The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted daily life, including how we work. Studies show that 20% of American workers who had jobs in January 2020 were working from home in August, according to the Boston Globe. Much of the workforce has been motivated that telecommuting during the coronavirus pandemic will boost personal productivity.  Is it a thing?

It’s often argued that remote work is a real litmus test for work productivity. However, the real key to work-at-home productivity doesn’t seem to be based strictly on factors like motivation to work from home or output-based paychecks. I’ve found that it seems to be based more on following some basic tips and tricks to make your work more efficient. 

Tip #1: Set Work-at-Home Hours 

One of the possible mistakes of working remotely is having the notion that you have all day to work. Setting work hours can help to leverage the time you save by telecommuting. 

Work and Breaks

Make sure to set break times for the day, whether it’s lunchtime or morning and afternoon breaks. Besides setting breaks, you should also set their duration. 

One high-productivity option is to have mini shifts of:

• 3 hours
• 3 hours
• 2 hours

Then take 15-minute breaks between each mini shift.  

You should also consider the 20-20-20 rule to prevent eye strain when using PC or tablet displays. 

Tip #2: Stay out of the Living Room

One of the keys to work productivity when home-based is to avoid distractions. Well, there are lots of possible ones in the living room. 

The Distraction Room 

There are actually several sources of living room distractions. This includes TV, video streaming boxes, and gaming consoles. Avoid the living room during work time, let alone setting up your workstation there. 

Another major distraction source is the living room is the home’s hangout hub. It will be impossible to get much work done when you’re surrounded by sounds from TV, games, and talk. 

Tip #3: Change out of Sleepwear into Workwear 

One mistake that many work-at-home newbies make is not separating their work and home life. This includes not only your environment but also your schedule. 

Dress for Work 

You obviously don’t have to dress up in office wear, but you should still change out of sleepwear. Sure, you can be in your comfort zone, but wearing pajamas or sweatpants can make it tougher to get into work mode.  Changing into work clothes can also change your mindset, so you’re more focused and productive.  

Tip #4 Get a Full Night’s Sleep

A virtual office and high productivity can help to make this easier due to the time saved. It’s important to get a full 7 to 9 hours of sleep to maximize productivity and efficiency.

Sleep Hygiene

This includes maintaining a sleep schedule and steps like: 

• Light snack
• Glass of water
• Light exercise
• Brushing teeth 
• Meditation/Yoga

It’s also important to create a sleep-friendly environment:

• Stop looking at PC/mobile device screens at least one hour before bedtime.
• Minimize light and noise in your bedroom
• Find a mattress for a good night’s sleep 
• Sleep on your back and elevate your head 
• Use sleep aids like earplugs and eye masks
• Keep bedroom temperature slightly cool at 65°F (18 °C)

Tip #5: Create a Workspace, Then Declutter

Your workspace doesn’t need a gold-plated executive desk and supercomputer. You should still have a dedicated workspace for doing home-based work. 

Workspace Hygiene 

It’s also important to keep your workspace as neat and tidy for better organization and quick thinking. Remove all items around the workstation that are non-work related. This will help to remove most distractions that can lower productivity. 

You can take a similar approach to your desktop or laptop. For example, bookmark and organize important website links, and sort read email into folders,  

Tip #6 Minimize Bed-to-Work Time in the Morning

If you’re not careful, it can take hours until you hunker down and start completing work tasks. There’s a better way! Start working within an hour or so after getting out of bed. 

Pre-Work Schedule 

There’s nothing wrong with having a pre-work morning schedule, and it can actually help you get into work mode. This can include:

• Showering
• Breakfast 
• Exercise
• Meditation
• Checking email/social media

However, when you minimize your bed-to-desk time it can make your day more productive. If you check email and social media, try to limit it to the start and end of your workday. 

Tip #7: Create, Share, and Enforce a Schedule 

When you’re at home, you’re physically and virtually closer to friends and family. This can actually be a main cause of interruptions. 

Schedule Sharing 

It’s important to have a home office schedule from the get-go. Then make sure to share it with family and friends. They should only interrupt you during work hours when it’s an emergency. 

Give some visual cues when needed. For example, shut the door when work needs more focus. Keep it open when doing less important tasks. 

An irony is you’ll need to remind people that when you’re working from home, you’re actually still working.  Some friendly reminders can help.

Tip #8: Make a Daily/Weekly to-Do List 

Even if you’re working at home every day, it’s important to stay focused on completing top priorities. 

First Things First

The top of the list should include two or three items that you want to focus on during your workday. Try to finish them before lunchtime since that’s when people’s energy levels start dropping until 3:00 or so, based on their internal clocks. 

It’s also helpful to have a weekly to-do list. This can help you stay on track to meet your weekly and monthly goals to increase productivity. 

Tip #9 Reserve Enough Family and Me-Time

Make sure to set aside time slots for quality time with your family and me-time. Some good times for me-time include in the morning when you wake up and in the evening as you wind-down.

You should also set aside family time. Include at least one activity on your daily to-do list. If your target end-of-work time is 5:00 PM, this can also free up more time for family activities. 

Tip #10: Use Quality Tech

Did you know this fun fact? In 1974 MITS produced the first personal computer using an Intel microprocessor, according to Britannica. 

When working from home, your productivity can be greatly decreased if you’re using an old computer or have a slow Internet connection. 

Adequate Tech

When working from home, what’s most important is to have computer and web equipment that’s adequate for the type of work you’re doing including: 

• Motherboard
• Memory
• RAM memory 
• Audio card
• Operating System 

For example, you’ll need a more powerful computer for 3D software than MS Word. 

The same goes for web connectivity. Fiber Internet is ideal for video streaming, while broadband is fine for basic web browsing. 

Tip #11; Create a Productivity System 

Workplace Structure  

While telecommuting can create a more relaxed environment, it can also reduce structure. This can result in wasted time and lower productivity.

There are lots of productivity systems to pick from. Keep trying one out until you find a system that works for you. Consider the time, effort, and money spent as an investment in work productivity. 

Conclusion 

I hope these tips can help to make you more productive when working remotely. Whether or not you worked at a virtual office before the COVID-19 pandemic, you can take steps to boost productivity and leverage the time saved from telecommuting. Even if you return to a physical office after the pandemic ends, you can use these tips to work smarter and have more me-time. Live your life!  

Brett is a writer at ID-Mag. An enthusiast and expert when it comes to sleep products, Brett dedicates a lot of his time reading, researching, and reviewing both traditional and emerging sleep brands that manufacture varied types of sleep products – from eco-mattresses, smart pillows to cooling sleep systems, Brett has probably reviewed them all. Brett also finds sleep especially important since he juggles a small business which he runs from home, makes sure he spends time with his daughter and he also writes during his spare time – you can definitely see that he needs a great forty winks all night, every night so he’ll make sure that you get great sleep, too!