Whether you operate from a home office full time or are split between a professional location and remote working, staying productive can be a bit of a mission. There are so many distractions lurking in your home environment, and each of these can have a devastating effect on your focus and motivation. However, encouraging yourself to stay on task and complete each job to the highest standard needn’t be as difficult as you might think, as there are a few tried and tested tips and tricks that can guide you towards getting back on track. So, if you want to know more about what you can do to boost your productivity whilst working from home, then read on to uncover some of the best steps that you can take to get set in the right direction in no time at all!
Creating The Best Office Space
The space in which you try to complete your work will have a massive impact upon your productivity. Creating the best office space involves a few main features, and it’s a fairly simple task to get right. Start off by choosing a suitable colour theme for your room, opting for shades such as balancing green and calming blue as opposed to negative tones such as red. Don’t make it too overpowering with prints and designs, as this can encourage you to lose focus. When it comes to the furniture you use, be sure to invest in the most ergonomic and comfortable choices – you will need a desk that is large enough to accommodate a laptop or computer and a few other items, and a chair that provides your back with sufficient support. Having adjustable furniture will be of great benefit for long term use, as you will be able to update the height to your changing needs. Try to let in as much natural light as you can, and supplement this with different lamps to provide you with the platform you need to carry out very detailed tasks.
Keeping Distractions To A Minimum
When you’re at home, you are surrounded by all of the things that you love, cherish and enjoy, so not getting distracted can often seem like an impossible mission. Attempting to divide the space up between your office and the rest of your house may be a good place to start, as even closing the door to your work room whilst you are inside will block out the view and make it a more strenuous task to actually get up and go to another room. Try to create a normal ‘shift’ on each day, and turn off each electrical socket for things like the TV and radio before you are due to start. Have a set time in which you are able to make and eat your lunch, as many people struggle with taking too many trips to their kitchen and this can really affect your workflow.
Invest In The Latest Technology
If you’re trying to work with the slowest internet connection on the oldest computer, you are essentially setting yourself up for failure. It’s important that you make an investment in the latest technology, as it will really benefit your productivity by providing you with the platform you need to reach your full capabilities. Start off by establishing the strongest internet connection, making the most of fibre optic or any other super fast line, as this will save you bags of time in your daily tasks. Then, evaluate the quality of your laptop or computer to determine whether you might need an upgrade – if the make and model is fairly new but the device still operating at an unhelpful speed, you could do something like clear Mac memory to see immediate improvements rather than having to spend money on brand new tech. If this isn’t enough to force your device to get back on track, then you should start to seek out another option that can help to boost your productivity rather than hinder it.
Make Short & Long Term Plans
One of the best things that you can do to ensure that you can become motivated and driven during every shift in your home office is to create both short and long term plans. By setting out a goal which you can achieve with a little hard work, you will be giving yourself something to aim for – establishing a plan of how you will reach this goal will give you a basic outline of which tasks you must complete, and when for. When you have gathered this information you can organise on an even smaller scale, by identifying your daily aims and tracking your work in order to ensure that everything is complete in a timely manner. Making a note of your goals will give you something to check back on and tick off whenever you feel you have finished a certain activity, as this can be a very motivating practice – you feel much more proud when you can cross out every task with confidence, and seeing the amount of work you have slowly reduce through the day will give you the boost you need to carry on.
Becoming more productive whilst working from home has never been so simple when you implement the top tips and tricks outlined above. Start by creating the most motivating space, making use of positive colour schemes and comfortable, ergonomic furniture to ensure that you thrive in your home office. Keep distractions to a minimum by switching off all the electronics in your house and set a specific time frame in which you can visit the kitchen and make lunch. Invest in the latest technology to lay the best foundations for hard work to thrive, as it could be your laptop or WiFi connection that’s truly holding you back from achieving your best. Make plans both for the short term, such as day to day, and long term, perhaps annually – these will help you to stay on track through every shift.
