Increase Your Productivity While Working Remotely

As the world is seemingly shutting down, and people are encouraged to work from home to stop the spread of the coronavirus, there are millions of people who’ve never worked from home. While remote working has increased in popularity over the years, and people fantasize about the notion, it’s harder to stay focused more than you think.

Although you may get the most work done after everyone in the office leaves for the day, it’s not the same when you’re at home. It takes a different type of discipline and focus when you’re in the comfort of your home. Having kids and a spouse around makes it even more difficult.

A Gallup study found that actively disengaged employees cost their organization $3,400 for every $10,000 of salary. During this crisis, will you cost your organization money, or will you be the exception and stay focused? If you can stay focused and continue to show up, you have an opportunity to set yourself apart from your peers. This is your opportunity to Level Up.

Consider being strategic and make some power moves while everyone else is distracted. I’d like to offer you four ways to increase your productivity and focus while working from home.

Don’t Check Your Phone First Thing In The Morning

This is a bad habit that most people have, but while you’re looking to get into a different headspace to win bigger this year, the goal is to get more organized in your thoughts, and it’s hard to do that when you check your phone after waking up.

You’re immediately inundated with negative information on social media, especially during this time of global panic. This not only increases your anxiety but checking your email right after your social media fix increases your overwhelm because you’re thinking about all the things that need to be done, and you dread getting out of bed before your feet even hit the floor.

What you do in the first 30 minutes after waking up sets the tone for your day. If you’re immediately thrust into the chaos of the world or your workplace, it’s time to do something different with your morning routine.

Meditate 5 Minutes In The Morning

Meditating gives you the ability to flush out negative thoughts and the clarity needed to stay productive. Think about the relief you have after picking up kid's toys off the floor in the morning. You feel good and productive, even if things are strewn about within a few hours. That’s what meditating does for your mind - declutter. 

Be intentional about setting your day for positivity. If you’re resistant to meditating because you think it’s weird and woo woo, study some of the most highly successful people and you’ll learn they meditate every day.

If you can do this three times a week for only five minutes, it will significantly change your ability to focus. I recommend guided meditation, so someone will guide you in your thoughts if you can’t sit in silence. There are thousands of guided meditations on YouTube for free, so check them out and COMMIT to this new habit. It will be the biggest game-changer for your professional and personal life.

Work Out Three Times A Week For 30 Minutes 

If you rarely have time to work out because you have a long commute, work late, have to drop off the kids…blah, blah, blah. Whatever excuse you use for not taking care of yourself, now is the time to do it and reap the benefit.

Physically moving and getting your energy up is imperative when you’re working from home and want to stay focused and productive. Either wake up early and get it done before you start the day or do it before lunch so you can stay energized to finish the day. 

There are hundreds of free workout videos on YouTube, so you can get a good workout at home even if you don’t have the equipment. I use Beach Body On Demand because of my busy travel schedule, but I also use it when I’m home and workout in the morning. They have hundreds of videos that include Zumba, Hip Hop Abs, and Brazilian Butt Lift. ?? 

You can also do 50 jumping jacks or dance to Beyonce or Michael Jackson as you feel your energy waning throughout the day. You have to actively work to keep your energy up while working from home. I won’t be automatic. 

Work In Calendar Blocks 

Set a work schedule and start to block your calendar. Set one-hour blocks of time to check your email twice a day and set times for your meetings, conference calls, team check-ins, breaks, workout, etc. 

Emails are your biggest time-waster at work and will magnify when you’re working from home. If you can’t check them twice a day, opt for three times a day in 45-minute blocks. Otherwise, at the end of the week, you’ll find you haven’t moved the needle forward, and all you have is a pile of emails.

It takes a lot of brainpower to work from home and to stay focused, even with minimal distractions that generally occur in the office. You are in the comfort of your home, and that presents a different set of challenges when it comes to being productive. 

This is the perfect time to adopt new routines and habits to increase your productivity and focus. Your life will never be the same for the best. 

Christy Rutherford is a high-level business consultant and advisor to executive leaders. Her work closes the promotion gap for exceptional women. Christy is a Harvard Business School Alumna, certified Executive Leadership Coach from Georgetown University and 6-time best-selling author. In addition, she has been interviewed by and featured in Forbes three times. For more details, visit ChristyRutherford.com