Working from home or remotely has recently been offered to many employees around the world and it came as a surprise, to say the least. Not many people were expecting to suddenly be working remotely and their corporate life changed from one day to another.
A study by Airtasker found that, on average, remote employees work 1.4 more days every month, or 16.8 more days every year, than those who worked in an office. After seeing these numbers, what is the secret to remaining productive while working from home?
In this article, we will be sharing the absolute best 7 tips for staying productive while working from home. On top of that, we’ll be sharing an example of how to apply them to your everyday life at home so make sure to stick until the end to become more productive while remote
Define a Dedicated Space to Work
Defining a dedicated, well-equipped space to work should be your number one priority or investment when working from home, and you definitely shouldn’t underestimate its importance.
Whether you prefer working at your desk or on the table, make sure that it will be your place to work for yourself only. Moreover, many remote workers choose a coffee shop or a coworking space with a dedicated space of work and this is vital for staying productive.
A survey on Buffer.com found out that 84% of remote workers stay at home. In addition, 8% of them work in coworking spaces, 4% in coffee shops, 0,5% in libraries, and 3% in other places (campers, hotels, offices, and a grandma’s basement).
Other than that, it is just very nice to wake up in the morning with a tidy desk all for yourself and where you know you’ll be able to spend the day uninterruptedly. This takes us to the following point, keeping your desk tidy and organized.
Keep Your Desk Tidy and Organized
One of the most important things when working from home or at the office is to have an organized and tidy desk. Having a space to work that’s clean and organized is actually one of the most important tips for staying productive while working from home.
A study from Harvard Business Review found that letting employees control the look of their desk will be happier and will end up being more productive. This is only the tip of the iceberg, as there are many more benefits to it.
For example, let’s give a closer look to some stats by Brother, who quizzed over 2000 offices in the UK regarding workspaces and their impact on employees.
As you can see, 41% of all the employees questioned believed that having a tidy and organized desk or workspace is crucial to enhancing productivity at work. On top of that, 25% of them revealed that messy colleagues can eventually have a negative impact on their own productivity at work, which is quite high.
Unorganized desks could also impact a potential promotion in your company, and that is another important aspect of keeping your desk tidy. The research has shown that 33% of office workers could be missing out on promotions because of their messy desks. In the same vein, 30% of professional workers believe that having a tidy desk helps in climbing the ladder.
Messy desks also have an impact on how colleagues see their coworkers.
Stay Focused
This point might sound obvious to many of us, but it is nonetheless an extremely important tip for staying productive at work.
A research by Microsoft found that trying to focus on more than one thing at a time can decrease your productivity by up to 40%.
As we can on the graph above, the largest category of task switches is dominated by self-initiated tasks by a whopping 40%. In addition, 19% of the task switches were simply moving on to a new task and that is something that can definitely be improved in our working routine.
That is to say that it is extremely important to remain focused at work and to concentrate on one task at a time when possible. This will not only increase your productivity by up to 40%, but also help you complete your tasks with more details.
Moreover, we can only advise to make your workspace distraction-free, with your mobile notifications turned off and no gadgets. Also, it is good to prioritize tasks as it will keep you focused at work, thinking what to do next and getting things done.
Pragal Gurung, American Fashion Designer, shares his experience of staying focused to improve productivity. Pragal said “If you stay focused and don’t lose sight of what you’re doing and who you are, you can rise above it”.
In conclusion, remaining focused on staying productive while working from home is a necessary tip that you should consider from now.
Lastly, it was found that the corporate employees lose on average 2,1 hours a day in distractions and interruptions. Calculating this can show us that it eventually adds up to over a full day of weekly work.
Keep a Good Work Life Balance
Setting regular working hours and breaks when possible can be key to staying productive while working from home.
A research from Family Living Today revealed that balancing work and personal life is hard in the US.
As you can see from these stats, percentages of work environment issues that have a negative impact on work/life balance in the States are quite high.
39% of employees constantly work beyond standard working hours and have inflexible work hours off scheduling.
Keeping a healthy work/life balance can be challenging even outside of the office. In fact, 57% of employees say that technology has ruined their family dinners due to their employers expecting them to answer at any hour.
