How productive are we when we work from home?
Whether you are experienced in working from home or have just started, you might find the transition to only working from home, due to the physical distancing of Coronavirus, an adjustment.
Job Pair hears from people who struggle to feel or stay productive when working from home. Despite your best efforts, you might find yourself getting distracted by other tasks, feeling guilty by the amount of time you do commit, or thinking that working from home isn’t for you. But in current circumstances you might not have an option. So how do you productively work from home?
At Job Pair, we walk our talk and know the answer to that question: working remotely isn’t only possible but is a fulfilling, productive way to work. Here’s our tips and tricks to try.
1. Find a schedule that works for you
One of the simplest things you can do is write out a daily or weekly schedule. Finding a routine that works for you can help to balance the benefits of working from home while maintaining your productivity. It might be that your workload allows you to work four slightly longer days a week, and take one day to catch up on other personal jobs and admin. Or cutting out a commute to the office might mean you can use this time to exercise, listen to a podcast, or call up family or friends.
2. Bite the bullet and get back into it
Often the thought of all the work we have to do makes us put it off even more. The best cure for procrastination is to commit yourself to one task. Sit at your workstation, switch off to distractions and work solidly for 50 minutes.
3. Prioritise items
Free up your mind and focus only on the things that are important. Outsource your to-do lists, online meeting times and deadlines to online applications like Monday.com or Trello. Once you can physically look at your task list, ask yourself: 'What would make today great?' Prioritise the most important task first, be realistic about what you can get done and what to leave for another day.
4. Reassess how you measure productivity
Flexible working is most successful when you measure your productivity by the output of work not the time you spend working. This is particularly important in our current situation where children are being removed from schools and more people are at home. You may not have a full day to focus on work, but find you get the same amount done by staying focused in what hours you do have. Check in with your colleagues, manager, mentor that your work output is meeting expectations. Is it working for your team as well as you?
5. Leave perfectionism behind
Now, more than ever, agility is important. 80 per cent now is better than 100 per cent later. Accept that there are circumstances out of your control and do your best work within those parameters.
It’s easier said than done sometimes, so if you need help, you don’t have to go it alone. Job Pair’s Flex Coaching offers you the chance to work one-to-one with a coach to gain clarity on what you want in work and living a life of fulfilment and balance, as well as how to make working from home work for you.