How To Stay Productive When Working From Home
Working from home doesn’t have to mean less productivity; there are so many tools you can use and techniques you can try to continue doing your job from the comfort of your sofa.
File sharing.
Sharing files digitally has never been easier, with sites like WeTransfer and Dropbox.
Check out some of the best apps for sharing files here.
Meanwhile, tools like Office 365 and G-Suite offer file sharing, alongside a whole bunch of other useful tools.
If your team doesn’t already use a productivity suite like Office 365 or G-Suite, now is the best time to invest.
Here are some resources if you’re new to Office 365:
- 5 Ways To Boost Productivity in Office365
- Maximise Your Team’s Productivity in Office365
- Office365Vs G Suite – Which Is Better For Your Business?
- 5 Ways OneNote Makes Meetings More Manageable
Stay connected.
Office 365 users can access Microsoft Teams, which doubles up as a hub where your team can instant message each other, host video and voice calls, and discuss specific topics in groups and topics.
Slack is another popular choice for businesses – you can split conversations into channel topics, which is perfect if you have teams working on separate projects.
Video calls are an increasingly common way of connecting with people: Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Skype and Zoom all offer a professional way to host virtual meetings and webinars from your home office.
Get ready for the day.
PJs are comfy and we bet you’ve dreamed of being able to work in them for years before COVID-19 happened.
However, having a good morning routine that includes getting dressed for the day is essential for getting your mind in the right zone for work.
Think of it as your morning commute, grab some breakfast, maybe do some exercise and prepare for your working day.
If you don’t want to ditch your loungewear, simply designate some of your comfies as working-from-home clothes.
Plan, plan and plan some more.
Planning out your days, weeks and months in advance is crucial, but even more important when you work from home.
Project management tools, such as Asana and Trello allow you to plan tasks for yourself and the rest of the team, letting everyone know what they need to be doing from the get-go.
Trello also integrates with Slack, so staying up-to-date while outside of the office is a breeze.
Here are some of the best tools for managing remote teams.
Schedule regular breaks and working hours.
It can be easy to let things slide and lose track of time when you’re not dividing your day up into work and playtime.
Make sure you carve out time for regular breaks and do something to actively take a break, too; call someone, do some light stretches, make a brew or even do some house chores.
This helps you to break up your day and reduces the chance of you spending hours hunched over your screen.
Look after your mental health.
We’re currently living in uncertain times and it’s okay to be feeling the way you’re feeling.
Consider taking steps for self-care. This could be taking up a new hobby, making time for yourself and your family or taking your mind off things with a good book. It’s different for everyone.
If your team has made the switch to work from home, please check in on them every now and again. Open up conversations, stay social and connected.