Staying productive isn't always easy. Whether you work from home or you just want to focus on a task, it can be difficult with distractions people, television, music, social media, etc. Follow these tips to boost your productivity, stay focused and accomplish more.
Staying Productive When You're Working From Home
Working from home can be challenging. If other people are at home when you're trying to focus it can lead to a host of distractions. Even if you are alone, it's just as easy to get sidetracked by chores, the TV, your phone and more.
Here are some ideas to help you get into the zone at home:
- Put your clothes on. First and foremost, get dressed! It sounds lovely to work in your pajamas, but it's hard to feel productive when wearing loungewear. You don't have to put on business attire but do put on clothes to signal your brain that it's time to get into work mode.
- Make a must-do list. Each morning as you make your to-do list, prioritize three-to-five things that absolutely must get done before the end of the day so you know where to focus your energy first.
- Plan your day. A daily schedule can help you stay on track and prevent distractions. Have a set start time, block off midday break periods, lunchtime and end-of-day.
- Get out of the house. When your home is also your office, it's important to get up and get out during the day. Take a 10-minute walk around the block to get fresh air and get your blood flowing. If it's a nice day, sit outside for a few hours to do some work.
- Have a designated workspace. If you don't have a home office, try to designate one area for work. If you are at home with a spouse and/or kids, this can be a challenge, but do your best to carve out one area that is for you to work.
- Work around your rhythms. If your job is flexible about your work hours, use it to your advantage. Work during the times that you feel most productive and step away during the times that you don't.
- Get noise-cancelling headphones. If you have children at home, these can be a blessing when you really need to focus.
Bonus Tip: Be Grateful
Whether you enjoy working from home or not, it is a blessing to have that option in an economic downturn. When you feel frustrated or you feel like you just can't focus, remind yourself how lucky you are to be working.
Tips for Boosting Overall Efficiency
Distractions are inevitable no matter what you are doing or where you are doing it. We've all gotten into the habit of attempting to multitask, but despite what you have heard, multitasking really doesn't work. You cannot focus on two things at once and expect to do either task well.
Instead of trying to do several things at once, use these simple steps to improve your personal productivity and get more done.
- Remove anything not related to your task. Close extraneous tabs on your computer and/or put away tools and materials that aren't related to the activity at hand. If you have a door, close it.
- Eat your frog. Whichever activity you are dreading the most is probably the one you need to complete first. Get it out of the way and watch the rest of your day flow.
- Set a ten-minute timer. Starting is often the hardest part of any task. So set a ten-minute timer, and just get started. If you aren't in a groove when the timer goes off, get up and try again after 20 minutes.
- Put your phone on Do Not Disturb mode. Our phones are an endless source of distraction. When you need to focus on something, put it on DND.
- Say no. Overextending yourself is a great way to ruin your productivity. Don't be afraid to politely say no to things you know you just can't take on.
- Exercise. Physical activity is good for the mind and the body, and it can improve your mood. Work out for at least 20 minutes every morning or every day at lunchtime to boost your productivity.
- Prioritize sleep. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Anything less can wreck your ability to focus.
- Eat healthy foods. Fruits, vegetables and non-processed foods will keep you focused and energized.
Productivity Apps for Everyone
When you are serious about improving your productivity, apps can be a great tool to help you get more done and even build better habits.
- Trello. Trello helps manage priorities, showing you which tasks need to be done, who needs to do them, which are high priority, and which have been completed.
- Evernote. Keeping track of research for a project can be daunting. Evernote lets you store articles, documents, and images with one click or cell phone snap, and catalog items based on keywords you choose.
- Google Docs. Collaborating on documents and keeping track of changes isn't easy. Google Docs tracks every change a collaborator makes and saves each version of the document, so nothing gets lost.
- Forest. Need to focus without checking your phone? Set a timer on Forest, and you'll be unable to look at your messages, apps, or games for your designated time frame.
- Hours. Ever wonder where your time goes during the week? Hours tracks what you do and how you spend your time. At the end of the week, get an ROI report of how well you're utilizing your time.
- Siteblock. If you know you need to stop checking the news every ten minutes, but can't seem to help yourself, the Siteblock browser extension for Chrome allows you to block websites for set periods of time during the day.
- Noisli. Want to drown out background noise? Noisli generates productive sounds to help you focus like ocean waves, coffee house sounds or rain.
Ready to Tackle More?
Becoming a productive person will help you achieve more and grow your career. If you are ready to use your productivity powers to take a step up the ladder or just find a better job where you will shine, talk to a professional recruiter today.