When working from home, you can be productive. You might find yourself more productive than ever before without the distractions of office talk, group lunches, long meetings and other routine office activities. However, working from home is challenging in its own way. There are household duties, caring for your kids and other issues that you have to face. It is crucial to know how to work from home effectively.
Being as productive as you work from home can be difficult. Some people even think that working at home can be lonely. Well, it may seem that way since you won’t interact with your workmates personally, only virtually. If you’re struggling with staying productive at work, here’s what you can do.
Constantly Communicate with Your Team
Communicating with your team from time to time helps your work effectively at home. It’s also important to update them on what you’re currently working on so they will know what tasks need to be assigned in the future. There are times that co-workers tend to not update their team, which can hold back everyone from the project. Communication is a way to cooperate with the whole team. Apart from the conventional ways in which your team can communicate through email and phone calls, look at other avenues, including video calls and direct messages. Here’s what you can try:
- To stay connected with the team: see how all connectivity can be turned into Slack, Yammer, WeChat, or WhatsApp messenger applications. Video calls are powerful and available via Skype for Business and Zoom.
- To share files with the team: use programs from wherever you are to provide access to the necessary documents. It also helps many people to work on the same document as required and avoids misunderstandings about the latest edition. Try using Google Drive, which a lot of companies use nowadays as well as Dropbox.
- To update the team: Use a team collaboration tool to help people identify what they have done, what’s still pending and what tasks are required to be done. Trello is an application that allows you and your team to keep track of all the tasks and keep them organised.
Set Up a Proper Work Space
Although working from your laptop or relaxing on your couch may be appealing, it is difficult to remain productive for a long time. Build a working area that includes a comfortable, high-backed chair, and a desk that feels best for you. Ensure that you can access all the files you need and you have a secure internet connection. The internet is your top priority when it comes to working at home. How else are you going to accomplish your tasks and communicate with your team if you don’t have the internet? As for the files, use google drive and just share the folders with the team or give them access to the files so they can check your them when needed.
Make sure you have a peaceful space where you can take your video call meetings. The sound of a never-ending street construction drowns out your voice in calls can be a serious diversion. Another good thing about working at home is that you can build your room precisely so as to make you feel the most productive and creative. Make your workspace for you and take advantage of it.
Try to Stay Focused While Working at Home
Are you working at home with children to take care of? Hiring a part-time nanny to take care of your children while you and your partner are too busy with work is your best solution to stay focused. There are tons of factors that can distract you from work, and taking care of your kids is one of them. Hiring a part-time nanny to watch over your kids doesn’t mean you are neglecting them, make them understand that you need to focus on your work to make a living. If you want to stay productive and focused on your tasks, here’s what you should do:
Create a Work Schedule
They say that starting with easier tasks is better than starting with difficult ones. Doing so can give you more time to accomplish difficult tasks. Decide when lunch and other breaks will be taken. The fact that you have a defined schedule helps to plan your day and increase concentration.
Learn to Become Organised
If you plan to work only for a few days a week, it’s best that you complete all your tasks due for the week to free up some time. This is what home-based workers usually do if they want to spend more time with their family or they have an outing planned for the weekend. Organising your tasks also include your house chores. If you don’t have a maid, this tip is for you.
Dress for Work
Yes, it’s okay to wear your pyjamas while you work at home. Well, it is your home, after all. But, if you start to dress like you’re working in your office, this might help you be more productive. Wearing your pyjamas might make you feel too comfortable and push you to procrastinate. Especially if you’re working in your room, it may be tempting to lie on the bed and snooze for a while. Also, your team might suddenly call for a group meeting, and you’re still in your pyjamas. Some might feel embarrassed, but some just don’t care.
