It’s highly likely that at some stage during your life, you will find yourself working from home. Whether it’s studying for school exams, an online university lecture, working from home on a sick day … or Coronavirus! If (or when) you find yourself there, we have gathered some ‘top tips’ to help you be your most effective!
1. Schedule Your Day: At the start of your day, or the period of time that you will be working from home, we suggest that you create a ‘game plan’. This may include:
- Writing a to-do list
- Setting time slots throughout the day for work/breaks
- Finding (or clearing) a space to work in
These can all be helpful tools to give yourself some motivation for the day, set some clear objectives for your workload, and help you stick to a time schedule. It is also a great way at the end of the day to look back over the progress you have made!
2. Remove Distractions: Let’s face it. There will be MANY things at home that will fight for your attention whilst you are trying to work. Whether it’s Netflix, the pantry, your cat, your iPhone, or that load of washing you’ve been meaning to do (!) Whatever it may be, it’s best to minimise as many of these distractions as possible. We suggest setting up a space that is away from these things, so that you can easily close the door and focus. (Yes… that means put your cat outside!)
3. Take regular breaks: To ensure that you stay switched on and productive, we’d suggest taking a few small breaks throughout your working period (*emphasis on short!) This might look like walking out into the backyard for some fresh air, making yourself a tea or responding to a text message. If you are likely to get distracted during a break time, why not set an alarm on your phone to remind you to get back to work!
4. Coffee: This tip needs no explanation!
5. Connection: Working from home can sometimes feel isolating and lonely. If you can, we suggest connecting in with a work colleague or fellow student who is engaging in the same work as you. This can be really helpful to share information or get feedback. It might also help to keep you on track with your workload and stay motivated. It can also be a good idea to share your to-do list with someone else, so that when you achieve things you can celebrate the success together.
6. Do Not Disturb: One of the best things to do while working from home, is to turn your phone onto ‘do not disturb’. This will help to stop you getting distracted by any unimportant social media notifications or text messages. It’s okay to check these afterwards, but we suggest switching off to help you be more productive! If you live at home with other people, it might be a good idea to put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on your door to remind people that you are working. You can take this down when you have finished, or if you’re on a break.
7. Reward Yourself: A great way to finish your work-from-home session is to treat yourself with a little reward. This will look different for each person, but some of our suggestions include:
- Doing something you enjoy, such as a walk or watching a movie
- Meeting up with a friend
- Edible rewards are always good 🙂
Do you have some tips on how to stay on track and be more productive while working from home?
Jessica Begg
Jess did her DTS with us in 2019, and now runs her own small business in Sydney. Jess has a background in visual design and marketing and is passionate about using her creative gifts to share life and beauty with the world 🌎
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