As technology and our culture evolve, the option to work remotely becomes more and more viable. Conference calls from your kitchen are becoming the norm thanks to easily available internet everywhere and remotely accessible servers. But how do you guarantee that while you’re working from home, you’re actually working? There’s a few easy ways to make sure that you’re just as productive in your living room as you are from your office.
Dress for Success
While working from home may sound like you’ll finally be able to live the dream of meeting about quarterly reports in your PJs, the opposite should really be the case. According to a study done in Human Resource Development Quarterly, getting dressed for work (even working at home) benefits productivity in a number of ways. In addition to serving as a physical difference between the “home” you and the “office” you, it also serves as a mental one. If you’re constantly working on spreadsheets in your sweatpants, you don’t have a way to remove yourself from that distinction while staying cozy.
Make a List, Check it Twice (At Least)
On the subject of remaining productive, putting together an agenda or to-do list is an easy way to relieve the stress that a task may fall through the cracks. Each morning, put together a list of what you’d like to accomplish throughout the workday to make sure you know every single thing that you need to complete. Monitoring your workload while working remotely helps give your day a sense of order, as well as gives you a sense of accountability to guarantee no deadlines are missed. As an added benefit, crossing items off of a physical list can help you feel like you’re making tangible progress in a digital environment.
Find the Balance
Sitting in a home office or on your couch working from home definitely sounds relaxing, and that’s because it is. You’re undoubtedly going to be more comfortable while you’re working from your own home, which is why it’s important to find a balance between work and relaxation. During the workday, it’s important to make sure you’re setting aside enough time to complete your tasks, you’re available for contact throughout the day, and you’re focusing on the working part of working from home. On the other side of that balance, make sure that at the end of the day, you know it’s time to unplug, cook dinner, and spend time with your family.
From throwing on a button-down shirt in the morning to understanding when it’s time to unplug at night, there’s a full day of ways to make sure you’re maximizing your productivity while working remotely. For more ways to maximize working from home, be sure to Like Lennar on Facebook.
