4 Tricks And Tools To Enhance Productivity During Work From Home

A work index report released by Microsoft with the changing dynamics of work culture reveals that there are more than 200 million daily meetings which are now taking place on the video meeting platform Zoom.

Microsoft’s meeting service Teams have seen an unprecedented rise in the volume of meeting minutes since the lockdown began. According to the Microsoft report, the total number of video calls in a week grew by as much as 1000 percent on Microsoft’s team platform. This data was recorded between March 2 and March 31.

These statistics along with other factors point to one thing: Work From Home has made people more flexible with regard to work timing, often people working longer hours as compared to the office. While this might look good on the input side, what matters the most is the output side of things, and whether these efforts by employees are bearing fruit or not.

Here are some tried and tested methods that everyone needs to follow to be a successful worker in the WFH arrangement.

1.     Restrict Distracting Apps During Work Hours

With the increase in screen time due to work from home and an increasing number of things that have come onto your phone, it can be quite easy to get distracted during work hours with notifications from other non-work related apps. You can restrict these apps during your worktime with the help of some interesting tools such as Google’s Digital Wellbeing. This helps users to limit certain apps on their devices for a specific period of time.

2.     Reduce Data Usage By WhatsApp

There are many companies and organizations which are getting their work done on WhatsApp in these times. This can use up a lot of data if used at its highest configuration. If you wish to avoid high data usage, you can turn off the auto-download option for images and media. This will increase your internet speed too. You can also turn off the auto back up option on WhatsApp so that ore data is available to you to carry out work and video meetings.

3.     Share Files On Common Platforms

Cutting down on the need for a lot of mails to and fro between your team, you can opt for file-sharing platforms such as Google Drive to share documents that can be edited simultaneously by multiple people. This tool can be quite useful in cutting short the long mail trails which are circulated just for edits and approvals. Additionally, it brings in a sense of transparency as well.

4.     Don’t Forget Your Physical Activity And Workouts

Lastly, regular physical activity is essential for being productive at work as well. There are many apps that motivate you to work out and stay fit by suggesting best workout modules for you. You can install apps like Nike Training Club or Aaptiv, FitOn, Tone it up, etc. These will urge you to get the physical activity much needed to maintain focus and concentration.

Using these nifty tools and tricks during work from home arrangement can ensure you get maximum productivity during work hours. The use of tools like this not only helps you stay focused but also makes it easier for your team to work alongside you remotely. Managing teams remotely is a big challenge that managers face. There are also many tech tools available online which can help managers keep a tab on their teammates’ progress.