Productivity on point – wherever you work from

It’s hard to keep productivity up when you’re working from home. All your creature comforts, and distractions, and laundry are here demanding attention. But working from home doesn’t have to be a bundle of chaos and distractions, provided you put yourself into the right mindset and approach the day like a regular day at work.

WORKIN 9 TO 5

Approaching your WFH day like you’re going to work can already flip you around and put you in a positive, productive mindset. Waking up with time to spare, not just five minutes before you’re due to clock on, puts you into a better mood and keeps your body clock in check. Treat your day like a regular work day. You can sleep in a little bit, but remember to give yourself enough time to shower and get dressed. Sitting around in pyjamas, no matter how comfortable you are, can hamper your mindset and in turn your productivity.

STICK TO YOUR BREAKS

Divide the day up like you normally would. Try to separate work time and relaxing time. So rather than doing a blend of work and leisure throughout the entire day, separate the time clearly. So one half of the day is work time and the rest is play time. Blending and mixing the two not only struggles to separate your work time from your life and increases stress, but also hampers your ability to get things done.

It’s important to have breaks as well. Set aside an hour for lunch and stick to it – no trailing back to your laptop or checking emails on your phone. Use this time to stretch your legs as well – back in your office you’d be more active with walking around and speaking to people. Go for a walk around the block if you need.

WORK, CONNECTION, EXPERIENCE

Stay connected with your colleagues. Discussion about ideas or what you’re up to helps you keep focused and engaged about work. It’s also good to stay up to date on what your colleagues are doing, and for them and your boss to also know what you’re up to.

Office chit chat through emails and messaging tools also helps with productivity – even if it isn’t actively doing work. Feeling disconnected from the office can often lead to feeling disconnected from work and you start to feel disenchanted, so staying in contact with colleagues lessens the feeling. See your mini online chats as your water cooler breaks.

CARVE YOUR SPACE AWAY

Distractions are the bane of productivity, so what better way to help this than by creating a special place in the house that’s just yours. Make sure it’s not your bedroom or any living area if you can, so once you approach that area your brain knows it is time to work. Preferably a room, but if not any quiet place in the house will do. Make it clear to those you live with that this will be your work area, and request for nonsense and noise to be kept to a minimum.

Try to keep a clear space when working as well. Clutter only adds to frustration and distraction, so make sure the area has been somewhat cleaned out and that you keep your desk free.

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