Working from home has excellent opportunities for both productivity and distraction. When you’re at your best, you can zip through work and wonder where the hours went. However, whenever you get distracted, working from home can become detrimental to your quality and quantity of work. No matter where you work remotely, here are a few easy time management tips to help you make the most of your workday.
Have a schedule
If you’re working at home with a partner, collaborate on a schedule each day or at the start of the week to determine who will be working where and when, and who will be in charge of any childcare or house duties. Writing it down makes it easier to follow, whether it’s on a shared calendar app (such as Google Calendar or TimeTree) or even written on a piece of paper hanging on the refrigerator. You also might consider using an approach called “windowed work,” if your job and company allow for it. In contrast to a 9-to-5 schedule, you schedule blocks of time throughout the day for business and personal activities.
Designate a work space
Designating a workspace can help you separate household tasks from work ones. This can help you avoid distractions that may come with working in the living room or dining room. It also encourages your mind to think about work when you’re in the space designated for work. Designating a workspace also tells your brain when it’s time to disconnect from work. Avoid working from your bed or other personal space because this will also affect your work life balance in a negative manner and lower your productivity.
Don’t multitask or engage in personal tasks
You may think multitasking saves you time, but your brain takes at least 15 minutes to refocus whenever you switch tasks. As you multitask on two or more things, your mind has to shift focus continuously, and it can hurt your productivity. Try focusing on one task at a time and switch focus only when you finish. You’ll be less distracted, and you may even complete tasks quicker than if you tried to do them all at once. Also, engaging in personal tasks is one of the biggest downfalls of working at home. It may seem quick to wash a couple of dishes, but then you’re also putting in a load of laundry, paying bills and taking out the dog. You wouldn’t do those things in an office, so you need to treat working from home the same way. If you notice personal tasks while you’re working, write them down next to your work station and start on them as soon as you’re done for the day.
Try out these methods when you are working from home. They will help you get better results and will definitely increase your level of satisfaction as well.