Working From Home: Tips to Optimize Your Productivity
Working from home has become the norm during the COVID-19 lockdowns. It can be daunting when your personal space turns into your work space. It’s easy to lose sense of time, get too sucked into work or feel unmotivated to get work done. I have a few tips for maintaining optimal productivity while working.
Create a work space
This may seem like common sense, but you should create a separate space for working because it prepares your mind to step into work mode. Your work space can be whatever you make it, but here are a list of places you should not work.
Do not work while laying in bed
Do not work while slouching on the couch
Do not work in a noisy and distracting place (This may be challenging if you have children but I’ll address that later).
How you position yourself while working influences your brain activity. This is why it’s critical to sit at a organized space that helps you maximize your mental capacity.
Do…
Work at a desk or table
Sit upright while sitting in front of your computer
Do work in a quiet an distraction free place
Prepare for your work day
Just like you would get up in the morning, make coffee, grab some breakfast and get dressed for work, try to maintain some of those routines while working from home. I know I’m not the only one that has rolled out of bed at 8:58 a.m. and logged into my 9:00 a.m. zoom or google hangout meeting. For some, you can listen to your meetings with your video turned off but for others, that’s considered un-professional. I found that, though I’m working from home, I still need to wake up at least 1 hour before I open up my computer. I take time to stretch, freshen up, make some coffee and then start tackling all those emails.
Create working hours for yourself
When schools closed down, my team re-adjusted our working agreements and created “working hours”. We agreed upon a time frame when we will schedule meetings and respond to emails or phone calls. This helps alleviate the stress of feeling like you’re working all day or that pressure to respond to an email you received at 7:40 p.m. For your sanity, I recommend you set aside “working hours” for yourself if they are not already given to you. This helps you maintain some routine at home and give yourself breaks. And, it also helps create boundaries with your family or children so they give you space when you are working.
Make time for yourself
I’m grateful to have a job during these trying times, however, it’s critical to make time to destress and actually process everything that’s happening. It’s a pandemic, people are dying and it’s okay to not be the most productive employee right now. Prioritize your physical, emotional and mental health. Communicate to your employers if you feel overwhelmed with work. Make time to hang out with friend visually or participate in all the fun virtual parties, concerts and events happening on social media. You got this!
