The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on how most firms operate, forcing many to migrate to remote working.
Because most businesses did not operate remotely previous to the pandemic, it’s understandable that many firms and their employees are finding it difficult to be productive while working away from the workplace. This is especially true for startups, who have fewer resources to devote to remote work adaptation than major corporations do.
We’ll go over six techniques you can use right now to ensure your startup is productive while working from home in this blog post.
1. Create a dedicated workspace
Creating a dedicated workplace for yourself is one of the best methods to ensure that you stay productive while working from home. Having a dedicated workstation will assist you in getting into work mode and staying concentrated for lengthy periods of time.
When choosing a location for your new workstation, try to select a calm room within your home, preferably with a window nearby. This might be a spare room or a section of your living room or bedroom dedicated to this purpose.
Once you’ve found the perfect location for your workstation, make sure it’s fully stocked with everything you’ll need to get to work and stay productive. Because you’ll be spending a substantial portion of your day there, you should make your workspace as pleasant as possible. You can find all you need for your workspace here
2. Try to maintain regular work hours
People who switch to working from home frequently work more hours than they did in the office. Some people do this to show their boss that they aren’t slackers. Others simply find it more difficult to keep their job and personal life separate.
Remember that just because you have a flexible schedule now doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set and strive to stick to normal working hours in the future. This will assist you to avoid working all day and having no time for yourself. It will also assist you in ensuring that you are only focused on work-related duties during working hours. Finally, it will help you become more productive and achieve a better work-life balance. We know startups require time and often more than 8 hours a day, but if you manage to stay productive without distractions regular hours will be enough.
To get the most out of your time at work, aim to schedule it during the time of day when you’re most productive. Once you’ve established your working hours, ensure everyone is aware of them. Your family, friends, and coworkers all fall into this category.
You’ll ensure that your family and friends won’t bother you while you’re working this way. Your employees will be aware of when you’re available and when they shouldn’t try to contact you.
3. Reduce distractions
One of the major difficulties for remote workers who wish to stay productive when working away from the office is getting distracted. If you work from home, you are undoubtedly constantly sidetracked by family members. If you have little children, this is especially true. Distractions will inevitably arise also for individuals who live alone; home tasks, video games, Netflix and simple things like taking a nap after lunch.
If you want to stay productive when working from home, you should also make certain that your workspace is devoid of any items that could cause you to become distracted (e.g., your smartphone or tablet).
4. Prepare for the day
The greatest approach to ensure that you stay productive while working from home is to plan beforehand. You should have a workday plan in place, with specific tasks to complete and objectives to achieve. You can use a variety of techniques and frameworks including:
- Getting Things Done (GTD)
- The Eisenhower Matrix
- Time blocking
It doesn’t really matter which of them you use in the end. What matters is that you plan and write down what you need to do each day. Writing down all of your daily duties and goals will not only help you stay productive but will also ensure that you do not forget anything.
Checking off things as you finish them will also offer you a sense of success, which will help you stay motivated to complete all of the chores you set out for the day.
5. Take regular breaks
When working remotely, taking regular breaks is critical for staying productive and preventing burnout. Schedule a break every hour and use it to move away from your desk if you know you can only stay concentrated for approximately an hour before zoning out. You can get a snack, take a walk, or read a few pages of a book if it will help you be more productive.
Alternatively, you can use the Pomodoro approach, which involves working in 25-minute intervals with 5-minute rests in between.
Above all, remember to take time to relax during your breaks. Making the mistake of attempting to complete household duties during your breaks; you will simply exhaust yourself.
6. Stay healthy
If you’re not feeling well, you can’t be productive. When people first start working remotely, it’s highly usual for them to overlook their health. They spend all of their working and leisure time sitting or lying down, and they develop the habit of ordering takeout rather than preparing their own meals.
Many people are currently isolating themselves and not having any social interactions as a result of social distancing directives in effect. Exercise regularly, consume a nutritious diet and schedule social encounters — even if they are virtual — to battle these concerns.
If you are healthy, it will reflect on your startup and your business will be healthy as well.
7. Exercise regularly
When you spend most of your workweek sitting down, it’s critical that you get some type of physical activity on a regular basis.
Don’t let the fact that you can’t get to the gym during lockdown stop you from getting a solid workout. You can try yoga, go for a run, or locate a workout regimen on YouTube and follow it at home. It doesn’t matter which form of exercise you undertake as long as you do it on a regular basis.
8. Nutrition
While working from home, it’s easy to fall into the habit of ordering takeout all of the time. While there are a few healthy takeaway options available, the majority of takeout meals is rich in calories and fat, this is what we call empty calories. Eating this type of food on a regular basis will not only make you gain weight, but it will also make you feel lethargic. As a result, your productivity will suffer as a result and so your startup business.
When working from home, it’s critical to maintain a nutritious diet. You should try to prepare a day’s worth of meals the night before if you organise yourself properly. This will ensure that you can eat healthy during the workday and won’t have to rely on takeout or chocolate bars to get by. Also, look for the healthiest take out options around you, maybe you can find the perfect match for your needs.
9. Schedule social interactions
When you work from home, your mental health is especially vulnerable. People who work from home tend to have less social contact and even isolate themselves due to the nature of remote employment. Obesity, cardiovascular problems, depression, anxiety, as well as an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline, have all been related to this.
Remember to organize social connections the same way you schedule time for work-related tasks to avoid being utterly isolated. You’ll almost certainly need to maintain these online if you have social distancing orders in place. But it shouldn’t be an issue.
Thanks to technological advancements, there are numerous methods to engage with others remotely. For example, you can use Zoom to communicate with coworkers on non-work related topics or Skype to meet up with pals for a virtual coffee.
10. Stay productive during the COVID-19 pandemic
While remaining productive in the midst of a pandemic is more difficult than usual, it is not impossible. The trick is to set aside a separate workstation for yourself, stick to a regular work schedule, and eliminate as many distractions as possible.
You should also make an effort to prepare for each workday by making a list of things to do and objectives to achieve.
In addition, make an effort to take regular breaks, exercise on a regular basis, eat a good diet, and maintain contact with family, friends, and coworkers.