Working From Home? 5 Steps to Increase Your Productivity

Did you know that working from home can increase your staff’s productivity by more than 37% in 2020? Yet this is only doable in the right type of work environment. Working remotely requires a separate set of capabilities, including sharpened time management and autonomous working skills.

By taking advantage of the benefits telecommuting can provide, you can increase your company’s productivity and – as a result – its profitability as well.

Keep these tips in mind to increase working from home productivity in 5 easy steps:

1. Use the Pomodoro Method

The Pomodoro Method uses shorter sprints of time to help workers make the most out of every minute of their workday.

In most cases, this model follows this basic five-step structure:

1. Focus on one project.
2. Spend 25 minutes on this task.
3. Mark a piece of paper, list, or planner when 25 minutes is up
4. Take a five-minute break. This is the last step of one full Pomodoro Sprint
5. After four Pomodoro Sprints, add a few minutes to each break period.
6. Repeat this pattern until the workday is done!

This popular time-management tactic is especially effective for remote workers because it’s perfect for employees who are in charge of their own schedule.

The Pomodoro Method is also perfect for people who find it difficult to manage multiple tasks at once. Tackling a project in smaller, bite-size increments is often much less intimidating than trying to handle a long to-do list.

When you’re surrounded by all of the distractions that can be found while working from home, it can be tricky to stay focused and productive throughout the workday. Using the Pomodoro Method is an easy way to build effective work habits and stay on task as needed.

2. Prioritize Collaboration Through Communication

The number one complaint most managers and employees have against telecommuting is lack of communication. Not only can this lead to reduced morale, but it can hinder worker progress – impacting your company’s bottom line.

Using a comprehensive computer monitoring system is the best way to ensure safe, secure online communications. This will help to prevent internal and external risks through everything from emails to connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.

Since telecommuting can increase your company’s risk of data misuse, it’s important to monitor how your corporate devices are being used. Everything from the apps your staff uses to interact with each other, to the hardware that is connected to company devices can have an impact on network security.

If you want to ensure that your employees can communicate with each other seamlessly and without hiccups, data security is more important than you might think.

3. Maintain a Positive Workplace

Although everyone might not have the most ergonomic living situation, where you set up your desk everyday plays a significant role in the quality and production of your work.

Everything from lighting to noise pollution can completely transform your “home office” environment. Even adding a few houseplants and a natural-looking light source (if windows aren’t accessible) can make a huge difference in the overall look and feel of your desk space.

Most importantly, keeping your workspace tidy and organized is paramount to any telecommuter’s success. Storage boxes, filing cabinets, and wall shelving units are all great ways to organize while maximizing space. When in doubt, make sure you know where every item is at all times.

If you’re working with limited space or share the area with a roommate or partner, consider investing in a removable partition and vertical organizing bins to keep your materials out of sight and clearly catalogued.

4. Take the Best Seat in the House

There’s no shame in creating the best possible office environment with what you’re able to work with in your living space. Consider all aspects of your future desk area, and make sure you’re sitting in the best possible spot everyday.

This could be connected to optimal lighting in your house or apartment, or even proximity to noisy halls and doorways. Are there more outlets on one side of the room compared to the other? Is your desk too close/too far away from an air vent? All of these could impact your productivity if they create a distracting work environment.

Take note of where your housemates spend the majority of the day, and take high-traffic areas into consideration when you’re setting up your home office.

Play around with your actual seating, as well. After all – you spend hours each day in (more or less) the same position. It’s worth investing as much consideration as possible into your at-home workspace.

5. Get Ready for Your ‘Working From Home’ Workday

No matter what time you clock in or how high your level of interaction is with your team, sticking to a routine is always beneficial for optimizing daily productivity. Getting ready like you would to go into a physical office is a quick way to get into the working mindset.

The faster you’re able to settle into “work mode,” the more you’ll be able to get done during your schedule. Getting dressed, showering, cooking breakfast, or performing other routine tasks can help you create a regimen that will be easy to stick to.

“Getting ready” can include just about anything from an energizing cup of tea, to a few pages in a new book, to five minutes of guided meditation. Even just putting on a clean shirt and pair of jeans can go a long way in a telecommuting environment.

This is also a great way to incorporate a bit of self care into your daily routine. Throw on a face mask, toss in a bathbomb, or spend some extra time on your morning shave. These seemingly small gestures can really add up when it comes to developing beneficial habits and improving your workplace productivity organically.

Working from home is a proven way to boost worker performance across nearly every industry in 2020. Telecommuting is becoming the standard workplace environment for successful firms, especially during (and following) the pandemic.

Keep these tips in mind to make the most out of every workday as a remote employee, manager, or team. Improve your working from home productivity with a customizable computer monitoring solution that’s perfect for remote teams.