Freelancing was already one of the growing trends. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, even more people left the office and started working from home. Unfortunately, working from home is not always as effective and sometimes can be pretty depressing.
It’s no secret that when you work remotely, your productivity can suffer too.
It doesn’t matter if you worked from home for several years or just started, you are still expected to do your job well and on time.
However, all attempts to concentrate when you live and work in the same space can fail, because of distractions.
Sharing is carrying, so we want to tell you how you can work from home while remaining productive and positive.
Plan, plan and again plan
Plan as if you are working on the Japanese railway, known worldwide for the accuracy of train arrival.
There are many methods for scheduling tasks. You need to find one that will motivate you to work most efficiently.
One of the most popular methods used by freelancers is time boxing. This is a fairly simple technique for planning workdays and weeks.
In the task scheduler, set the time frame for each activity. Whether it is a task, a break or two hours you decided to spend with your child or your partner, timeboxing will definitely help increase productivity. If you are not used to planing with paper notebook there are alternatives such as special software, Google Sheets or the good old Google Docs.
Focus
Do you think that planning pauses are stupid?
Once you realise how much time you lose focusing again and again after spending 10 minutes texting or snacking in the kitchen, it won’t seem so stupid anymore.
Make a habit of planning, not only because it helps to do the work on time, but also in order not to be distracted and stay focused. Yes, it’s important to keep in touch with colleagues and even share funny gifs from time to time, but most of the time you need to stay productive. If you find yourself spending too much time on useless actions, time tracking can be very useful. There are many time tracking tools available on the Internet, so test a few and choose the one you like the most.
Keep improving your skills
Learning something new can significantly increase your productivity. Mastering skills not only contribute to better brain function but also increases your value in the labour market.
Perhaps you want to improve your WordPress skills or learn how to use new software — Use the time that you would have spent getting to work.
Ever wanted to create a website for your products — artwork or home decor? It’s time to do it.
Or, start a blog to share your hobbies and chat with people.
You can even do your own live event steaming. Think about the topic you are good at and make your own conference.
The number of areas where you can learn and develop is unlimited.
Act like you are at the office
Work from home is work, not an opportunity to sleep longer.
Of course, it is tempting to turn on the TV, lie on the couch, take a two-hour lunch, and then take a nap. Especially if your relatives also work from home and do so.
But don’t give in. Although working at home may seem like an extra vacation, in fact, you know that this is not so. If you relax too much, you will not only lose motivation but also become completely unproductive.
So, get up on time, get ready, as if you are going to the office.
Do not lose your professionalism, use all your reserves of self-motivation and discipline, you will need it when it is time to return to the office.
Working space
It would seem that to work from home, you need a little: a chair, a laptop, perhaps a table. However, in order to effectively carry out their work, you’ll need a little more than that. Work at home also requires the best noise-cancelling headphones you can afford. If you want to concentrate and follow the planned schedule, isolate yourself from the noise made by children, pets, from the sounds of repairs in an apartment next door, etc.
Last but not least, it would be great to have a place designed only for work. Ideally, it should be different from the space where you spend most of your time.
Act like you usually do
You will ask what kind of advice is this? Actually, the best on this list.
Those of you who are forced to work from home due to extremely unusual circumstances (hello, COVID-19) very often cannot concentrate because of a lot of negative thoughts.
If you are overcome by a sense of fear and anxiety, it is very easy to lose focus and become less productive. Do your best to behave normally.
Conclusion
Our advice is, for the sake of your mental health, do everything possible to continue to do your usual activities. This will distract you from things that you cannot influence in any way.
So, think about what you usually do with your colleagues in the office, and adapt it to work from home.
And do not forget to send pictures with animals, funny memes, gifs and emoticons to general chats. These micro-interactions help to maintain a sense of ordinariness and not panic.