Join us live each week at www.productivity.academy/live and get your questions answered by submitting them at anytime right here: www.productivity.academy/questions.
To find recommended tools and other great resources, check out the Productivity Academy Resource Toolkit: https://productivity.academy/resources
Many of us work remotely, setting our own times and terms in our home or small office, or wherever we can find free wi-fi. But working from home can often mean constant distractions and being tempted to stop working and do something else.
In this short post, I will share with you a few simple strategies to make your home more productive than any office you have ever worked in.
Keep Control
The upside of working from home is that you have much more control over your environment than you would in an office setting. This means that if you set your mind to it, you can really take control and optimize your surroundings.
Sometimes, you can get stuck in a pattern of tasks irrelevant to work, suddenly remembering that you have to do one thing or another around the house. Reminding yourself that you are in control and responsible for your environment is a good way to avoid it.
Another way to keep control is to stick to your routine, that should start with your daily review. This can be a list of daily tasks and long-term goals for yourself, going through a calendar app or a project management software. Prioritize, plan your day out and get it going.
Deal With Your Distractions
Again, you own your environment. This means that you are in a position to do everything you can to keep distractions out. If these come from other people such as family or flatmates, you can simply talk to them. If you know that you are especially productive in the morning during a certain time, let them know and ask them to give you some space and quiet time. We often forget that we need to speak these things out, because others are unlikely to just imagine them.
You can wear headphones and play white noise music for a few hours, reassuring others that you will then be available later on in the day. They will most likely appreciate that you have been upfront about it, possibly also helping you to set up an environment that will allow you to get things done faster and better.
The bottom line is, remember that you create your environment, and make sure that you make it work for you. You can think outside the box and do anything that helps you keep your mind fresh and your body relaxed, such as playing music or getting up and stretching every hour.
