Staying productive is often much easier said than done. It is so much easier to convince yourself why you should not do something than why you should.
Productivity is key to success not only in your professional life, but in your personal life as well. Looking for some ways to ensure your productivity remains high? Look no further.
Keep a Set Schedule
Working from home has become more common in the last year than ever before. According to a survey from Gallup, as of September 2020, 46% of U.S. businesses reported having all or nearly all employees working from home. For many, this was a major shift not only physically, but also mentally.
Being home during the work week can bring many distractions that you wouldn’t have in the office. One of these challenges is the absence of a set schedule. It’s easy to find yourself working on tons of non-work-related projects during the day.
Having a set schedule can help you focus throughout the workday and will ultimately produce more consistent results. Just like you would in the office, have a set time to start, and more importantly, have a set time to end your workday. It’s also important to take time every day for a lunch break, and don’t work through it!
Give yourself time at the end of your day to focus on all the non-work-related items on your to-do list. Having a separation between your work life and home life is still as important as ever.
Define Your Space
Whether you are working from home or not, making sure to define boundaries for your work area is important. Having a set place to work can help you stay focused when you need to be and leaving that space can help you remember to take time off.
This is simple to do if you work in an office, but it can be more difficult when working from home. If you spend a lot of time in your workspace after work hours, you may end up working yourself well past your limit. You need to take time for self-care, and that can be as simple as removing yourself from your workspace.
Stop Multitasking
It is easy to convince yourself that you can multitask, but the truth is that most of us cannot. Splitting up our attention among multiple tasks causes us to devote less focus and time per task. According to the American Psychological Association, we have greater cognitive functions when focusing on one thing at a time. Next time you are trying to write something down while talking to someone on the phone, take notice of how much attention you are giving to each task.
Instead of trying to master the art of multitasking, it is more beneficial and productive to become a master of “single-tasking.” One huge way to eliminate multitasking is to get your phone out of the picture for a few moments. Apps like Forest can help you lock your phone for a set amount of time so that you can get uninterrupted work completed while making it fun and rewarding. You can download Forest here.
Get Organized
Being organized in your work can be manifested in several different ways. One way could be to have an organized agenda for the day. Create a list of tasks that need to be done at the start of the day, and then you can see the finish line. This can help you stay motivated to keep working, even if the goalposts were set by you. Keeping a planner near your workspace is a great way to accomplish this.
Another way to keep yourself organized is to literally organize your workspace. Keeping this area clean and tidy can cause you to be less distracted during the workday (including your computer desktop!). If you know where everything is, you will not waste time looking for those items. Your work area is a reflection of yourself, and if it is clean and tidy, it will help reflect on your work as well. Take a day and really organize your area so that when it is time to focus on the work, you can devote your full attention to the task at hand.
How do you stay productive during the workday?
