Work From Home Efficiency Tricks. 10 Habits That Get You The Best Results
It felt so great and liberating to finally get that work-at-home job you’d been dreaming about. No more office protocol stress, taking the bus or subway, driving during rush hour or spending on bad lunch food. But now when it’s 6.00 p.m., if you even get to notice, instead of facing traffic to get home and slip into something comfy, you’re still facing tons of work, in your pyjamas maybe. Here are 10 work from home efficiency tricks for you, just the habits you need to form to get you through your day of endless possibilities.
1. Observe a schedule
This might take a while, but you need to find a rhythm and stick to it. You have to get behind the desk at the same time every day and the earlier, the better. Sure, you can indulge yourself under those warm sheets as long as you want now, but you’ll feel much better if by 10.00 you’ve already got tons of work done.
2. Work from home efficiency tricks. Don’t quit that morning routine
After waking up, act as if you have to go out the door in order to start your work day. so shower, put clothes on, eat and then get to work
3. Work from home efficiency tricks. Don’t type while eating
Whenever you’re holding a fork, spoon or snack, you shouldn’t be typing. Take a break when sitting down to eat. You can use it to read news, blogs or whatever you enjoy, so as to unwind before getting back to work.
4. Work from home efficiency tricks. Make lists
You don’t want the”What do I do now?” question in your routine. Make a to-do list the day before so you can work in an organized manner, feeling motivated. You only need to take 10 minutes before bedtime to list next day’s task with a realistic time estimate for each. Prioritize no more than three important task and keep a separate list of those things that need to be done, but not necessarily tomorrow.
5. Work from home efficiency tricks. Music
The right music works better to keep you focused on what you’re doing rather than absolute silence, which can be distracting. Find a focus playlist that works for you online. Most classical music is right, but the works of two Italian composers, Vivaldi and our days Ludovico Einaudi, have had great results. If you’re writing don’t choose tunes with lyrics, you’ll only be tempted to sing along.
6. Work from home efficiency tricks. Eliminate distractions
For a distractions-free work-at-home environment, you need to set up your office correctly. Face the room, don’t have your back at it, because you will be tempted to look back to see around. Move your desk and chair as much as you need to fell in the right spot and have the right light. Put your phone away while you work. You can check the messages and notifications you got when you’re on a break. You practically have to get anything that could distract you out of the way.
7. Work from home efficiency tricks. Take breaks
The person who runs 45 minutes/ hour will get further than the person who runs for hours without a stop. It goes the same for office work. So before you start, set an alarm to go off in 50 minutes. And when it does, take a 10-minute break. Get up, move around, get water, check your phone, answer messages and try to stay away from your computer screen. When the break’s over, set a new alarm and restart.
8. Work from home efficiency tricks. Be email clever
Even if email is an important part of your work, don’t keep it running, because you might just not get to do anything else. So just check your inbox and answer urgent emails within a time window during the morning, then close it to focus on your actual work. You can have another time window for mail towards the end of your working day, when you can answer all the other emails.
Even if you have to be in touch with colleagues via some chat application, only engage with it every hour, so it doesn’t risk to take over your work day.
9. Work from home efficiency tricks. Group similar activities
Block out a couple of mornings or afternoons each week for conference calls and in-person coffee meetings, so that they don’t get in your way when doing typical work.
10. Work from home efficiency tricks. Spend time outside
Now that you don’t have to get to work and back home any more, there’s a big chance you don’t get out of the house for days. But you need the air, the sun, some exercise and seeing people. So include riding your bike, reading in a park and seeing your friends for meaningful, inspiring conversations in your weekly routine.
Credits: lifehack.org
Photo credits: womansday.com
