Remember the days when you could effortlessly walk over to a colleague and chat about a project?
If you still work remotely in the post-COVID era, or if you are new to the notion, it’s critical to look into techniques to stay productive in order to keep your work structured and enhance your motivation synergy. We all work remotely at Supercharge Lab, so you might say we’re specialists at keeping productive while doing so!
While working from home is convenient, deliverables must still be met, and the hardest aspect is being productive enough to complete the tasks at hand. Even if you must fight the impulse to fall back into bed, you’ll be able to stay focused during your working hours if you utilise some habit-building techniques.
Let’s go through a few ideas that we use at Supercharge Lab on a regular basis to assist you maintain your gears moving when working from home:
- Set daily and weekly goals
Take a few minutes – or a half-hour – each day to set up the goals you want to achieve. Use these daily goals to build a larger weekly plan that will help you achieve your goals and assignments. Check that each goal is attainable and make a note if a task requires collaboration from a specific teammate.
- Make time for breaks
You may be hesitant to take breaks, especially when working from home, but you’ll find it beneficial if you schedule more small breaks throughout the day while telecommuting. Take a five- to ten-minute break from your desk between jobs to recharge and re-calibrate. Play with your pet, browse TikTok, take a relaxing shower, or make a video chat to a friend or relative! The ability to pause, think, and reset during the day may reduce your risk of burnout after long periods of looking at a screen.
- Create a workspace for yourself.
Make a workspace for yourself in a different part of the house, or if you’re low on space, find a place where you can work quietly without being disturbed. If you work from home, make sure you have a workstation or table that is at least a reasonable distance from the bed (LOL) and adequate ventilation. Set a barrier to let people in the house know that you’re working and don’t want to be distracted, even if you don’t work in a separate area. Get used to the environment and adopt the idea that “in this place, I’m in work” mode. When you’re not working, stay away from this area as much as possible.
- Feed your stomach, on time!
Every day, at the same time, have your lunch. This is critical — without food, you cannot operate! You’ll develop a healthy pattern that acclimates your body to a regular eating schedule this way. Furthermore, arranging your lunch at the same time each day helps you to take a longer break before returning to work, allowing you to engage in a quick workout or other relaxing activity.
- Ask for regular feedback
Regularly seeking feedback from your supervisors, as well as regular face time with your team, is essential for understanding how your team leads and managers evaluate your performance. This is especially important while working remotely because you cannot just walk into a colleague’s office and ask a question. Knowing where you can improve and what aspects of your profession you do well might help you stay motivated at work.
- Contribute to virtual meetings
Bring ideas to your team’s distant meetings, whether you are utilising a video conferencing tool or a group call. Speak with your co-workers, discuss, and connect with them, and provide feedback both verbally and in writing so that your team can see and hear your ideas. These people are also working from home and would benefit from human interaction!
- Stay Organized
Ready or not, when you’re working remotely, you’ll get distracted easily. Keep your desk clear of clutter and devise a system for keeping important papers and documents organised. You can be creative with your storage options if you have the room, or you can use typical manila folders to separate different business items if you don’t. Include a photo frame, a figurine, a plush toy, or even your favourite lip balm as a personal touch. To develop strong organisational habits, regardless of the strategy you adopt, it’s vital to be consistent in your approach.
- Communicate effectively
This may seem self-evident, but communication issues plague all distant companies. It’s difficult to know if you’re communicating properly when you’re telecommuting. To stay connected, make it a goal to communicate with your teammates and management at least once every day. Reach out via your usual modes of communication, email updates, or video chat. You may appear to be overcommunicating, but when you can’t work in person, it’s vital that you convey yourself correctly every day.
- Prioritize tasks effectively
Learn how to tell the difference between important and urgent tasks. Smaller activities may not appear to be as important, while larger jobs may require more time. Separate the tough chores from the urgent ones by planning ahead of time. Use a chart to help you prioritise your goals so that you can meet deadlines and stay productive as your workload increases.
- Ask for support
If you’re stuck, frustrated, or simply want to talk to someone, ask for assistance. Get in touch with your teammates and let them know how you’re feeling Similarly, if you’re overworked, talk to your manager about negotiating a more flexible schedule. In order to stay productive and on schedule, you must ask for help when you need it. Even if you don’t work together, your co-workers could become great buddies!
Working from home can be thrilling if you keep in mind the benefits and drawbacks – it isn’t for everyone! Whether you work full-time or freelance, it’s a great way to get away from the daily commute. However, keep in mind that this flexibility requires careful planning, self-discipline, and focus – as well as hours of virtual meetings over Zoom and late-night work 😂
As many home-based employees will tell you, it’s not easier to work from home; it’s just a different location. Consider utilising these productivity tips to help you stay organized and on top of your tasks while working remotely, we hope it helps.
Good Luck, Superchargers!