How To Optimize Your Work Routine
How do you improve your work routine? Here are some tips to help.
Work Routine Optimization
The tendency to procrastinate is one of the major problems that people face when working from home, and a disruption to your regular routine can contribute to this. People are used to getting up in the morning, getting ready, and commuting to work. Once you shift to working from home, the distinction between work and home life is no longer clear.
Still, it is possible to take certain steps to optimize your work routine and create a clear divide. One of the ways to do exactly that is committing yourself to start and finish work at the same time, whenever possible. You should also make a conscious effort to properly prepare for work as if you were actually going to the office as opposed to staying in your pajamas.
If you make efforts to normalize your daily routine, it will go a long way towards getting you into the work mindset that can be critical if you plan to remain focused on your work-related tasks during the day.
Work Environment Optimization
Your work environment can play a significant role in determining how productive you are. It is why businesses often invest heavily in workplace design. Still, the same basic principles apply at home too. That’s why you need to make conscious efforts to optimize your work environment and make sure that you use the best location possible in your home.
Part of this requires you to think carefully about all possible distractions in your home. For example, you might be tempted to work in your living room or bedroom and that could actually be the best option for you. However, you should consider whether things such as games consoles, television, or other entertainment options are likely to affect your productivity.
It is also important to give some thought to noise. Where are you most likely to find peace and quiet in your house? Where can you work while avoiding interruptions? While flexibility is one of the perks of working from home, it has its own pitfalls and it may actually be better to identify the ideal place for you to work and always try to stick to it as much as you can.
Work Equipment Optimizations
You also need to think about your work equipment. While you might be able to work from home using a tablet or smartphone, chances are that a laptop or desktop will be more preferable in most instances. You may also be able to benefit from a dual-screen setup in some jobs, and you will need to ensure that you have the best software to effectively do your job.
Communication is key when it comes to optimizing productivity. In fact, according to a report that surveyed 400 corporations in the US and UK, communication barriers alone cost organizations an average of over $62 million annually in terms of lost productivity, while those that have excellent communication tend to thrive.
With that in mind, hyper fast internet, a webcam, microphone, and headphones are important, and you need to make sure that you can be reached via messaging apps, phone, as well as video conferencing software. The easier it is for business partners, co-workers, customers, and/or clients to get in touch with you, the lower the chances of communication problems affecting your productivity.
Work Behavior Optimization
Having optimized your work environment, routine, and equipment, it is also important to consider some of your habits and behaviors and whether they are actually compatible with being productive. Do you work better in silence or when listening to some music? You might prefer listening to music, but does it have a negative or positive impact on your work rate?
Do you take breaks from your work and can you optimize these further? Various studies have shown the importance of breaks when it comes to enhancing productivity, so try resisting the temptation to keep working, even when you feel up against it with regards to your workload. When you are on your break, try avoiding work-related stresses, including emails.
It can also be a good idea to reflect on any distractions typically encountered while working. For instance, you might find yourself browsing the internet and being distracted by websites that aren’t work-related. Think of ways to stop these habits, such as using the same habits as a reward system for completing work-related tasks, or just saving them for break times.