Also, you should always stick to your working hours. Working lots is good for your self satisfaction and self esteem, however, working overtime will make you exhausted and definitely less happy. Take time to work out after work, to spend some time socializing, or simply going out for a walk and take a breath of fresh air.
Lastly, meditating or simply doing things you love will make you happy, satisfied, and ultimately will make you more productive at work the day after.
Stay Hydrated and Keep Water Next to You While Working
Staying hydrated and keeping a bottle of water next to you is essential when working from home.
In fact, Waterlogic Australia proved that just 1% of water drop in your body could lead up to a 12% drop in productivity. Moreover, a 3 to 4% hydration drop could lead to a drop of productivity by up to 25 to 50%.
Other than that, it is important to consider that 75% of the human brain’s composition is water. This is an impressive number that deserved to be considerate when talking about productivity at work. Our brain needs water to function properly and you will therefore gain in productivity when drinking plenty of water.
Moreover, drinking water isn’t the only way to stay hydrated. The perfect and healthy example to stay hydrated is to eat fruits. Fruits are mainly composed of water and therefore eating them will help you stay productive while working from home.
Last but not least, and if you’re unsure to manage this task, there are multiple ways to track your drinking habit. The most modern and latest generation method is to use a mobile app to track the amount of water you’ve drank per day. Daily Water – Drink Reminder is a fantastic app that will help you measure your water intake and set reminders for you to stay hydrated and there, staying productive while working.
Keep Private and Personal Life Separated
Private and personal lives are 2 worlds that are connected but that should never be mixed together. This is no exception when working from home.
A research by RescueTime Blog found that 40% of people still use their computers after 10.00PM.
While it is not proved that people using their computer or laptop actually work until that time, it definitely takes off some personal life.
Also, in that same research, they found that only 74% of work is done during normal working hours. That means that employees take more than a quarter of our work home with them.
Having a poor work life balance will make you less productive, less motivated, more stressed, and more exhausted.
For this reason, keeping private and professional lives separated is an essential tip for staying productive while working from home. It will not only make you happier and healthier, but will eventually have a positive impact on your family.
In the same vein, Hillary Clinton, Former United States Secretary of State, shared a very interesting quote that deserves some credit “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.”. It is a short yet powerful quote that we should all reflect on.
To sum up, having a healthy work life balance is extremely important to our well-being and should not be underestimated. While technology has incredibly helped in our daily life, it is good to find the right moment to unplug and spend some time with family, friends, or doing some physical activities outside.
Go Outside and Breathe
Going outside and taking a breath of fresh air is one of the most important things in life, and it certainly is no exception when working from home.
An alarming study by Ambius found that 35% of US office employees spend less than 15 minutes outside every day, excluding their commuting time. In addition, 13% spend a maximum of 30 minutes outside the office, and 26% just a little over an hour.
It is important to mention that taking a deep breath of fresh air has a positive impact on employees’ productivity and you should definitely be going outside during your breaks.
Miriam Herst, Beauty Editor at All Things Hair US once said:
“It’s easy to get caught up in work and forget to get outside and take a break from staring at the computer all day. I’ve been using my lunch break to walk to the park to get some fresh air. I come back to my at-home work station refreshed and reenergized. It’s easily my best tip for staying productive while working from home!”
Last but not least, having poor air quality in our working environment could lead to trillions of dollars in loss. In fact, poor air quality makes it much more likely that employees will get sick. Employees might get sick, coughs, but also lung cancer and heart disease.
It is predicted that by 2060, there will be 3.8 billion lost working days annually due to the effects of air pollution.
TIps for Staying Productive While Working From Home – Conclusion
Working from home or remotely has recently been offered to many employees around the world and it came as a surprise to say the least. Not many people were expecting to suddenly be working remotely and their corporate life changed from one day to another.
A study by Airtasker found that, on average, remote employees work 1.4 more days every month, or 16.8 more days every year, than those who worked in an office. After seeing these numbers, what is the secret to remain productive while working from home?
In this article, we will be sharing the absolute best 7 tips for staying productive while working from home. On top of that, we’ll be sharing example of how to apply them to your everyday life at home so make sure to stick until the end to become more productive while remote
Define a Dedicated Space to Work
Defining a dedicated, well-equipped space to work should be your number one priority or investment when working from home, and you definitely shouldn’t underestimate its importance.
