In recent weeks, employee productivity seems to now be focused on RESULTS, instead of just merely ATTENDANCE.
How can your teams stay productive throughout this global pandemic?
Here are our top 10 tips for working from home productively!
- Create a workspace that fits your needs– Ideally a spot that is ergonomically safe, quiet, sunny, and holds a strong WiFi connection.
- Keep a morning routine and get ready for the day– Try to keep it as close to your usual pre-Coronavirus lifestyle. Haven’t brushed your hair or washed your PJs in a few days? Now is the time to get out of those habits and set each day up for success by kicking it off with a healthy morning routine.
- Set a schedule– Know when you’ll start and when you’ll stop. It’s easy to blur the lines of work/life balance when working from home when you don’t have a plan or to-do list for each day. Time block to get tasks done effectively, utilizing timer apps or digital calendars to stay on track. Know your most productive hours and adjust accordingly- morning person or night owl, it’s time to find your telecommuting groove.
- Take breaks– Stand up every hour, look away from screens every 20 minutes, practice gratitude & positive mindset exercises, meditate, go for a walk on your 30 minute “lunch break”, snuggle with a pup or two, take the kids outside for chalk drawing or scooting through the neighborhood. Do whatever you need to do to feel refreshed & reenergized to face your work head on.
- Turn off notifications– Try going into your phone’s settings to remove the dings & bings that distractedly notify you of every move on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, gMail, and a barrage of other apps that constantly interrupt you throughout the day. Better yet, hold phone calls via laptop or video call, while keeping your phone in another room.
- Create ambiance- Music, candles, oil diffusers, incense, house plants, nostalgic movies- bring on whatever it takes to get you feeling comfy, cozy, and less anxious about this sudden change to your work life.
- Keep loneliness at bay– At least once a day on a mini break, call a friend, text a family member, hop on a Zoom call or instant messaging thread with a coworker, or message an old client or two just to get in touch. You’re not in this alone- get connected and use technology to your advantage during this time!
- Try the Pomodoro Technique– Break your workday into 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks. Humans love rewards and incentives so train your brain to work hard for 25 minutes and then get a little burst of a break as your reward. For some, this limits distractions including multi-tasking, and can increase productivity levels immensely. Give it a try!
- Set expectations– With your boss, with your spouse, with your kids, with your roommate, heck- even with your dog! Set boundaries and stick to the “rules” like you would have in an office environment. Communicate expectations to set the tone for your new work reality, especially when working in shared spaces.
- Stay positive– for most of us, this is a brave new world. Give yourself grace and patience when trying to tackle the learning curve of technology, remote communication styles, and general discomfort of the current global climate. We are all in this together!
