5 Work-from-home Tips to Boost Productivity

Working remotely can feel hugely rewarding. Not having to wake up early, laze about in your comfy wear, eat cereal at lunchtime and not feel judged. But for many, this can lead to a lot of distractions resulting in a reduced work productivity. Below, I’ve listed 5 important and 3 not-so important, tips on how you can stay focused.

WAKE UP AT YOUR USUAL TIME

Suddenly finding yourself working from home means your travel time has gone to zero, a blessing right? But the temptation to use those extra 20 minutes in bed can actually be worse off for us.What if I told you, waking up at the same time every day is the best way to get your body to feel alert and ready to start the day. Crazy, huh? This is because our bodies follow something called circadian rhythm, meaning our brains feed on consistency, in this case, sleep consistency. Continue the morning routine as you would and your body and brain will thank-you for it.

CREATE YOUR OWN OFFICE SPACE

To get into work mode, you need to feel as if you’re at work, which can be tricky when you’re stuck in the house full of personal distractions.
This is why creating an office space, just for you, will help you stay focused.
Set yourself up on a desk, prop up a couple family photos, grab your cuppa tea and boom! You’re ready!

CREATE A TO-DO LIST

If you consider yourself a scatter-brain then this advice is just for you!
Off the top of your head, start listing all the things you need to get done this week. Do you find yourself umm-ing and uhh-ing? Change those blank spots into little productivity bubbles! Instead, write a list of everything you need to get done, then write down what other actions you need to do in order to complete this list. For example here’s mine,

Barbara next door has only gone and stole my bloody bird feeder again, this means I need to buy a new one. But, I need to check I have petrol in my car first. I also need to write a very angry note, so I must make sure I have a pen and paper at hand…

My scenario isn’t work related, but it’s something I’m passionate about.

PUT ON THE RADIO

It can be a little lonely working from home, especially if you’re a people-person, or just miss having office bants…It got proper messy with Barbara last night… When you only have your own voice for company it can become rather isolating. However, a study found that popping on the radio helps give us some stability by filling the room with more voices other than your own, helping combat symptoms of loneliness.

REMEMBER TO GET SOME FRESH AIR

You no longer have your office buddies asking if you fancy getting lunch together and you avoid all the hustle and bustle of people going back and forth to the kitchen. For you, this can mean your subconscious reminders to leave for lunch have vanished and you’re now left to carry on with your work. Resulting in a missed lunch and another day stuck in doors. Set an alarm to remind you to go outside and get some fresh air. Fresh air boosts your immune system and generally makes you feel happier which will lead to a more productive afternoon.

And there we have it! Hopefully you’ll be feeling more positive about remote working. If you are still struggling a little, do what I do, buy a pack of biscuits, take one and leave them on the side. Then just keep telling yourself, Ooh, maybe one more… Until it’s gone. Then simply buy another pack!