Whether you prefer working at your desk or on the table, make sure that it will be your place to work for yourself only. Moreover, many remote workers choose a coffee shop or a coworking space with a dedicated space of work and this is vital for staying productive.
A survey on Buffer.com found out that 84% of remote workers stay at home. In addition, 8% of them work in coworking spaces, 4% in coffee shops, 0,5% in libraries, and 3% in other places (campers, hotels, offices, and a grandma’s basement).
Other than that, it is just very nice to wake up in the morning with a tidy desk all for yourself and where you know you’ll be able to spend the day uninterruptedly. This takes us to the following point, keeping your desk tidy and organized.
Keep your Desk Tidy and Organized
One of the most important things when working from home or at the office is to have an organized and tidy desk. Having a space to work that’s clean and organized is actually one of the most important tips for staying productive while working from home.
A study from Harvard Business Review found that letting employees control the look of their desk will be happier and will end up being more productive. This is only the tip of the iceberg, as there are many more benefits to it.
For example, let’s give a closer look to some stats by Brother, who quizzed over 2000 offices in the UK regarding workspaces and their impact on employees.
As you can see, 41% of all the employees questioned believed that having a tidy and organized desk or workspace is crucial to enhancing productivity at work. On top of that, 25% of them revealed that messy colleagues can eventually have a negative impact on their own productivity at work, which is quite high.
Unorganized desks could also impact a potential promotion in your company, and that is another important aspect of keeping your desk tidy. The research has shown that 33% of office workers could be missing out on promotions because of their messy desks. In the same vein, 30% of professional workers believe that having a tidy desk helps in climbing the ladder.
Messy desks also have an impact on how colleagues see their coworkers.
Stay Focused
This point might sound obvious to many of us, but it is nonetheless an extremely important tip for staying productive at work.
A research by Microsoft found that trying to focus on more than one thing at a time can decrease your productivity by up to 40%.
As we can on the graph above, the largest category of task switches is dominated by self-initiated tasks by a whopping 40%. In addition, 19% of the task switches were simply moving on to a new task and that is something that can definitely be improved in our working routine.
That is to say that it is extremely important to remain focused at work and to concentrate on one task at a time when possible. This will not only increase your productivity by up to 40%, but also help you complete your tasks with more details.
Moreover, we can only advise to make your workspace distraction-free, with your mobile notifications turned off and no gadgets. Also, it is good to prioritize tasks as it will keep you focused at work, thinking what to do next and getting things done.
Pragal Gurung, American Fashion Designer, shares his experience of staying focused to improve productivity. Pragal said “If you stay focused and don’t lose sight of what you’re doing and who you are, you can rise above it”.
In conclusion, remaining focused on staying productive while working from home is a necessary tip that you should consider from now.
Lastly, it was found that the corporate employees lose on average 2,1 hours a day in distractions and interruptions. Calculating this can show us that it eventually adds up to over a full day of weekly work.
Keep a Good Work Life Balance
Setting regular working hours and breaks when possible can be key to staying productive while working from home.
A research from Family Living Today revealed that balancing work and personal life is hard in the US.
As you can see from these stats, percentages of work environment issues that have a negative impact on work/life balance in the States are quite high.
39% of employees constantly work beyond standard working hours and have inflexible work hours off scheduling.
Keeping a healthy work/life balance can be challenging even outside of the office. In fact, 57% of employees say that technology has ruined their family dinners due to their employers expecting them to answer at any hour.
Also, you should always stick to your working hours. Working lots is good for your self satisfaction and self esteem, however, working overtime will make you exhausted and definitely less happy. Take time to work out after work, to spend some time socializing, or simply going out for a walk and take a breath of fresh air.
Lastly, meditating or simply doing things you love will make you happy, satisfied, and ultimately will make you more productive at work the day after.
Stay Hydrated and Keep Water Next to You While Working
Staying hydrated and keeping a bottle of water next to you is essential when working from home.
In fact, Waterlogic Australia proved that just 1% of water drop in your body could lead up to a 12% drop in productivity. Moreover, a 3 to 4% hydration drop could lead to a drop of productivity by up to 25 to 50%.
