Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had to start working remotely – and unfortunately, not everyone liked it. Your workday just isn’t the same: inability to stay in touch with your colleagues, sitting in the same room all the time, and, of course, those constant distractions. Children, parents, long and lazy lunch breaks – all of these just don’t allow you to focus on the tasks.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Yes, your surroundings significantly impact your productivity; however, you can change the way you act. Believe us – even changing from pajamas to a suit can make a difference, though mentoring apps such as MentorcliQ have been gaining popularity as well. Want to learn more about staying productive when working remotely? Here are 10 tips that can help you with that.
Get Up From Your Bed
Sleeping and working remotely have a lot in common: from the lack of motivation to the inability to concentrate. Thus, if you want to start your day with a bang, consider getting up from your bed/couch. Sit next to a desk – it will be easier for you to work. And apart from that, it will be also easy for you to take a break and go down for a snack.
Get Off Social Networks and Messengers
Social media platforms are terrible sources of distractions while working remotely because they force your brain to check for notifications, open new tabs, and read messages… And there are no limits to it. So, if social networks and messengers distract you while working remotely, turn off their notifications. You could also install an application that blocks them and all the distractions.
Eliminate All Distractions in One Place
If your workplace is full of distractions, there’s a way to eliminate all of them in one place: use an internet blocker. It’s a cool software that blocks websites of your choice based on the time of the day or when you’re using the computer. It prevents you from surfing the internet without any limit, so you won’t get distracted by Facebook, Twitter, news sites, etc.
Meet Deadlines Every Day
Deadlines are the best motivators for working remotely. Deadlines help you stay focused and prevent you from distractions. Sadly, some people tend to ignore deadlines when working remotely – for example, they might say ‘I’ll finish everything when I get back to work’ or ‘I don’t need to meet deadlines because I don’t have anybody to report to’. But it’s wrong: people who ignore deadlines aren’t reliable employees, and employers don’t need such people. Instead of putting it off until later, meet deadlines every day!
Stick to Strict Schedules
To improve your productivity while working remotely, consider sticking to strict schedules and organizing your days in advance. Writing down what you are going to do for the next day allows you to set your priorities and helps you focus on the task at hand. And if you follow your schedule, everything will be fine!
Don’t Put Off Tasks Until Later
If you don’t meet deadlines and allow yourself to put off tasks until later, you will never be productive while working remotely. If you don’t schedule your tasks, they will pile on top of each other – and then you will get stressed out because of it. To avoid this, write down what you are going to do for the next day and stick to the schedule!
Stay Offline Outside of Work Hours
When working remotely, your life revolves around the internet – but it doesn’t have to be like that when you get off. You can stay offline outside of work hours if you want to be more productive. What can you do offline? Read a book or play a board game with friends – anything that involves communication and/or interaction with other people! Communication is very important when working remotely; hence, if you want to increase your productivity while working remotely, don’t overuse the same tool you’re using for work during your off hours.
Relax Before Going to Sleep at Night
Getting distracted by thoughts and worries will destroy your night sleep – and there goes your next day productivity! So if you want to get a good sleep before going back to work tomorrow, try to relax before going to sleep at night – play a game with a colleague or read something funny/interesting on the Internet (not work-related!). These activities can help you relax before going to sleep at night!
Use Headphones While Working Remotely
Working remotely in silence is one of the best ways to get rid of distractions: it makes you stay focused on the task at hand, and it helps to eliminate unnecessary distractions in the long run (for example, one can easily concentrate on work when listening to favorite music). We recommend using headphones while working remotely because they allow you to listen to music or podcasts without disturbing other people!
Stick to a Schedule
You should follow a schedule while working remotely – not only to stay focused on the task at hand and get a good night sleep, but also to be more productive in general. It’s because scheduling your tasks allows you to prioritize them and get things done without any additional effort. It’s like planning dinner: if you have everything ready, you can spend less time cooking, eating, and cleaning up – and spend time with your friends and family instead!
Conclusion
Though when faced with the reality of remote work, most people were extremely happy at first, it turned out that it might not be one-sidedly good idea. A limited amount of time spent with our friends, no one to talk to during your lunch breaks, or the endless monotony – all of these have made it more difficult for us to stay focused.
However, it doesn’t mean that there is no way to combat this state of affairs. That’s why we have prepared this article, to help you find the inner strength so that you might find a way to focus, even in those trying times.