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It is necessary not only to dress correctly, but also to finish work at the right time.
Today, managing your work time effectively is more difficult than ever. With the transition to remote work, many have lost the built-in benchmarks of office life that govern productivity. This means we need new strategies if we are to be more productive when working from home. A major new global remote work study by Paper Giant for Atlassian found that 40% of respondents believe that working from home results in significantly longer working hours.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When you’re away from the office, there are a number of tricks and tricks you can use to increase your productivity—get things done without ruining your health or disrupting your work-life balance.
We’ve rounded up a few science-based and expert-approved productivity principles.
1. Keep your desk organized
According to a study by Paper Giant, 49% of employees believe they need to improve their workspace in order to continue working from home. At the same time, more than a third (34%) said that their workplace is less comfortable than in the office. Decision? Stop shuffling stacks of papers back and forth and clean up your desk.
A recent publication in the Journal of Neuroscience proves that clutter limits the brain’s ability to process information correctly. So, if you want to get things done more efficiently, it’s time to get organized.
First, try to “zone” your home office by creating separate spaces for reference and supplies, long-term projects. Then clear everything off the table and bring back only what is needed for everyday use.
Finally, add vibrant colors wherever you can, from a picture on the wall to a splash screen or even a mug. Color has a big effect on mood, with greens and blues having been shown to increase productivity. So arrange for yourself a view of the ocean or a leafy plant. (In addition to being green, plants have additional productivity benefits, according to a Washington State University study.)
2. Only do one task at a time
The brutal truth is that very, very few of us can effectively multitask at the same time. They, according to Professor David Strayer of the University of Utah, are only 2% of the population. The problem is that by jumping from one task to another, in fact, we do not do more. Instead, we force the brain to constantly shift gears, performing tasks more erratically and burning out internal gearboxes. There is only one solution – to defeat the monster of multitasking and adopt monotasking.
3. Plan your day the night before
According to a study by Paper Giant, 44% of employees consider the ability to motivate themselves to be extremely important. One of the best ways to do this is to make a to-do list, and it’s best to do it the night before. Spend the last 10 minutes of your day, while you’re still at work, assessing what you really need to do tomorrow. This task can take twice as long if you tackle it first thing in the morning. The key point is that the to-do list should be short so as not to seem excessive. According to Niam Graham, Head of Global Human Resources at Workhuman, the best approach for this is a matrix of urgent and important cases. The matrix will help you sort your tasks into four quadrants according to their urgency and importance. You can then jump right into the “urgent and important” tasks and schedule, delegate, or eliminate others.
4. Make a not-to-do list
You’ve made your to-do list, but to be truly productive, you’ll also need the reverse—a list of things you don’t need to do. It should be a permanent addition to your workspace. Put in anything that wastes your time and gets in the way of your daily goals, from checking social media to watching cat videos to going to the kitchen to do the dishes.
Without a boss who can check in at any time what you are doing, even the most disciplined workers are tempted to waste time. Creating an anti-list reminds you of what you should avoid, and actually blocking access to certain websites during business hours helps even more. To make this easier, check out apps like RescueTime, LeechBlock, or SelfControl. They block access to selected websites during certain periods of time.
