1Create a routine
Whilst it may seem tempting to work in your PJs all day, getting dressed each day will psychologically prepare you for the work ahead of you. Make sure you start and finish on time and take regular breaks in between. Even something small like tidying your papers away and switching off your computer at the end of the day will ensure your brain knows the working day has finished. Whilst that might seem obvious, all too often not having a routine for your workdays can lead you to be less productive without you even realizing it, as work and home merges into one.2Create a dedicated workspace
Usually, rooms in a house provide us with a sense of purpose and an unwritten expectation for their use. Without a dedicated work area, it can leave you feeling a little confused and decidedly distracted with no clear differentiator between what is work and what is home. Having that workspace enables you to focus on your work activities and create a separate space away from others who may also be working from your home. More importantly, by having the right tools and equipment to complete your tasks and activities, will help you maintain your own health and wellbeing. It will also enable you to communicate regularly with your manager and other team members, meaning you will feel less isolated. Forbes has a few additional tips for effectively working from home that you may even have not considered – like whether your broadband is up to the job or if you have adequate insurance.3Set goals
Set yourself goals that you wish to achieve each week – whether you use a handwritten to-do list, or something more digital. Then consider splitting those weekly goals into daily tasks and activities. Working from home enables you to probably have more flexibility than what you are used to working in an office and so you may start to avoid completing certain assignments. By setting those goals and revisiting them daily will help you remain on track and could be the one thing that stops you having a wasted day. If sticking to goals is not your strong point, you may want to share them with your manager – that way it will help you stay accountable for achieving them.4Create a wellness routine
Start the day strong with a healthy breakfast and ensure you schedule in free time during the day to take a break, get up, stretch and move around. Wherever possible, try to go outside, even if only for 5 minutes and remember to keep yourself hydrated – drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day. All too often it is tempting to continue working and suddenly you find that you have skipped lunch or have not moved away from your desk for hours.5Use a productivity app
By using a time tracker app like IMONIT, it will ensure you remain organized and productive in real time. You can schedule your tasks ahead of time or reprioritize them throughout the day. It will enable you to see how long you spend on each item – meaning you can manage your time, and that of your team’s, much more effectively. You can also reschedule tasks and activities to other team members, enabling you to remain at peak productivity. Through effective monitoring of task completion, you may remain more focused on completing each task and start to identify your own working patterns. Regardless of how you structure your day, the key skill to managing your time effectively at home is by creating good habits that enable you to achieve valuable results.
