Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned remote worker, everyone faces one challenge or another within their own four walls. Distractions lurk everywhere, switching off is often difficult, and productivity quickly turns into procrastination. Are you part of the home office team? Then learn here how to stay focused and make the most of your time working from home.
Table of contents
First, the good news: According to a Stanford University study, productivity increases by 13% when working from home . [1] So take advantage of this opportunity and feel truly satisfied at the end of your workday at home. Here's how:
1. Conditioning
Start your day in your home office no differently than you would in the office. That means getting out of your pajamas and off the couch. Your brain works through conditioning and can trigger specific reactions with the help of external stimuli .
Take advantage of this and condition yourself! Because while sweatpants and a couch signal relaxation, a tidy workspace can help you switch into work mode more quickly.
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2. Productivity instead of procrastination
Self-discipline
Whether it's doing laundry or washing dishes, working from home often tempts you to quickly run the house or complete other supposedly important tasks at the same time. You need to discipline yourself here.
How do you do this? Establish routines and start every morning by planning your day. Single-tasking is the key here: Write down all your tasks, prioritize them, and work on them one after the other . No mixing and matching! This way, you maintain your focus, stay in the flow, and will have accomplished more at the end of the day.
Hack your home office to listen to in our Talking Brains episode with remote expert Marcus Meurer from DNX:
Good organization as a key to productivity
With these tried-and-tested tools and hacks, you'll be able to tackle your daily to-do list and end the day feeling good. Let the games begin!
- Use project management software
You ensure that everyone in your team knows where they stand in a project. This increases team spirit. One example of such software is ASANA.
- Eat the Frog principle
Do the unpleasant tasks first. This will keep you highly motivated and full of energy for the rest of your day.
- Use your calendar for deep work
Plan fixed structures and regular routines into your weekly calendar. This way, you'll work consistently and stay in your flow. Nothing can stop you!
- Use your own chronotype
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? Plan your physical activities and leisure time accordingly. If you can concentrate better in the morning, get your most important tasks done then. Then in the evening, you'll have time and a clear head for your yoga session.
- Trust in yourself, your abilities and your team
The home office situation is a challenge for all of us. Believe in yourself! You have the skills to complete your tasks. You are just as strong within your team. Stick together, support one another, and believe in one another. Team spirit is needed more than ever.
- Pomomodro technique
Work more productively in intervals. Take a task, write it down, and set your alarm for 25 minutes. During these 25 minutes, work exclusively on that one task. Then take a 3-5 minute break and repeat the work interval. Reward yourself during the break with a healthy smoothie, a few burpees, or a few breaths of fresh air.
- Create your perfect environment
Working from home is no excuse for not being able to work without a perfect working environment. Build yourself a standing desk, get some noise-cancelling headphones, set up your computer with a keyboard, monitor, and mouse, and get started!
BRAINEFFECT HACK : Procrastinating unpleasant tasks is especially easy when working from home , and you'll find yourself spiraling into procrastination more quickly. Benefit from the "Eat the Frog" principle . How does it work? It's simple: Complete the most unpleasant tasks first instead of putting them off all day.
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3. Take time for breaks
Are you in the flow and blocking everything out ? That doesn't sound bad at first. However, when it's suddenly dark outside, you have n't taken any breaks , and you're feeling burned out, things change. What initially sounds like productivity can quickly change. Because you won't be able to maintain this level of performance for long. In the long run, you'll start the day less motivated , and your performance will suffer .
The solution: It's especially important now to unwind during breaks and after work . Therefore, take active breaks by taking a walk or doing a short home workout and leaving your desk.
Also, stick to your predetermined working hours and close your laptop when you're ready. While it may be tempting to postpone your day's tasks until the evening or even night, regeneration is important and involves much more than just "doing nothing . " Your nerves need breaks to effectively process and process information. You'll be able to continue working with much more energy after a break and be more productive at the end of the day than without it.
BRAINEFFECT HACK : Your diet also plays a role. If you eat chocolate or cookies as a snack during your break, you'll soon experience a sugar crash . Nuts are better as brain food, or the KICKBAR with extra vitamins B12 and B5 for more focus and less fatigue.
4. Conclusion
Working from home may be a change for you at first, but if you make the most of its advantages and create your own routines , you can boost your productivity . Self-discipline and commitment to yourself and your team are especially important – that's the only way working from home will work.
Want more tips for increased productivity in challenging times? Then listen to the second interview with Marcus Meurer.
145 | Home Office: Maximum Productivity and Serenity (Part 2/2) - Marcus Meurer from DNX
Make home office great again!
We're currently living in extremely challenging and exciting times. Millions of people around the world have been faced with a new, or perhaps even an old, challenge: working from home. Are you one of them? With the following two episodes, we'll support your productivity and guide you on the path to seeing working from home as a challenge that can only lead to growth.
5. Sources
[1] Bloom, Nicholas & Liang, James & Roberts, John & Ying, Zhichun. (2013). Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 130. 10.1093/qje/qju032.
[3] https://hbr.org/2019/08/is-it-time-to-let-employees-work-from-anywhere
