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Remote working has been more popular since the pandemic in 2020.
Working remotely has many advantages. But if you, your employees, or coworkers are working from home and wondering how you will keep productive, BBB has 16 tips to help!
1. Keep your routine
If you normally wake up at 6:30 a.m., brew coffee, shower, get ready, and grab a bagel – then continue your routine. This routine helps put you in the mindset to work and sets the tone for your day. And if you don’t normally put a load of laundry in, now might not be the best time to introduce potentially distracting tasks.
2. Get ready for work
Instead of rolling out of bed in your PJs and heading straight to your computer, get ready like you would normally. Staying in casual clothes with unkempt hair can put a damper on your mood and productivity.
3. Start your day productively
Another sure way to continue productivity throughout the day is to start productive. Once you sit down to work, jump straight into your to-do list. Focus on the larger projects; don’t delay their start until the mid-day slump. Research confirms when you start with a larger project, you’ll find yourself continuing to work on it the rest of the day.
4. Designate an office space
Stay away from “relaxing areas”, like your couch or bed. Designate a specific area for your new office – the kitchen, dining room table, corner desk – then personalize your new work area. Keep your desk area tidy. It’s proven that the more cluttered your desk is, the more likely you are to be distracted and stressed. For an added office atmosphere boost, add office accessories like a comfortable chair that helps with posture, a hanging calendar, a file organizer, or a desk lamp.
5. Create a schedule
Make a schedule for yourself or create a daily to-do list. Keep a written agenda for your day or use your digital calendar to block out time for certain assignments. If you have a daily routine at the office, keep to it as much as possible at home. If you know you are most productive at 10:30 am and 3 pm, plan to conquer your difficult tasks then and work on smaller tasks during your least productive times.
6. Light is important
You’ve probably heard it before, sunlight helps wake up the body. It will help get you out of bed, stimulate the brain, and positively affect your mood. So, open up a window and let in that natural light. Warning, if you are participating in video chats or recording, be careful of backlight effects and glares. If you don’t have windows or it’s a cloudy day, use a desk lamp or overhead lights.
7. Take a break
The human brain can only focus for so long. Giving your mind and body a break is necessary and backed by research. If you are hesitant to take a break, think of them as part of your strategic planning for the day – helping your brain refresh and giving yourself time to recharge. So, when you are feeling your mood or productivity decrease, get a glass of water, take a walk around the block, meditate, or indulge in snack time. For more incentive and productivity boosts, plan your leisure time into your schedule.
When it’s time for lunch, take your full lunch break. Survey findings have shown that workers who take their lunch break every day feel more engaged and productive. And it might be tempting to become a chef every day when it is time to eat, but by cooking your meal you sacrifice valuable downtime and create more work for yourself. Try meal-prepping the night before or at the beginning of your week.
8. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential not just to stay healthy, but also to alleviate daytime fatigue. Set reminders for yourself throughout the day to drink water. Plus, getting up to refill your glass can help wake you up and give you a moment away from the computer.
9. Background noise
In movies when exciting, calm, fun, or sad scenes occur, you will hear background music geared to that emotion. Take Hollywood’s advice and create a soundtrack for your day. When you need an energy boost, put on upbeat and energizing songs. If you need something less distracting, play instrumental music or even video game soundtracks. Your daily soundtrack can consist of the TV turned on low or the washing machine’s ambient noise.
Another benefit to having a song playing or laundry going is it gives your brain a signal of how much time has passed. If you are working on a task and four songs later realize you haven’t made much progress, maybe it's time to refocus your efforts or switch to another project.
10. Remove distractions
Your designated office space should be all about work. If you start checking social media or browsing the Internet, it’ll be difficult to stop. Make rules for yourself. If you want to check social media or check the news, force yourself to walk away from your desk. A lot of times, you’ll find that you don’t want to put in that extra effort and you’ll continue working. If you’re still tempted, put your phone in another room or disconnect from Wi-Fi if you don’t need it for work.
11. Stay positive
If you do get distracted, feel down, or lack motivation, don’t make yourself feel even worse. Everyone has mood and productivity slumps, sometimes even full days of little progress. This usually means you’ve reached information overload and need a break. Once you’ve recognized your decrease in productivity and taken a few moments for yourself, you can hop back into the daily grind with renewed vigor.
12. Coworker communication
So, maybe these coworkers are not your normal office mates and instead they’re your roommate, family member, significant other, or child. Treat them as coworkers nonetheless. Set boundaries with them by communicating your needs. Your work needs could be access to a certain area to work, quiet between specific times of day, being uninterrupted until lunch, etc. Talk with them about your needs and ask them about theirs. You all might have to make compromises, but at least you are on the same page. Your work-from-home coworkers can also be great accountability buddies. Discuss each other’s goals and self-imposed working rules and help keep each other accountable.
If you have kids, you know that nothing goes according to plan. So, make sure you have multiple ways to keep kids entertained and occupied. For younger kids, when it’s naptime or they are busy watching a movie, take advantage of those moments and knock out as much on your to-do list as possible. If they are older, talk to them about your current situation and why mom/dad needs to have time to work. Check out the Scholastic Learn at Home Program on BBB’s site full of resources for businesses and consumers.
13. Pavlov yourself into productivity
If Ivan Pavlov can condition dogs with a reward system, you can condition yourself with one. Set little goals throughout the day and when you accomplish them, treat yourself! Whether that is chocolate, snacks, specialty coffee, or a break, assign those treats to certain tasks. This provides an incentive to check off your to-do list and helps keep a positive attitude throughout the day.
14. Social distancing, not socially distant
Just because you are social distancing doesn’t mean you need to be socially distant. Talk to coworkers through online chats or virtual meetings, wave hello to your neighbor, or run an errand to support your local small businesses and say hello to the barista. Leaving your house can positively impact your mood and support productivity.
15. Set a hard stop
You started your day at a specific time and you should it at one too. Once your workday is over, log off and stay off. Set boundaries or else you will find yourself working late into the night. When you set a hard stop you give yourself time to recharge and prepare for the next day. Just like you designated a workstation, you need to also designate relaxation stations. So, before you sit down on your couch and reach for that laptop after hours, take a moment to consider if this task can wait until tomorrow. If the answer is yes, add it to tomorrow’s to-do list and call it a night.
16. End your day with an agenda
You’ve checked off as much as you can do today and you are staying true to your hard stop. Whatever isn’t finished, add it to tomorrow’s schedule. This will help you clear your mind so you can relax tonight and will provide a starting point for work tomorrow.
With these tips, you’ll feel better about your working environment and confident that your productivity will be at an all-time high. For more effective tips and resources, visit BBB.org.
The BBB office in western Virginia contributed this article.