Working
from home can be full of distractions. But with the right approach, you can be
even more efficient than you were before.
If
you’re the kind of person who can sit down in your home office at 9 a.m. and
work efficiently without distractions for the next eight hours with minimal
breaks for lunch and restroom visits, congratulations—but this article isn’t
for you.
Now,
for the rest of you real people who actually exist: I know the struggle.
6 ways to improve efficiency at work when you’re WFH
Dishes
in the sink, dirty laundry on the floor, pets and kids being cute (or needy),
viral videos to watch without managerial oversight… Working from home can feel
full of stumbling blocks to your focus and productivity.
But by
following a few basic guidelines, you can experience the comfort of working in
your pajamas while also reaching the same level of efficiency—or more—that you
have at the main office.
Here’s
how to be more efficient at work when work is at home:
1. Start your day on an efficient note
Knocking
out a high-effort task (such as completing a report or running a meeting)
during your first hour of work is a great way to build momentum that you can
carry throughout the day. On the other hand, if you start your day by reading
the news, checking your email, doing a load of laundry, and scanning the #pets
channel on your collaboration tool, you may suddenly find that it’s lunchtime
and productivity has completely flatlined.
The key
is mentally moving past the negative feelings we have before a difficult task
(i.e., anxiousness, self-doubt) to the positive feelings (i.e., boosted
confidence, optimism) we earn by completing tasks.
Bonus
tip: To really kickstart your day, do a light workout and
shower before sitting down to tackle your to-do list.
2. Take breaks strategically
It may
sound counterintuitive to be more efficient at work by taking more breaks, but
it makes sense when you think about it. Which approach do you think would be
better for traveling a mile?
1. Crawling
on your hands and knees for an hour straight
2. Running
as fast as you can for two minutes at a time with 30-second breathers after
each sprint
Work is
the same way. If you try to stuff your head into your computer for hours on
end, you’ll lose focus and get diminishing returns on your efficiency.
According
to Psychology Today, taking periodic breaks can
help you retain information, replenish motivation, improve emotional and
physical health, improve decision making, and increase creativity and
productivity.
So when
you feel your focus waning, take a short break—go for a walk outside, chat with
a friend or loved one, or have a snack—so that you can return to your to-do
list with more focus.
Bonus
tip: If you’re the kind of person who does well with
structure, try the Pomodoro Technique or 90-minute timeboxing to schedule your
breaks.
3. Get off your couch/bed/recliner
One of
the great perks of working from home is getting to sit in your most comfortable
clothes in the most comfortable chair in your house. But you can have too much
of a good thing.
What’s
the harm in sitting in your favorite recliner for 20 minutes after lunch while
responding to emails? Very little—until you turn on the TV to check the news,
or end up taking a power nap, and before you know it you’ve been in your
favorite recliner for two hours doing nothing productive.
It’s
important to have a separate, quiet space in your home that is designated for
work, whether that’s a home office or just one side of your dining room table.
Just think of how much more comfortable your favorite recliner will be at the
end of a productive day!
Bonus
tip: Keeping a designated space for work and a separate space
for rest will also help you turn off your “work brain” after hours, and resist
the temptation to dash off a few emails at 11 p.m., interrupting your team’s
rest in addition to your own. If something is really stuck in your head after hours,
just quickly add it to your to-do list for tomorrow then give yourself
permission to let it go.
4. Make sure you have sufficient tech
If
you’re having trouble being efficient while working from home, and you’re using
your 60-pound desktop computer which hasn’t had an operating system update
since you were in college, I think I can help you diagnose your productivity
gap.
According to a recent Gartner snap
poll (full report available to clients), “54% of HR leaders
indicated that poor technology and/or infrastructure for remote working is the biggest
barrier to effective remote working in their organization.”
Just as
you wouldn’t be expected to try to do your job with insufficient equipment at
the office, you shouldn’t be expected to do so at your home office. If your
setup isn’t working, contact your IT department immediately to get it resolved.
While
they might not be able to outfit every employee with a $3,000 standing desk for
their homes, they should be able to help with things like wireless mice,
external monitors, and ergonomic keyboards.
Bonus
tip: Improvise where possible. If you’re used to a standing
desk at work, try setting your computer on a laundry basket on top of your
table, or experiment with an ironing board or countertop. Or, if the kitchen at
your office has become a crucial energy and focus booster, try to recreate it
at home with bowls of snacks and a coffee machine.
5. Meet with your team (virtually)
Studies show that we’re more productive
when we’re working with our friends—but that can be hard to do when you’re
isolated at home. Instead, do the next best thing by scheduling regular video
meetings with your team.
It
doesn’t even have to be specifically work-related. My team has been virtually
meeting once a week for an informal coffee chat, and I always feel more
productive and focused after those visits because of the camaraderie and morale
boost. My wife’s team even sets up extended video calls while they’re working
quietly to simulate being in the same room together.
Bonus
tip: Be careful not to overdo it, though. If you’re meeting
with your team six times per day to “stay connected” you won’t have much time
left to be efficient yourself. Here is a guide on keeping an effective
meeting schedule.
6. End the day by doing something productive
Even
the most efficient, productive workers hit lulls during the day when they hit a
caffeine dip or there is a particularly engaging conversation among coworkers
in your collaboration tool. But if you focus on hitting a productivity high
note at the end of the day, you can get more work done and end
the day with a sense of accomplishment, helping you rest better and start the
next morning reinvigorated. It’s a positive cycle.
“How
you end the day is critical, as it has much to do with how you start the next
day,” says workplace expert Lynn Taylor. “They’re
like first and last impressions that hold a tremendous impact on your view of
your work, attitude, and productivity level. The end of your day sets the stage
for tomorrow, and the start of your day sets the stage for today.”
Bonus
tip: Before shutting down for the day, compile a short to-do list of
tasks you want to accomplish the following day. Getting those tasks out of your
head and down in writing will help you rest better and give you a starting
point when you sit down to work the following day.
The takeaway
Give
yourself the space and tools to succeed, allow yourself to take breaks and stay
connected with your team, and focus on starting and finishing your day strong.
If you follow these tips, you may find that you’re even more productive working
from home than you were at the “real” office.
For
more remote work tips, visit our Remote Work
Resource Center.
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