Working and studying won’t be the same for a long time to come. Employees working from home won’t be returning to their workplaces any time soon and as the new academic year is fast approaching, the majority of lectures will be online. While working from home, it’s so easy to get distracted by the smallest of things and forget that there’s actual work to be done. Here are the best tips for ensuring you’re productive at home, regardless of the type of work you’re doing.
Separate your work space and relaxation space:
This is the most important thing you can do. The chances of you getting all of your work done while sitting on your bed are very slim. Having a clear desk or table space is the key to being productive. Once it’s time to take a break, you can take yourself to an area of your home you associate with relaxing. You’ll not be in the right frame of mind to get things done if you sit somewhere you’d usually spend time relaxing. Although your work is important, being able to escape from it is also just as important.
Switch your phone off:
Even if you might not think it, it is possible to switch your phone off, put it in a different room and be productive. The notifications on your phone can wait. Mobile phones are the main source of procrastination. If you turn your phone off and get started, the quicker you’ll get it done and the quicker you can get back to your phone.
You may be notified of something else that needs doing if you’re on your phone while completing a task, which will then distract you and it’ll take even longer for it to get done. Stop making excuses and know that the world won’t stop spinning if you don’t look at your phone for a few hours.
Take breaks and do the work in small manageable chunks:
We live in a society which promotes that in order to be successful, you have to do as much as work as you possibly can. Doing lots of work may be possible, but it’ll only be worthwhile if you do it in small chunks with breaks in between. Even if you take a couple of minutes to go downstairs and make yourself a cup of tea, it’ll refresh your mind and you’ll be ready to tackle anything when you return. The Pomodoro Technique recommends spending 25 minutes on a task before taking a five minute break – why not give it a try?
As much as you want to blame other factors for your procrastination and lack of productivity, you need to take responsibility for yourself and your work. Making small changes can result in big differences and you’ll be at the peak of productivity in no time.
Katie Wheatley
Featured image courtesy of @nate_dumlao via Unsplash.