10   Must-Have’s To Increase Productivity While Working from Home

1. Have Separate Workspace:

It’s the first thing you need to have to work better and stay productive from a home working environment.

2. Create ‘Good-Vibe’ Workplace:

Fill your workspace with pleasant things, happy memories, inspiring quotes, etc. for little motivation.

Your workspace at home should make you feel productive. Working in a cluttered, messy workspace in the morning is not a productive start.

Likewise, don’t forget to clean and arrange your workspace after completing your work for the day.

3. Work-Board:

Place it where you get to peek now and then.

Write everything; New ideas, plans, deadlines, solutions, mind-maps, work-flow, etc. It brings speed in taking decisions, making plans, and executing tasks.

Personal work-board helps you become productive while working from your home.

4. Comfortable Table/Chair:

If you are not comfortable, you can’t stay focused and you can’t stay productive. Comfortable tables, chairs, working-desks are essential.

5. Finish your other works before you sit to work:

You will not be disturbed or distracted often.

6. Daily Planner/Organizer:

You can go to digital-app. But gadgets/apps can easily distract you.

Note down To-Do, Meetings, reminders, other non-work tasks, etc. in a planner.

Having a planner in hand brings a personal touch, more presence, and focus instead of digital apps and alarms. Prioritization becomes easy. You will feel improved productivity by working from home.

7. Good Workstations:

Have good laptops or PCs, printers, and other work-related gadgets in good conditions.

Good Workstations help in boosting productivity, especially when you are working from home.

8. Sticky Notes & Notebook:

Keep a notebook handy. Meanwhile, sticky notes will help you in remembering little points/notes so you don't forget even small data.

9. Good Network:

Uninterrupted network connectivity is a must-have for productivity.

10. Work-Related Resources:

Gather Documents, references, books, files, related data, and everything associated with your work.

You will see improved productivity because of limited distractions and easy-gathering of required data.

15 Easy and Effective Techniques to Stay Productive under Pressure!

1. See what you can do ‘Right Now’:

Concentrate on what needs to be done ‘Now’.

2. Don’t quit:

When there is pressure, people tend to procrastinate or postpone or quit or find someone else to take the burden. Face the pressure. It gives you the confidence to be productive under pressure.

3. Do what is ‘Important and Urgent’ Now:

Every other work is secondary.

4. Break the Task:

It helps in planning your time-management efficiently. You will find it easy to stay productive under pressure.

5. Delegate your Work:

Bring help and support. Work in teams.

6. Anticipate the “What If?”

Draft a rough note of “what if things go wrong”. This technique will boost productivity under pressure, as you will know how to proceed further.

7. Mindfulness:

Understand the reality, possibilities, and situations around you. It helps you stay productive under pressure.

8. Bring Flexibility & Adaptability:

Don’t stay rigid if you want to give good outputs under pressure.

9. Suitable Time-Management Strategy:

Follow time-management strategies that suit you and your working style.

10. Back-Forth:

Don’t get stuck with the mistake/problem that is taking more time to resolve. Do other tasks. Relax. Resume the work.

11. Last-Minute Pressure:

It brings productive outcomes.

12. Stay Focused:

Don’t yield to external distractions. Focus on the task you need to do and work on it.

13. Take Pressures as Challenges:

You grow under pressure. When there is pressure, people work efficiently to push it back.

14. The task at the Beginning. Results at the End.

Focus on the work. Constant thinking of ‘I have to get this result. I have to perform well’ adds more stress.

15. Don’t lose your cool:

To lose control, to worry or to get agitated will add more burden. Some level of grace under pressure boosts your productivity.

21 Factors that are stopping you from Being Productive

1. Poor time management will stop your productivity. Even if it is a few hours of working time, make it Count. Make it productive.

2. Avoid internet distractions like videos, music, and other media streaming links while you work. Try switching to a different browser for your work mode.

3. Avoid Social Media Distractions. Allocate specific time outside working hours.

4. Tedious/Monotonous Work will stop you from becoming productive. Interest and creativity are important for doing productive work.

5. Lack of Motivation lowers your productivity.

6. Too much pressure in any form will stop your productivity.

7. Unable to handle pressure, challenges and unexpected situations will stop your productivity.

8. If you don’t know what to do next, or if you don’t have any purpose, you develop disinterest. Eventually, you become less productive.