Other than that, it is important to consider that 75% of the human brain’s composition is water. This is an impressive number that deserved to be considerate when talking about productivity at work. Our brain needs water to function properly and you will therefore gain in productivity when drinking plenty of water.
Moreover, drinking water isn’t the only way to stay hydrated. The perfect and healthy example to stay hydrated is to eat fruits. Fruits are mainly composed of water and therefore eating them will help you stay productive while working from home.
Last but not least, and if you’re unsure to manage this task, there are multiple ways to track your drinking habit. The most modern and latest generation method is to use a mobile app to track the amount of water you’ve drank per day. Daily Water – Drink Reminder is a fantastic app that will help you measure your water intake and set reminders for you to stay hydrated and there, staying productive while working.
Keep Private and Personal Life Separated
Private and personal lives are 2 worlds that are connected but that should never be mixed together. This is no exception when working from home.
A research by RescueTime Blog found that 40% of people still use their computers after 10.00PM.
While it is not proved that people using their computer or laptop actually work until that time, it definitely takes off some personal life.
Also, in that same research, they found that only 74% of work is done during normal working hours. That means that employees take more than a quarter of our work home with them.
Having a poor work life balance will make you less productive, less motivated, more stressed, and more exhausted.
For this reason, keeping private and professional lives separated is an essential tip for staying productive while working from home. It will not only make you happier and healthier, but will eventually have a positive impact on your family.
In the same vein, Hillary Clinton, Former United States Secretary of State, shared a very interesting quote that deserves some credit “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.”. It is a short yet powerful quote that we should all reflect on.
To sum up, having a healthy work life balance is extremely important to our well-being and should not be underestimated. While technology has incredibly helped in our daily life, it is good to find the right moment to unplug and spend some time with family, friends, or doing some physical activities outside.
Go Outside and Breathe
Going outside and taking a breath of fresh air is one of the most important things in life, and it certainly is no exception when working from home.
An alarming study by Ambius found that 35% of US office employees spend less than 15 minutes outside every day, excluding their commuting time. In addition, 13% spend a maximum of 30 minutes outside the office, and 26% just a little over an hour.
It is important to mention that taking a deep breath of fresh air has a positive impact on employees’ productivity and you should definitely be going outside during your breaks.
Miriam Herst, Beauty Editor at All Things Hair US once said “It’s easy to get caught up in work and forget to get outside and take a break from staring at the computer all day. I’ve been using my lunch break to walk to the park to get some fresh air. I come back to my at-home work station refreshed and reenergized. It’s easily my best tip for staying productive while working from home!”
Last but not least, having poor air quality in our working environment could lead to trillions of dollars in loss. In fact, poor air quality makes it much more likely that employees will get sick. Employees might get sick, coughs, but also lung cancer and heart disease.
It is predicted that by 2060, there will be 3.8 billion lost working days annually due to the effects of air pollution.
Tips for Staying Productive While Working From Home – Conclusion
These were the seven best essential tips for staying productive while working from home. While staying productive the whole day while working remotely from your living room isn’t certainly the most straightforward task; it’s not impossible.
Place a note on your desk with the things to do that you should prioritize, make sure you have a bottle of water next to your computer, log out on time, and your productivity will increase naturally.
As proved by many types of research made in the world, productivity is something that can be improved in every company, and if employees change their working lifestyle. It can be relatively easy for you to do so if you follow these seven tips.
Thank you for reading until the end, and make sure to integrate some of these tricks for staying productive, and you’ll notice a difference in the long term.
These were the seven best essential tips for staying productive while working from home. While staying productive the whole day while working remotely from your living room isn’t certainly the most straightforward task; it’s not impossible.
Place a note on your desk with the things to do that you should prioritize, make sure you have a bottle of water next to your computer, log out on time, and your productivity will increase naturally.
As proved by many types of research made in the world, productivity is something that can be improved in every company, and if employees change their working lifestyle. It can be relatively easy for you to do so if you follow these seven tips.
Thank you for reading until the end, and make sure to integrate some of these tricks for staying productive, and you’ll definitely notice a difference in the long term.
pensive man working from home -DepositPhotos
