How to Maintain Your Productivity When Working from Home
Today, the remote working model has been adopted at rapid rates. Did you know 56% of companies in the world allow remote working? According to Owl Labs, this is the percentage of companies that adopted the working style in 2019 and 2020. Given the current situation faced by the global community, we can no longer ignore the need for alternative working models. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Facility Executive, 88% of companies in the United States have required their employees to work from home to prevent more coronavirus infections.
This has prompted more people to migrate from their regular jobs to remote working. However, there are people who noticed a significant drop in productivity as they aren’t used to this style of working. What they need is just a way to create some work-life balance. That’s why I’ve created this guide to show you how you can keep your productivity levels on top while working from home.
Focus on Daily Goals
You may think that having a long to-do list will make you more productive, but it’s not going to work that way. When you set up too many goals for one day, you’ll likely get distracted and leave some tasks uncompleted. So it’s better for you to set up clear and doable goals. When You Visualize Your Goals you are Much More Likely To Reach Them. This helps you to focus on specific tasks so that you won’t get distracted by others you can’t accomplish.
Organize Your Time
You can get creative with your calendar. Creating an organized schedule for the next day or week will ensure you’ll be more productive even when working from home. The problem with remote jobs is that people don’t have a regular work schedule, which often leads to unproductivity and distractions. Sometimes when your family sees you all day at home they think you’re resting instead of working and they might distract you. So having their cooperation is important. Setting up a work schedule will ensure you focus on the tasks you need to do. You can also let your family know when you start and finish your working day to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Don’t Forget to Take Breaks!
For workaholics, it can be hard to stop working when they’re at home. There is nothing to mark a stop to the day. And even though you’d be inclined to think that non-stop working will make you more productive, it is the other way around. It will only exhaust and deplete you of your mental and physical energy, leaving you constantly tired. Do remember to set breaks during your working hours.
To-Do Lists Are a Great Tool
Whether you’re a software engineer or a digital marketer, o-do lists will help you prioritize tasks that are more urgent to complete. This way you’ll put more effort into them and work more efficiently. Besides, you’ll be able to keep track of your daily performance. There are a bunch of apps that streamline this process with your team so you can all help each other spot what’s important and remind one another of the best ways to approach the daily tasks.
Commit Publicly
Letting your team know your daily goals will encourage you to complete those tasks. There will be an implicit pressure on you to finish your daily assignments because you have made your commitments to them. This is a very popular motivational technique and will ensure that you’ll keep the focus on your goals to stay productive.
These are some of the things you could try to stay productive while exercising movement control. Maybe you’re used to working at the office, so remote working is a challenge. However, once you start applying these techniques, you’ll have a more successful remote working routine.
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61 thoughts on “How to Maintain Your Productivity When Working from Home”
That’s amazing and great tips to keep in mind. Especially needed this since I’ve been slowly been getting unproductive so kinda needed this boost.
Wonderful. I am happy to hear that you got the boost that you needed.
Great tips for maintaining productivity while at home. I have been working from home for many years now. I have already implemented many of those suggestions. Although there are days, when I get really easily distracted, lol. Good thing I am my own boss, so that is totally okay.
Isn’t that the absolute beauty of being your own boss? You can decide everything for yourself.
Wonderful article. Keep up the good work my friend.
Thank you.
Working from home is so hard, especially when you have little ones…and piles of laundry!
It definitely has its challenges. Breaking those down and working ins teps to handle them can be of great help.
Really helpful tips for working from home! With two small children I needed this! Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome. Be sure to let me know how it goes.
This is definitely something that takes time to get used to, as well as putting in the effort to focus and stay attentive to the tasks you have at hand!
It is definitely a practice. Taking one small step forward can make a difference though.
These are great tips! I really need these tips right now. I’ve been so unproductive these past few days.
How wonderful that they came at the exact right time for you.
It’s so easy to get distracted when you’re working from home. I’ve found that time-blocking really helps me organize my time and make the most use of it. I also live for to-do lists! Thanks for these tips!
Beautiful tips. Time blocking is a really excellent strategy to help put your day and a tasks in order.
Working from home provides a lot of freedom, but it is easy to wind up feeling like you are in a cage at home. I think separating working rooms from “living rooms” is essential.
That is a great point. What are some ways that you do that?
I am, doing this now working from home since pandemic. I am agree with this “Commit Publicly” This is will ensure that you’ll keep the focus on your goals to stay productive.
