity.

So, organize your workspace clean and tidy, before you start your work. It can make you less stressful and more productive until the end of the day. Keep an organized and clean office to help you stay focused on your work. By organizing and maintaining a file cabinet for important papers, you will spend less time searching when you need them. It also makes your work environment more pleasant.

3. Structure Your Workday

You have to structure your workday as if you generally do when you are working in the office. This is because when you are working from home, you are the personal manager for yourself, and there are no in-person meetings. So, there is every possibility that you can lose your focus after working for some time.

Therefore, to focus on your work and to stay on the schedule, structure your day in small segments of what and when you will do a particular time over the day. You can use an online calendar, like Google Calendar, and create personal events, office works, and reminders so that you may not miss on important tasks to complete and you can also give a timely kick-off on new tasks.

4. Take Breaks in Between

When you are working from home, it can be easy to get distracted from your work. So, plan your work and take breaks in between to get away from your desk. Go for a walk outside or spend time with others.

Remember that you are working from home, not from another planet. So, interacting with other people in your vicinity is possible and allowed, though they are not your co-workers. Since you do most of your office work in a lonely environment, it is a good idea to talk to another person after some hectic work. Go outside and find a person to chat with or have a coffee with.

It keeps you away from your work pressure for some time and keeps you going. After such a break, you can refresh your mind and focus better on your work.

5. Complete Household Chores Ahead of Time

When you are working from home, you may be tempted to spend some time preparing breakfast and lunch, including chopping and cooking. But, try to avoid such things during office work hours. It is better to complete all your household chores and laundry the night before. It saves your time and energy during work hours. Also, preparing food ahead of time ensures you can use your mealtime to eat.

6. Make the Optimum Use of Technology

You can make optimum use of the available technology and resources to stay connected with your manager and co-workers. There are many apps and tools designed to help remove distance as a barrier between you and your team members. Selecting the right tools to keep you and your team connected is important for staying productive at home. Instant messaging and videoconferencing tools can make it easy to check with your team members about the work status and remind them of deadlines.

You can use Skype or Slack to keep your conversations with your team members going remotely and to keep you organized about the priority tasks. You can use Zoom or Webex to make remote meetings more productive.

You can also use a cloud-based file-sharing service, such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, or Trello when sharing big files with your team members. It keeps your inbox free of huge files that take up significant space.

For more tips you can read the article Homeworking & Homeschooling in COVID19.

Conclusion

While working from home has a great many advantages, it can become difficult if you are not prepared for handling the challenges. By structuring your work, making the optimum use of technology, and by properly organizing your work, you can turn work from home into a viable and successful option – one that offers the best of both the professional and personal worlds.

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