HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

With the coronavirus pandemic outbreak going on, I’m sure most of the people have been advised by their bosses to work from home. If you are one of those people, you probably know what I mean when I say that it is more difficult to concentrate and get things done at home than at your workplace, especially with all the laziness in the air. With no higher authority watching over you, it must be next to impossible to gather the courage to leave your couch and get to work. And even if you manage to do that, the most difficult obstacles to work are still left out to tackle: Family members (especially kids), pets, house hold chores, the TV, your phone (of course) and not to forget, those overly comfortable pajamas.

However, we all have to learn and deal with the type of unpredictable unfortunate event that has occurred. Even if you’re someone who has no obligation to any kind of work, it is really important to get productive and do some meaningful. I read a quote that said 
“If you don’t come out of this quarantine with either:
1) a new skill,
2) starting what you’ve been putting off (like a new business),
3) more knowledge,
you didn’t ever lack the time, you lacked the discipline.” 
And I realized that it makes a lot of sense.

So here, with this blog post, I plan to present to you a few tips that I follow to keep myself productive.
1) STICK TO YOUR ROUTINE:

Stick to your routine that you use to follow before the lockdown. I do understand it’s very distracting to be at home. So get up early (the same time you used to), freshen up, get dressed (even though you’ve got nowhere to go, just to get out of your comfort zone by a bit), have breakfast at the same time, move to your home office and get things going.

2) MAKE A TO DO LIST FOR THE DAY

This will keep you on track. Allot time for each task, star mark the important work and get it done first. By doing this, you’ll know when you are slacking off. Just by just looking at the list, you’ll know whether you’ve had a productive day or not.

3) TRY TO KEEP AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

Imagine you are completely in that zone, doing your work in full concentration and your phone rings and you lose track of your work and track of time and end up staying on the phone. Our biggest distractions are the constantly recurring notifications (The word “Houseparty” reminds you of something?). I should say avoid these pop ups, put your phone on voice mail or keep the notifications off.
This is something I practice every day. Give it a try and you’ll realize how much you could’ve gotten done with only if it wasn’t for that phone of yours. 

4) MAKE YOURSELF A HOME OFFICE OR WORKING SPACE

Plopping down on the couch with your laptop in front of the television to get your work done will only present more obstacles. Instead, clear that crammed up desk of yours and make it the spot where you work. Make sure your office has everything you need (a strong Wi-Fi connection, a phone line, stationery, a comfortable chair, etc.)

5) GET DRESSED AS YOU USED TO FOR OFFICE

Why not!! It’s the most effective tool to be productive. Clothing does affect your mood. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a good idea to get out of your pajamas and get formal. It may sound silly now, but when you try it out, you’ll realize that it helps keep you focused.

6) DON’T PROCRASTINATE

At the end of the day, when you look at your to-do list and see that you’re done with 90% of the work, however hectic your day was, isn’t that a satisfying feeling? Don’t let it be satisfying enough to make you leave that 10% of undone work on the next day. Believe me, it will never happen.

You will unknowingly create a cycle of pushing things. There could be days where emergencies interrupt your work so it’s better if you save the slacking off for such rainy days which I hope you don’t have to face.

As the aforementioned quote suggests, trying to do anything at home, especially working, during this time is gonna require discipline.  

If you are just starting out, it may take little while to find your groove, but if you follow the tips above, it will definitely get a lot easier.

The key is to keep a good work-life balance and enjoy your quarantine work life.

Remember we are in the middle of making history.

So enjoy every moment.

Love and light,

Rubleen Kaur