Many have dreamed about the opportunity to work from home instead of putting on a fancy suit to head for the office and sit at a desk all day. The dream has come true for so many during the pandemic, as most companies have had to send their employees home and encourage them to practice social distancing. Suddenly, many workers have found themselves in a pickle: working in your PJs is far from simple and straightforward, especially with all the temptations and distractions around.
Working from home can be stressful and exhausting, especially if you don’t know how to properly handle yourself while sharing your work environment with your family, with your little ones at home, too. If your job is a dynamic one at that, you’ll need added strategies to retain the same focus and productivity as you once had at the office. Some of the following productivity and focus-boosting hacks might help you, so be sure to try them out the next time you’re working from home.
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Use the right collaboration tools
Technology has evolved beyond all our expectations in the past several years, so it’s only natural for us to rely on different collaboration software tools and communication tech to simplify remote work. If you’re working as a part of a company, then you likely use a set of tools predefined by your superiors.
On the other hand, if you need extra help in structuring your workload during the day, perhaps an additional app for managing your tasks and chores can be good for your time. According to GoogleOnlineFax.com keeping your productivity high requires ongoing organization, so if you’re struggling, make sure to leverage technology as much as possible.
Focus-elevating snacks and sips
If you feel those sugar cravings kicking in smack dab in the middle of your workday and you’re drained too early to wrap up your tasks successfully, you’re not alone. Working from home can really become a challenge for many, no matter how interesting or dynamic your job might be. You can sip on smart drinks that are based on natural ingredients and plans like ginkgo biloba that boost your cognitive skills and elevate your energy.
These drinks are devised to help you stay focused and your attention unfaltering for hours, so that you can work without feeling overwhelmed. Add to that, you can add fresh snacks instead of those that are loaded with sugars. Prepare fresh fruits and veggies, as well as satiating nuts and seeds, and you’ll feel full for hours on end, without reaching for those sugary snacks.
Block digital distractions to manage your time
Improving time management starts with eliminating tasks, processes, and people that disrupt your workflow constantly. Simply put, it boils down to eliminating distractions. Whether it’s the noise from the construction site across the road, pop-up notifications from your social media, or the ringtone for your chat apps – they all need to go.
As social media channels like Instagram and Facebook tend to draw people away easily, the best way to eliminate the temptation is to block your own access to these networks for the duration of your workday. Log out and turn off all the notifications for your private social apps – if it’s an emergency, they have your phone number and they can reach you directly.
Create the right office environment
When your job demands your full attention even when you’re working from home, you need to set the stage for that kind of focus in advance. That means you need an office space that will not be a source of constant distractions. If you work on software development and you have tight schedules, for example, you can benefit from ergonomic furniture combined with noise-canceling headphones to keep all the ruckus from disrupting your flow.
Clean your desk regularly and keep it organized and neat. Creative chaos will only get you so far, but with a well-organized space, you can focus on your work and find everything you need at a moment’s notice.
Set realistic and time-bound goals
Monthly and weekly goals are all fine and dandy, but if you don’t know what’s on your agenda for today, you’re likely going to waste too much time avoiding getting any work done at all. Setting smaller milestones for every day is a tried and tested hack for smarter work habits, no matter if you’re a professional gamer, a web developer, or a creative writer. Create your own daily action plan before you start work – you can do it in the morning, or the previous day, or even set the timetable for all your meetings and tasks an entire week in advance.
What’s more, seeing that you’re completing those goals will inspire you further to stay on track. While your motivation might not always be there, your sense of accountability and discipline will certainly kick in to help you. Clear deadlines and clear workload structures are vital for remote work success.
Although a coveted business model for so many people, working remotely isn’t always a picnic, especially if you’re not prepared for the switch. Instead of wasting hours of your time on procrastination only to be left with dozens of tasks on your plate for the next day, you should use the listed ideas to elevate your productivity and boost your focus for the duration of every workday.