That is a tactic that can be so helpful for people who react well to that outside accountability.
I’ve been doing the work at home thing for several years now, and I can say that these tips are so right on. You have to treat it like you’re at a job at a company. You have to block out time and limit those distractions.
Great call out. Maybe we need to stop thinking of it as “work from home” as opposed to my office is located in my home…. hmmmm
These are great tips! If you’re new to the work from home game, it can be hard to stay focused. I mean, when you think about it, our homes are filled with all the best distractions.
Absolutely. It definitely takes a certain discipline.
I so needed this! It can be hard with a young baby at home. My to do list is GOD!
Oh goodnesss. Work from home and a young baby! You have your hands full. Reach out if you need help getting things in order.
Wow, these are some very welcome tips for me! Thanks so much for sharing with us
You are so welcome. I will be interested to hear feedback after you have tried some (or all).
Yeah, at first working from home felt like a luxury… but now, not so much! Thank you for reminding me to take a break!
That break will make a huge difference. Work from home does take a certain amount of discipline. There is a learning curve.
Hi Elise.
Such a great read ! Love all these tips. Specially the one about creating daily tasks. Which i have been following for the past couple of months and has boosted my productivity !
Dane, I am beyond excited to hear of how it is working for you. Such great progress 🙂
These are some really terrific ways to be more productive while working from home. It can all too easy to lose focus.
Yes, it can be. I am excited to hear more about what you try.
I work remotely. Sometimes, and I have to say I feel more productive when I work remotely. No commute time to get stress out and no distractions. But yes all the tools you mentioned is great to keep in mind when you work remotely.
Those are definitely huge benefits. Productivity at home can be through the roof. We just need to not fall into a couple of the traps and we are ready to rock and roll.
I’ve been working from home for 11 years now. I agree with every point you’ve made!
Working from home (done right) is a fabulous thing. Thank you for visiting.
Working from home with a 4-year-old and 18-month-old has definitely decreased my productivity. To-Do lists are huge. I keep a running lists. At the end of some days, I look at it and feel successful, some days….not so much
Any day that you can get work done while taking care of two little ones is a really good day 🙂
I recently became self-employed, so this is very helpful! I need to remember the taking breaks tip!
As an entrepreneur, it is VERY easy to forget to take those breaks.
These are amazing tips! Going to bookmark!
Wonderful. I am happy that they have served you well.
I’m curious if you have any additional insights specifically for parents. I really aspire to do what the article states but sometimes feel overwhelmed with kids.
I suggest developing your Parenting Plan together. Some good questions to ask yourself, and each other: How will you divide up the parenting duties? What do you each need to get your work done? What kind of support do you each expect?
I have been having the hardest time balancing work and life. It’s so hard! Thanks for the tips!
You are very welcome. It is a balance but with honestly looking at your life it can be done.
I’ve been working from home for years and these are some great tips. I agree scheduling in your breaks makes a difference. I like to schedule them so I remember to take them, and also so i don’t get distracted while on the break doing something else at home. Great read!
I remember a time when taking breaks was not so difficult. Now we need to schedule them. However, it is absolutely worth the effort. I love that you pointed out that we also get distracted by the things to do at home. Thank you.
Very interesting tips. Keeps sharing
I definitely will. I am happy that you found them to be of interest.
Creating a to do list and and a calender of events helps me stay on top of things. I agree with your points as being organized is key.
The calendar options are unlimited now. I love that you can sync multiple calendars together.
With all the digital options it is even easy to color code based on types of commitments (work, home, kids, etc)
I’ve only worked from home a few weeks total during the pandemic. I have found that to- do lists make a huge difference!
My husband is similar as far as not working from home. His business just cannot operate that way.
“Committing publically” is a great strategy, if you are going to actually things done. If you fail, you can be sure so many eyes are on you and mouths are about to be opened for some accountability.
Accountability can be a strong motivator.
Great tips, Elise. During this pandemic, I am working from home for the first time. I rely heavily on to-do lists, and I have a hard start and stop time (at least as hard as it was when I was actually in the office). I often schedule my exercise class right after work, so that I have incentive to quit on time. As we near a time when the pandemic status of COVID will hopefully be over, I will be happy to get back to the in-person collaboration that comes with being in the office, but I will miss the comforts of home.
The comforts of home are real but the office also offers its own benefits. IYou schedule your exercise at a time that makes it hard to ignore your quitting time. That is a great tip for us all. Thank you for sharing.