One thing that many people may struggle with when working from home is productivity. Since you aren’t going into an office each day, you may find it difficult to get things done.
Below are six ways you can increase your productivity to be successful when working from home.
1. Work when it’s quiet.
It’s best to work in an environment that is free of distractions. This may mean getting up before your kids to work, or finishing up tasks after they are in bed. If you have small children, naptime is optimal working time too.
If you must work when others are up and about, try to create a workspace that is away from all the noise. Avoid setting up in the living room and kitchen if you can, since those are the central family areas.
2. Use a planner.
Keeping track of deadlines and tasks lets you know what you need to do, and when. This lets you get more done each day, since you aren’t spending time deciding what to do. From the planner, you can even create a to-do list to make productivity even easier to increase.
3. Separate your work and home life.
If you set specific hours for work, you shouldn’t let life come into that time. It may be inevitable, if a child need something, but avoid mixing housework and errands with your working hours. Stopping to empty out the dishwasher or take an unimportant phone call can really throw off your productivity.
4. Take breaks often.
Burn out can really keep you from getting as much as you can done each day. So, it’s essential that you give yourself a few breaks throughout your work time. Get up from your desk, take a walk, grab a snack, play with your kiddos – something that will let you take your mind off work for a few minutes. Just don’t let these short breaks become an hour – or you may not want to return to work at all!
5. Consider childcare.
If you have young children in your care while you are trying to work, it may be difficult to get things finished. A mother’s helper can free up a few hours of your day, so you can be productive while someone else is watching your kids. Just make sure you make the most of the child-free time!
6. Avoid procrastinating.
It’s easy to leave things for the next day. Browsing Facebook is usually more fun than what we need to do for work. However, procrastination is rarely good. It wastes your time and leaves you with more things to do on tomorrow’s to-do list. Beat procrastination by breaking down large, daunting tasks and using your breaks to refresh yourself throughout the day.