One of the main challenges when working from home is to avoid distractions and remain focused on your work. Since most jobs can be done remotely, many people are now working remotely at least part of the time. However, studies have shown that remote employees are not necessarily more productive than their in-office counterparts.
Here are just a few things you should do before diving into remote work:
You need to sit down and think about how you want to structure your day while staying away from distractions. Remember, it’s up to you to manage your own productivity routine if you want to get everything done on time while gaining efficiency. So once you’ve cleared some time for yourself (at least two hours), carefully plan out what needs to be done and how you’re going to do it.
Go outside, take a walk or just sit down in your favorite spot
If you work from home, it’s highly likely that the place you’ve selected as your “office” is either where your bed is, or where your TV is. This practice is very unproductive since switching between tasks often leads to getting lost in other things, with fatigue eventually setting in after an hour or two. By changing locations every 40-50 minutes (or more frequently if needed), you’ll be able to stay focused on what you need to get done; even better – change activities too!
For example, instead of editing an article at home like usual, try editing it outside on the balcony, then take a walk or go for a jog to collect your thoughts, and then go back to working on it again. If you’re up for it, try taking your laptop out with you – just make sure that all devices are fully charged before leaving your work area.
Stay chat-free
This is one of the main pitfalls associated with remote work. The temptation to hang out in chat rooms is massive since being distracted only takes seconds. Even though these chats may be “harmless” after all, they often turn into time sinks where people waste their workday away trying to promote their business , participate in useless banter, or chit chat about random stuff.
Do something else
Work always have its dull moments so make sure you fill them with some other activities. For example, instead of browsing news websites for the 1000th time, make a list of all the things you wanted to do but couldn’t find time for (like learning a new programming language or updating your blog). If you’re productive on some days but end up wasting most of it chatting with friends, try finding an accountability partner who can help motivate you to get work done on time.
If this all sounds like too much, then maybe remote work isn’t right for you after all! Just remember that no one is going to hold your hand and force you to be efficient at what you do – that’s entirely up to you. On a related note, are just a few tools that can help improve your productivity while working on remote:
- StayFocusd – Chrome Extension that blocks specific websites you specify for a set amount of time each day.
- VPN – Private Network help you bypass network throttling. Providers listed here: https://vpntesting.com/best-vpn/android
- Trello – Tool for managing projects using kanban boards.
- Evernote – A digital workspace to store articles, videos, etc. so you can access them from any of your devices.
- Toggl – Time tracking app that helps measure your overall time usage.
So there you have it. These tips will help increase your work efficiency and keep distractions at bay after all.
