With the pandemic wreaking havoc across the country, millions of workers are suddenly faced with the reality of working from home. Unfortunately, not all of those employees are necessarily prepared to deal with remote work. Now, outside of an office and without the direct supervision of a manager or boss, it can be difficult to stay focused and productive.
Luckily, there are a myriad of ways you can streamline your workday and be more efficient. Keep reading to learn how to put together an amazing remote office and tips you can use to stay focused and motivated throughout the day.
Tip #1: Use a Little Outside Help
Did you know there are natural focus enhancers? These helpful supplements start working in just 90 minutes to energize your brain, increase focus, and increase clarity. If you’re dealing with a particularly difficult work challenge, these focus enhancers can also help increase your learning capacity and mental clarity.
Tip #2: Set Up Daily Goals
Before you immediately dive into work in the morning, get organized. Divide your day into different goals. You can think of this like a list of prioritized daily tasks. Make sure you actually set reasonable targets – otherwise, you’ll just get discouraged and unmotivated.
Tip #3: Follow Through on Deadlines
Although it’s true that self-imposed deadlines aren’t effective, you can create external deadlines with your boss or client. Using this strategy, it can be much easier to manage any tendencies to procrastinate. Just make sure that your deadlines are actually reasonable.
Tip #4: Compartmentalize Your Schedule
Give yourself a series of tasks to complete during a “do not disturb” period. During this time period, block off time in your schedule without meetings. Snooze any notifications. Exit your email. Giving yourself this uninterrupted time can help you and your mind focus in on what you need to accomplish.
Tip #5: Put Your Phone in a Different Room
Phones are awesome – they connect you to the world and your friends. Unfortunately, they’re also a serious distraction and can negatively impact your productivity. Studies have shown that Americans spend at least 5 hours a day on their mobile devices, with a large chunk of that time on social media, entertainment, and messaging.
To avoid falling into the ensnarement of the never-ending scroll, consider putting your phone in an outside room that makes you physically have to get up to use it. There are also tons of focus apps you can use that reward you for not picking up your phone.
Tip #6: Use a Timing Technique
If you’re really struggling with staying focused for certain time periods, you can always try the Pomodoro Method. This method gives you a set time period (25 minutes) to focus on one singular task. When the time goes off, you can take a five-minute break. After three 25-minute periods, you can take a longer break to exercise or just relax. This technique can help you build up your concentration and focus stamina. Giving yourself a break away from computers can also help you reduce your eye strain.
Tip #7: Do One Thing at a Time
Your brain can’t really actually handle multitasking but that doesn’t stop many people from still trying to do it. To avoid getting caught up in a continuous churn of tasks, consider focusing on one priority at a time. Give yourself one target to hone in on each day. For example, one day might be spent on editing a project. You might set aside another day to get on top of your emails. Focusing on one task at a time can make a huge difference in what you’re able to accomplish.
Conclusion: Making Working from Home Work for You
Working from home is an amazing perk. After all, you can simply roll out of bed and go straight to your computer to get started on your work tasks. But that doesn’t mean that it’s all fun and games. Millions of workers are struggling with burnout and figuring out how to maintain their productivity in the face of extended uncertainty. One of the best ways to streamline your work tasks and increase your concentration is by following the tips outlined in this article. It takes a little work and effort, but over time, you can increase your output while staying happier and stress-free.