It is true that home office is an alternative that has several benefits, as well as some complications.
Maintaining a constant flow of productivity is one of the most common problems that affect most people who adopt this method.
Key Facts
- Organize a list of daily or weekly tasks, this way you will be able to establish an order of priorities and better manage your working hours.
- The biggest challenge is to maintain consistency, but once you get used to your work routine you will begin to notice a positive change in your performance.
- Put into practice good habits such as eating healthy, sleeping 8 hours a day, exercising. Keeping our body and mind in good shape will help you improve your performance.
11 tips to increase your productivity
According to studies, the percentage of teleworking in Spain has increased from 57.6% in 2019 to 71.9% in 2020 (7). Also, many of the users who adopted this modality express a certain loss of motivation. For this reason, we leave you with a list of tips that will help you regain your focus and increase your productivity.
1. Create a comfortable work environment
Normally, when working at home, it usually happens that not having the pressure of being in an office with your colleagues, sometimes we neglect the order of our workplace.
If what you want is to have a good work performance, having a clean and organized desk is essential, since working in an orderly environment reduces stress and increases our ability to concentrate.
2. Avoid all kinds of distractions
It is normal that when having children or living with other people, there are several distractions while we perform our tasks. That is why we recommend that you talk to your children, your partner or your roommate to avoid unnecessary interruptions during your work schedule.
It is also important to manage notifications from your devices. The cell phone or tablet, are objects with which we can usually be easily distracted. Muting all types of notifications will help you avoid wasting time checking messages that you can read later during your break.
3. Identify your most productive hours
Everyone has a time in the day when they feel most productive or energized. This can vary from person to person, for example, there are people who can’t work, just wake up and need a few hours to wake up. Others prefer to do it at night while everyone is asleep.
You can try working 3 days at different times to try to identify when you feel more productive, whether in the morning, afternoon or evening. This is a factor that will greatly affect your performance.
Generally, remote jobs provide a flexible work schedule for employees to organize their own work schedule.
4. Set a fixed schedule of work hours and make sure you stick to it
Once you’ve figured out what time of day you’re most productive, it’s critical to establish a set schedule. But this is not the hardest part, the real challenge is to stick to it on a daily basis.
The key to this is consistency, little by little, this will help you improve your work rhythm and you will notice a great increase in your performance. In addition, you will be able to better organize your daily activities, among other things.
5. Make a list of daily tasks
Now you should implement in your routine writing a to-do list the day before. This way, when you start working, you won’t waste time analyzing where to start. Also, you will be able to make better use of your most productive hours.
It has been proven that people who do this have less difficulty sleeping, as it reduces anxiety and uncertainty.
Organizing your day will also help you better prioritize your tasks, this is vital to improve your productivity.
6. Don’t waste time waiting for inspiration, get down to work
It is very common that when we are used to working at home sometimes we find it hard to feel motivated. This is because our workplace is where our brain normally associates as a space of “relaxation” so to speak.
That is why we must avoid procrastination at all costs, to feel that jolt of energy. The best thing you can do is simply start with your tasks, even if it is not your best work, inspiration and motivation comes hand in hand with action (1).
However, he recommends you to take this process from a different point of view, see it as a continuous cycle, this means that action is the cause of inspiration and vice versa. As long as you stay consistent you will begin to notice a change in your level of motivation and productivity.
7. Take care of the most complex task first
Eat the frog method
This is a study method based on a phrase said by the American writer Mark Twain (3). When getting down to work, starting with the most difficult task is a habit that will help improve your productivity. This is because as the hours go by while working, our energy and concentration decrease (2).
For this reason we recommend that you apply the following method, since this way you will be making the most of your most productive hours. In addition, once the task is finished, your anxiety levels will decrease as you will no longer feel the pressure of having that activity pending.
8. Implement the pomodoro technique
The pomodoro technique is a study method implemented to manage more efficiently the time spent on a task (4).
This technique is based on using any type of timer to divide the study time in fixed intervals which we call pomodoro, after 20 minutes of work, we rest 5. After 4 pomodoro we increase a little the rest time and so on.
The pomodoro technique is based on a five-step process:
| What | When | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | At the beginning of the day | To make decisions about the day’s activities |
| Follow-up | Throughout the day | To collect raw data about effort expended and other key measures |
| Logging | At the end of the day | To compile an archive of daily observations |
| Processing | At the end of the day | To transform raw data into information |
| Visualization | At the end of the day | To present the information in a format that makes it easy to understand and clearly shows avenues for improvement |
This basic procedure takes one day, but it could take less. In that case, the five stages follow one another more frequently.
9. Exchange ideas with your co-workers
Sometimes when working from home we lose communication with our teammates and this can make you feel isolated. Not having that moment where we share our progress on tasks with our teammates can greatly affect your performance.
That said, we recommend you take some time to socialize with your colleagues, this way you can strengthen your relationship with them. You can also ask them for feedback on your work, this will give you more confidence and also help you realize when you are on the right track.
10. Meditate
Meditation is an exercise that is directly linked to our productivity, as it helps to release stress. In addition, it favors self-control, providing an improvement in self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as the capacity for empathy and self-realization (5).
If you don’t know how to do it, here’s a quick guide to get you started:
- Wear comfortable clothes.
- Go to a quiet place.
- Sit on the floor with your back straight.
- Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing.
- Accept the thoughts that come into your mind and let yourself go.
Try to repeat this exercise daily for a few minutes a day and in a very short time you will begin to notice an improvement in your quality of life, as well as in your work (6).
11. Health and wellness: try to create and implement a self-care plan
Last but not least, taking care of our health is a key factor that influences our productivity. The secret to leading a healthy life lies in good habits, for example:
- Sleep at least 8 hours, no more than that.
- Perform physical activity at least 2 times a week.
- Eat a balanced and healthy diet, eat more vegetables and avoid junk food.
- Drink water constantly, many people find it helps to set an alarm every so often so they don’t forget.
Conclusion
Given the consequences of the last few years and the advance of technology, remote work is now an established method in many countries around the world. The best way to adapt to this modality is to devise your own routine and be consistent.
Whenever you feel isolated, remember that you are not alone, you have co-workers. An occasional video call with them will help you feel part of the group and strengthen your relationships. This will help boost your motivation and improve your mood.
References
1. productivity. How to Get Motivated and Take Action [Internet]. Mark Manson. 2019. Available from: https://markmanson.net/how-to-get-motivated
Source
2. 1. Tracy B. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time [Internet]. Google Books. Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 2017 [cited 2022 Oct 13].
Source
3. mark Twain [Internet]. Wikipedia. 2022 [cited 2022 Oct 13].
Source
4. cirillo F. The Pomodoro Technique The famous time management method that has changed the lives of 2 million people ® Creator of [Internet]. [cited 2022 Oct 13].
Source
5. Walsh R. Meditation. Natura Medicatrix: Medical journal for the study and dissemination of alternative medicines [Internet]. 1996 [cited 2022 Oct 14];(43 (Spring – Summer)):16-22.
Source
6. How to learn to meditate, in 7 easy steps [Internet]. psicologiaymente.com. 2016.
Source
7. Teleworking in Spain report [Internet]. Amazonaws.com. [cited 2022 Oct 15].
Source
