Surveys show that approximately 5 million Americans work from home at least half-time. But without a traditional workspace, staying productive can be a real challenge. How do you stay focused when you’re working remotely?
Here are a few simple tips to help you keep momentum no matter what location you’re working from.
Separate Your Work Space
Whether it’s a separate room or a small corner desk, creating a space solely for work is crucial for productivity.
Having a distinct workspace helps you to set boundaries between your career and your home life. When you sit down at your desk, don’t let chores or errands distract you from the task at hand. And when you leave that space, you can clock out and leave behind your worries from work.
Set Timers During Breaks
The most efficient work comes out of a state of true rest. But when you start to get relaxed, it can be hard to get back to doing the work you were supposed to do. How do you limit yourself so that you don’t overdo it during breaks?
Setting a timer is an easy solution to help you rest well and stay productive! Try limiting yourself to 15-minute breaks between important projects. This helps you to take a breather without losing your momentum.
Schedule Social Time
The level of independence required to successfully work remotely can be challenging for most people. That’s why it’s so important to set aside some time to socialize with friends and loved ones throughout your day. It’s crucial to your productivity and mental health!
Experts claim that socializing during work hours helps to change your attitude about the stressors you face in your job. A positive disposition helps you to maintain the motivation you need to complete your work.
Turn of Your Phone
When you’re working from home, it’s easy to get distracted by the flood of notifications you get throughout the day. News updates, calls, emails- sometimes it seems like it’s neverending!
In order to make sure you stay on task while you’re in work mode, try putting your phone on airplane mode or even shutting it off completely. This will help minimize unnecessary distractions so that you can maintain focus on time-sensitive tasks and high priority work projects.
