It can be challenging to maintain focus in a traditional office environment. Noise and water-cooler chitchat may work against your productivity. A successful workday requires an intentional mindset for making the most of your time. In a work-from-home environment, it’s important to stay mindful of habits that will help you maintain focus and productivity.
Here are 5 tips for kickstarting a productive, successful work-from-home reality:
1. Dress to impress
While your morning routine may not require getting ready for the office, productive freelancers still know the importance of simply getting ready. An effective work-from-home strategy can benefit from daily rituals, and preparing yourself just as well as if you were heading to an office makes a great start.
2. Set your schedule
There are scientific studies that look into early-morning and late-night productivity. If you find that you are most focused between five and six in the morning, then seize your day. When you’re working from home, it’s important to find what works for you. Do you love rising early and breaking for lunch? Do you find that your best times for focus fall in the late afternoon? Structure your day in a way that plays to your brain’s strengths.
3. Create space
An open and clean space can be a major boost for productivity. A home office, equipped with an ergonomic desk and plenty of natural light, is a valuable resource when working from home. If an entire room isn’t possible, consider setting up a smaller corner that enables focused, interruption-free work time. Create a spot that isn’t just functional, but that you actually want to be in for hours on end. Typing the morning away on your couch might sound glamorous at first, but you may benefit from a dedicated space that promotes productivity.
4. Less social media, more actual social
Just finished a full morning of back-to-back meetings? Go on, get your break on. Put on your exercise equipment and consider taking your dog for a walk. Fresh air can do the body (and the mind) good. Working from home can enable you to set a flexible schedule that caters to an actual work-life balance. Find the balance that works for your unique life, whether that means mid-day trail runs, coffee with loved ones, or extra time with your kids.
Likewise, effective time management stems from setting yourself up for focused success. Tips for that added push of productivity? Log out of social media during your workday. Set goals for the day and reward yourself once you’ve met them—consider using social media as a reward for completing tasks, or set up lunch with a friend when you’ve met all your goals for the week.
5. Stay connected
Working from home can sometimes feel overwhelming. But remember, you’re not completely off the radar. Between balancing boundaries, expectations, and productivity bursts, it’s important to stay connected to your team. Be online and be available, via whatever project management software or platform your organization prefers. It can be argued that maintaining open and consistent communication lines is the most important component of a successful remote-work situation.
By staying mindful of your habits and your environment, you’ll be ready for a full-on productive work-from-home experience. For more work-from-home tips and tricks, check the Life at Appen Blog.
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