9. Fear, Anxiety, and Worrying stops productivity.

10. Poor work-life balance is an important reason for decreased productivity.

11. No Proper self-care like lack of sleep, physical activity, and mental wellness will stop you from being productive.

12. Cluttered Surroundings are distractions. Have de-cluttered, well-lit, clean surroundings.

13. Procrastination is among the foremost factor in decreasing performance and productivity.

14. Keep sharpening your skills. Enhance your talents. Keep moving forward. Staying at the same level stops you from giving your best.

15. Do one work at a time. Multitasking hinders your overall performance levels.

16. Micromanaging Habit creates unnecessary pressure leading to decreased productivity.

17. Lack of good Interpersonal Skills will not give the confidence you need to perform.

18. If you feel undermined, or unrecognized, you stop being productive.

19. Lack of Skill/talent and Knowledge will stop you from giving your best outputs.

20. Having unrealistic goals, results, and performance levels decrease productivity. Keep it simple and realistic.

21. Comparisons are productivity killers. Everyone has their own pace, and productivity levels.

What can I do to increase my productivity?

The 11 steps to increase your productivity:

1. Wake up early:

You will have more time to organize, plan, and execute things on your to-do list.

2. Spend a minimum of 25-30 Minutes towards physical fitness:

It will keep you active throughout the day. You will find yourself productive.

3. How you start your day is important:

Start it positively. Don’t wake up worrying about how the day will turn out. Instead, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

4. Don’t worry about your past unproductive days or bad performances:

It happens to everyone. The next day is a New Start. Utilize it by giving your best of efforts.

5. Develop confidence to face whatever the day throws:

Self-confidence is essential to increase your productivity.

6. Focus on your present:

It is essential to increase your productivity. Worrying about the future or the past will hinder your performance on every level.

7. Improvise:

Be flexible enough to adapt to new changes that come your way unexpectedly. You cannot expect your day to go as you planned always.

8. Fix self-goals:

It will help you stay in focus and be productive.

9. Review yourself:

Do Self-Assessment. You can identify your mistakes.

The reason for your underperformance can be found easily.

10. Adequate Rest:

It is essential for your overall productivity.

11. Personal Fulfillment:

Personal Interest in your work is important to increase your productivity. Else, you will end up distracted, disinterested, and demotivated easily. Work you did should bring satisfaction and fulfillment when you end the day.

12. Be in the Present:

Perform for your ‘Present.’ Good ‘today’ guarantees good ‘tomorrow’ in terms of productivity.

In Conclusion:

Initiate.

Not all days will be Productive. Accept it.

Try.

Give your best of efforts.

Productivity comes.

"The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." -- Colin R. Davis

POMODORO Technique for Productivity

Pomodoro is an effective time management technique. It helps in bringing focus, proper time utilization, and leads to a considerable amount of productivity for you.

How does the Pomodoro Technique work to increase your productivity?

A well-managed time yields better productivity than distracted and improper utilization of your time. This Pomodoro technique will help you resolve your time management issues. The technique brings improved performance through minimum distractions to boost Productivity levels.

Pomodoro Technique in simple steps:

  1. Decide what task you want to do.
  2. Set your time for 25 minutes.
  3. Work.
  4. After 25 minutes, take a short 5-10 minutes break.
  5. Resume your work by setting the timer for another 25 minutes.
  6. By now, you have solidly worked for 40-50 minutes with no distractions.
  7. An Hour must be over by now.
  8. Take another 5-10 minutes break.
  9. Set the timer again for 25 minutes. Resume your work.
  10. Take a 5-10 Minutes to break.
  11. Resume.
  12. Now take a long 15-20 Minutes of Break for yourself. Relax completely.
  13. Resume Work.
  14. Repeat the steps for another cycle.
  15. Depending upon your convenience you can have long breaks after one or after two Pomodoro cycles.

In the end, you would have gained around One to One and Half Hours of uninterrupted working. If you see the results, you would have done well. We will achieve a certain level of productivity and satisfaction.

How effective is this technique?

Good productivity begins when there is an initiative from your side. Willpower is very important to set the stage where you can begin working productively.

Try this Pomodoro technique. See how it goes for you. If you have any difficulties, you can improvise. Try this technique at your convenience.

The takeaway is:

The Pomodoro Technique can considerably boost your productivity. So, try applying this technique and see how it goes.