Are you one of the lucky ones that either gets partial work from home perks or even better, full time work from home?
Me too! I work in a digital marketing agency that gives their employees 1 work from home day per month which is pretty awesome. Although working in pyjamas is super duper cool, it can also be challenging.
Let’s be real; how many times did you end up wandering around the kitchen or petting your dog for way too long. Working from home requires a lot of discipline in order to be productive which is why i’m sharing my 5 tips to maximize your productivity when working from home:
Plan your schedule around your WFH. I usually get 1 WFH day per month as an employee perk which is super awesome. When preparing my calendar, I try to be mindful of that; this means not scheduling calls or meetings that day, choosing a day that isn’t super eventful. I’ll try to keep any work that requires full/continuous attention for my work from home day, knowing that I will be able to fully devote my attention to projects without any interruptions (emails, phone calls, questions from colleagues).
Choose your location wisely. Avoid any distractions; choose your work spot wisely and leave behind anything that would lower your efficiency. I try not to have a TV or a pet around and it really helps! If you are working in a cafe, make sure to bring your earphones with you (noise cancelling works best for me!). Another thing is to check if the cafe has wifi and plugs. There’s nothing more annoying than having to survive on a Lenovo’s unreliable battery.
The earlier you start the better. Make good use of your day by starting as early as possible. At our office, the earliest start time is 8am. I make sure my computer is set up the day before and ready to go so that when it’s time to work, I know that I can just head to my home office and start working.
See double (screen) and have the right setup:
When I’m in the office, my usual setup includes two screen. I love working on two screens and can’t go without it! Therefore, when I’m at home, I recreate the same thing by either using my TV or my second monitor.The only thing you’ll need is an extra cable (VGA, HDMI etc) to plug in your laptop.
Don’t forget to take breaks! The awesome thing about working from home is that you get to do what you love in the comfort of your own home (or coffee shop). No need to deal with the morning/afternoon rush hour (which means you basically save 1-2 hours). Take that extra time to do something you enjoy and continue your journey to lower stress levels and self care!
With the 5 tips above, you should be able to increase your work efficiency, even while balancing real life. You’ll just need a good dose of self-discipline, scheduling and self-care.
Got WFH days too? Let me know how you stay sharp in the comments!
Ketsia