Whether you are planning to work from home or have already done that for the past couple of years now, learning some useful hacks always helps. Most of the time, there’s something new that allows you to gain better access to technology and make your tasks easier.
Working from home affords numerous benefits that are not limited to the chance to increase performance, zero transport costs, no traffic hassles, business continuity, great work-life balance, and more. Although you get freedom, responsibility as well.
Let’s understand different ways to achieve higher productivity and showcase better performance when working from home.
#1. Decide a Work Space
The first thing that you should start your work from home with is deciding on a workspace where you can set up your computer desk and other accessories. This can be an empty corner in your house with minimal access to others. No matter how big or small the space is, make it a habit to work from there every day. If the workspace is silent, you will be able to focus more on your work.
#2. Invest in Latest Technology
When you start something new, you need to make some investment, even if it’s a little one. Technology is the heart of work from home setup as it plays a vital role in making you more productive and improving your performance. Buying the latest laptop, tablet, headphones, WiFi connection, laptop stand, or external drive will add reliability while ensuring that you can continue to work for longer without having to deal with any disturbances.
#3. Schedule Your Work Hours
Once you are done with setting up your home office equipped with one of the best workspace accessories, the next thing is to decide your work hours. If you have fixed working hours, that’s okay as you have to work accordingly. In case you are working as a freelancer, independent contractor, or something similar, you should concentrate on having a fixed routine so that you can log in and log out in a set pattern.
#4. Maintain Healthy Work Schedule
Working from the home schedule can give you the freedom you want, but it can invade your personal life too. When you stay around your work desk, your work commitments start crawling your home life. If you have to meet some tight deadlines, stretching your work hours or working weekends is okay, but make sure it won’t continue for long as it will affect your home life and productivity too.
#5. Optimize Your Devices for Work
Cleaning your computer, smartphone, tablets, and all other devices that you use to deal with your day-to-day work tasks is important. Make sure to delete every single bit of redundant data, unused apps, and other unnecessary data to optimize your device for better performance. Remove all the junk, cache, duplicate files from the other storage tab to free up space for important files on the hard drive. It also helps keep your computer up and running.
#6. Get Faster Internet Speed
FaceTime, Xbox gaming, TikTok, video streaming habits of kids and other housemates will slow down your browsing, which can directly affect your work productivity. Don’t let anything slow your internet connection, particularly when you are working from home. You can choose to move the router as close as possible to your word desk for uninterrupted connectivity and faster downloads. You may also switch to Ethernet or can upgrade your plan for faster speed.
#7. Download Productivity Apps
If you are still looking for possible ways to potentially supercharge your productivity, apps are all you need to achieve the target. A productivity app can help you perform your day-to-day tasks faster and efficiently. From email management to note-taking to time tracking, to setting up alerts and reminders, simplify all your routine tasks by installing productivity apps. You can even manage your to-do list by using a task manager. Although there is an app for everything, you should not depend on them completely.
#8. Minimize Social Media Distractions
If you are too active on social media channels, you will get regular notifications every now and then. We all know that social media platforms are a great Source of distractions that keep your focus away from work. Sometimes, juggling between your computer and phone can result in the occurrence of severe errors that are difficult to fix later, particularly when you are involved in intense tasks such as programming. So keep that as minimal as possible.
#9. Set the Alarm for Regular Breaks
When you are working remotely, there’s no set schedule for breaks. So, similar to completing your work tasks on time, you are also responsible for taking good care of your health. Spending too much time on your work chair can result in neck aches or may stress your eyes. Therefore, it is recommended that you must take time off your desk to have your meals or exercise. You are liable for your work commitments, and that’s okay, but your health is your asset, and you must take care of it.
