Working from home is slowly becoming more commonplace,
especially with the inevitable rise of various video-conferencing and social
networking applications.
But working from home, while a comfortable way to get the
job done, offers a variety of challenges around productivity that working
‘on-location’—with its imposing social protocols—doesn’t present. At home, we experience a series of
conscious and unconscious cues about the kind of environment we’re in. Our home
speaks with these kinds of statements and many more: “sit down,” “get something
to eat,” “watch some t.v.,” “take a nap,” “go for a walk,” “get to the store
and buy things for dinner,” etc. The environment of our homes rarely urge us to
roll up our sleeves pound out that report that’s due, or setting up that video
conferencing call.
So how do we maximize our productivity while under the spell
of ‘home sweet home’? Here are some tips:
Dress for Success: While
getting down to business in your bathrobe may be the quintessential act of
work-from-home-freedom, it may actually impact your mindset around getting down
to serious work. Shower, groom, and dress for your day as if you would be going
to work will do wonders in getting you in the mindset of working. As well, when
dressed for work, you are much less likely to do non-work stuff around the
house, such as cleaning or giving the dog a bath.
Keep a Routine: Our
work environments are filled with routine: get into your office/cubicle, get
set at your computer, check emails, prepare reports, have meetings, chat at the
water cooler, etc. At home, there is much less of those explicit routine cues.
By beginning or following a routine, as if you were at the office, will help
get your mind focused. By settling into your routine, you are telling yourself
that you are beginning to work, and not lounging around at home. This routine
could be something fun or enjoyable, such as getting a workout in before
showering, having a healthy breakfast, brewing your own coffee instead of
rushing out to Starbucks, etc. This takes discipline, and is fundamental to
work-from-home productivity.
Allow for Breaks: A
tendency is to plug away at your work masochistically without the usual breaks
that you would take at the office. It’s important that you take the same kinds
of breaks at home that you would at work: lunch break, and in-between
coffee/stretch breaks. This will boost your productivity and help you avoid
burn-out.
Nap for Productivity
Boost: As explained in a previous post, taking a nap in the middle of the
day has been confirmed through numerous studies to be critical for boosting
mental and creative functioning. Working from home is the ideal way for you to
take the kind of quick cat-nap needed to ensure your afternoon is a
less-distracted, more productive one. If you haven’t done this before, thinking
it is an act of laziness, look at the research and give it a try. You’ll see a
notable difference in brain function and overall physical and emotional health.
Get Out for a Quick
Walk: There are a series of culturally frowned upon activities that are
actually good for productivity and creativity, such as napping and taking a
walk outside. Steve Jobs was renowned for his impromptu walks outside to have
conversations with people, talk on the phone, or recoup from a tirade. Working
at home means you are not under the scrutiny of narrow-minded people. Taking a
walk is not only good for your body, but it also gets oxygen to your brain,
which enhances your ability to think and make good decisions.
Disconnect When the
Work-Day is Over: It is easy for work to flow into your post-work time when
you’re at home: emails that come in during dinner, or the constant reminder of
the report sitting on your desk while walking from the kitchen to the family
room to watch a movie. You can ‘semi-work’ your way to burn-out very easily
when you lack discipline to truly disconnect, which, overall, harms your
productivity when you re-enter work-mode the following day or at the start of
another week. Create very clear boundaries around your work and your home time:
turn off email notifications, refuse to answer emails beyond a certain time,
and stop brainstorming ideas when you’re not on the clock. Let your mind relax,
spend time with your family and/or friends, be thankful for the ability to work
from home, and tune out of it. You’ll be much more productive the next morning
when you re-enter your work again.
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