8 Productivity Tips for Working From Home
September 13, 2021
As the world is undergoing a global pandemic, more and more employees have no choice but to work from home. By now, you would have set up a decent workspace in your home, but as the pandemic continues to show no signs of stopping, we’ll be needing to shift into a more permanent solution in our work from home situation.
As your home is the place you retreat to to relax, taking your work home unexpectedly can cause you more stress in your home life. You may feel that your productivity is at an all time low, or that you’re not in the mood to work at all. But here are 8 tips you can do to keep your productivity flowing while in a work from home situation:
1. Use a Separate Room or Dividers
Working from home can make you feel like your personal life and career have intertwined, which can make you lose track of the divide between work and social life. Keep the barriers up – literally, by using a separate room for your workstation to avoid distractions for better productivity at your workplace.
No room available? Dividers work just as well. You need to mentally separate your personal life and career so you don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of social stress and work stress adding into the stress you already get from the pandemic situation.
2. Have Complete Equipment
Unlike in an office setting, you can’t just use the shared printer, fax machine, or wifi router. When working from home, you’ll need to have these equipment on hand, especially if you use them often in your line of work. Many companies nowadays subsidize home office equipment so their employees can continue to work from home during the pandemic.
3. Maintain a Clean Workspace
Commercial spaces usually have a cleaning crew to do the cleaning and organizing, but at home, it’s your responsibility to tidy up around your workspace. A cluttered workspace can bring cluttered thoughts, so take time every week to vacuum the floors, wipe down desks and equipment, and clear out any unnecessary items.
When it comes to physical office spaces, maintaining your own workspace is important to keep you focused on the task at hand instead of the clutter that is scattered around your desk. In any setting, your workspace should be kept clear of knick knacks, and organized well.
4. Disinfect your Workspace Frequently
Back in the office, you can avail of sanitizing services like disinfection for office spaces that will remove pathogens from people coming in and out of the building. However, at home, you will need to do the disinfection yourself or hire your own cleaning service. Frequent disinfection keeps your office bacteria and virus-free, minimizing your chances of getting sick.
In light of the pandemic, disinfection stations are key in preventing the spread of disease. Frequent office disinfection services are much-needed precautions to ensure that the virus does not spread from person to person. All office surfaces, equipment, and furniture should be disinfected daily to keep the virus at bay.
5. Install Proper Lighting
Dim lighting is preferable for a relaxing atmosphere at home, but it can make any workspace tiring and dull. When it’s time to work, maintain proper lighting in your home office by opening the curtains for natural light, working near windows, or installing proper lighting fixtures around your home office. Proper lighting will prevent you from getting sleepy, and lets you focus.
6. Have Some Background White Noise
In an office setting, you have some white noise in the background of people talking, machines whirring, and the air conditioner working. At home, you typically don’t hear much background noise. For some people, it’s a welcome silence, but if you’re the type of person who works better with some light music, putting on a Spotify playlist for productivity may be a good idea.
7. Use a Different Desktop or Tab for Work and Personal
Nothing is worse than accidentally sending your boss an email meant for your friends, or worse – your significant other! Separate your personal and professional workspace by using different desktops for each. Separating your personal email from your work email minimizes unintentional sharing of restricted information, and eliminates misunderstandings from mistaken emails.
8. Have Proper Airflow
A stuffy workspace or home office can feel suffocating, which does not really encourage a productive space. Maintain clean and proper airflow using fans, open windows, and air purifiers so you can feel comfortable in your workspace, yet productive enough to increase your efficiency at work.