Top 5 Productivity Hacks for People Working from Home
Telecommuting has appeared to be the new work trend since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. In fact, according to Stanford University, over 40% of the American workforce did full-time home-based work in 2020. And this has been helpful for many employees. Working in a virtual office offers a wide array of practical benefits—from doing away with the rush hour traffic to being able to work at the most convenient time.
However, people found that working from home also have some drawbacks, such as the tendency to put off work, take long breaks, and, in some instances, being less motivated than usual. So how do you boost your productivity when working from home?
Helpful Tips to Help You Get More Done when Working from Home
From taking care of yourself to creating an environment suitable for work, these are some of the things you can do to become more productive:
Tip #1: Create a wellness routine
Healthline reports that two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. When working from home, this can get worse, as it’s much more likely for people to sit all day and eat junk food—because that’s what we usually do at home, and it’s a habit that is not easy to get rid of.
The solution is to maintain a wellness routine. Home gym workouts, spa-like treatments, and meditation apps are some of the many options to get started. The key is to keep moving throughout the day and avoid keeping the same posture for more than 20 minutes.
Tip #2: Maintain regular work hours
Is this a good practice even if you’re not working at a 9 to 5 job? Yes, and here’s why—when working from home, it’s easy to think that you have all day to complete your work, and then procrastinate.
It’s helpful to keep your work schedule structured similar to your time at the office. This includes the time you start working, take breaks, and clock out. Of course, you can still set your work hours according to your needs. The key is to maintain them!
Bonus tip: Try finishing your work by 5:00 PM so you’ll have more family and me-time.
Tip #3: Dress like you’re going to work
It might seem that one of the perks of working from the privacy of home is that every day is dress-down day. It’s okay to wear pajamas, sweat pants, and bunny slippers all the time, right? Well, maybe.
However, when working from home, it’s important to make sure there’s distinction between your work and personal life. One way to achieve that goal is to wear “work clothes” when you start your daily grind. Simply changing out of your bedclothes can make you more productive by mentally switching to work mode. Try to do this even if you have no video calls to make.
Personal hygiene is also critical to get into work mode and increase your productivity. After you wake up, make sure to take a bath/shower, brush your teeth, and so on. One effective trick if you find you’re not motivated to think about clothes in the morning is to lay out your clothes the night before so that it’s easy to dress up for work in the morning.
Tip #4: Take breaks outside
Health experts recommend that people spend at least 20 minutes outdoors every day. When working in a virtual office, it’s critical to de-stress from time to time, and one way is to take outdoor breaks.
This can include the “20-20-20” rule: after every 20 minutes of screen time, look at an object that’s 20+ feet away (such as the clouds in the sky) for 20 seconds. This allows your eyes to relax and helps prevent eyestrain. You can also spend your lunch break outdoors. Take a walk around the block or enjoy a bike ride in the park. What’s important is to change your environment so you can unwind and boost your focus when you return to work.
Tip #5: Create a conducive environment for work
Aside from maintaining regular work hours to keep the boundary between work and personal life clear, another way to establish that boundary is through a separate work area. Find a space for work in your home.
You have different options in terms of home office. One of the most cost-effective options is to set up your workstation in a room’s spare corner. Invest on a good work desk and pair it with an ergonomic office chair. A separate space will ensure you’re on work mindset when you’re there, and the right ergonomic desk and chair will help you work in comfort without the pains and health problems associated with generic furniture.
With your own office at home, you are more likely to get more work done.
As the world continues to recover from the coronavirus outbreak, virtual offices will continue to be the new normal for a growing percentage of the global workforce. When set up and utilized properly, a work from home set-up can provide a lot of benefits to employees. Besides saving time, effort, and money, is can also boost work output. Follow our tips above and stay productive!
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