How to Stay Productive While Telecommuting

A lot of people are working from home these days—and for some, it can be a challenging adjustment. It’s not unusual for those used to working at an office to feel scattered and distracted while working from home, especially if the whole family is home as well.

One of the first things you should do when planning to work from home is to create a dedicated workspace. Ideally, this would be a room with a door—but it could be anywhere in your house, as long as it’s out of the flow of traffic.

This essentially recreates the mindset of an office—a dedicated space where you think about work, and where you leave your work when you clock out for the day. It also communicates to other people in your household that you’re at work and shouldn’t be interrupted unless it’s an emergency.

Another thing you can do to maintain focus is to recreate your work schedule. Get up at your usual time, get dressed, and stop work at the usual time as well.

Without firm boundaries about when your work day starts and stops, you might be prone to letting work bleed into personal time—answering emails at the dinner table and cramming in more work before bed, for example. This can quickly lead to burnout, which will hurt your productivity in the long run.

It’s crucial to maintain firm boundaries while you work from home, and to know when to switch off.

That said, it’s also important to take breaks throughout the day. You may have taken these breaks naturally at the office—walking to the water cooler, stopping by a friend’s cubicle for a quick chat, getting up to make coffee or go to lunch. Build those breaks into your day at home as well, even if it feels artificial at first.

Finally, you may be tempted to work in your pajamas—that’s the dream of working from home. But it’s better for your productivity if you get dressed. You don’t necessarily have to wear a suit—but at least put on jeans and a presentable shirt.

This will mean you’re ready for any last-minute Zoom calls with your boss, but it will also put you in a more productive mindset. It helps reinforce a “work mode” routine at home, which will help keep you focused. It will make your time at home feel more like work.

Working from home isn’t always easy. It can be difficult to maintain focus, especially if you’re used to going into the office every day. Recreate the office routine and set aside a special place and time to work, and you should be able to make the transition smoother.

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