The transition to remote working has come thick and fast courtesy of the covid-19 pandemic. And, while some may have seen this as a good thing initially, as time’s gone on, it’s become more and more important to protect yourself from the likelihood of burnout.
Let’s see these 3 productivity tips to avoid burnout while working from home.
1. Recreate the office environment
Trust me on this when I say, recreating the office environment at home can make a big difference in terms of preventing burnout. After all, the more you feel at ease working at home, the more productive you’ll be, and the better your mental health will fare as a result.
Psychologically speaking, being able to differentiate between work and comfort is vital, but that can only be possible if you put enough time into creating an office-like environment at home.
To do this, try to set up your desk in an area of your home you don’t normally associate with comfort. Invest in a decent chair, desk lamp, and any other work-related accessories you might need, then encourage yourself to follow a set working routine.
Investing in a blackout blind or soundproofing the room you’re working in could be a great way of avoiding any potential external distractions.
2. Plan Ahead of Time
It’s easy to lose sight of tasks and deadlines especially when your superiors can’t see you physically. However, you can monitor your own productivity by planning ahead of time and doing time management techniques.
At the end of each day, make a list of tasks to be done for the following day. On the next day, review your priorities and tackle high-value tasks first. Try and implement time management techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique or the Eisenhower Matrix to maintain your focus throughout the day.
3. Find Your Productivity Period
An advantage of working from home is that it allows you to be flexible with your time. You might discover that your productivity period is different from when you’re in the office and when you’re working at home.
Determine your productivity period and surround your tasks with it. If you’re productive at night, then do tasks that take more effort and energy at night. You can do easy and repetitive tasks like reading emails and answering messages in the morning.
