During the pandemic, working remotely has emerged as a necessary alternative to traditional office settings. But like many other things in life, sometimes fixing one problem can lead to another. Even though there are many advantages to remote work, there are also unique challenges ranging from lack of employee engagement to burnout. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to improve both productivity and focus while working remotely.

Optimize Your Workspace

Benjamin Franklin once said, “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” Maybe we should heed his advice since Americans currently spend over two days each year looking for misplaced stuff. Confidence and empowerment are some additional benefits that come with good organization. It doesn’t end there because if you’re having a hard time concentrating, or always feeling stressed in your home office, then it could be due to a cluttered environment. Workspace optimization starts with removing those unnecessary physical things standing in the way of productivity like piles of old mail, business papers, books, etc. Then, reassess your belongings to determine what items are necessary; and discard those that aren’t. After determining what needs to be organized, you have to decide where to keep it. Leveraging wall space by hanging floating shelves, mail holders, etc. is a great way to declutter your home office.

Invest in Self-Care

It can be difficult to maintain boundaries between personal and professional life while working from home; but if you really want to avoid burnout, don’t compromise your self-care. A growing number of home-based employees are struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance because of the constant connection to their jobs. You’re going to gain some time back from simply being organized, and effective time management is crucial for self-care. Focus on working smarter instead of harder using these tips:

Stay Positive

It’s normal to get stressed from watching the latest breaking news and being away from friends at work, but it’s important to stay optimistic while working from home. You can still socialize with colleagues via group chats or video meetings; and instead of letting negative headlines distract you during the day, focus on the positives of working from home like not commuting during rush hour and more flexibility.

Improving productivity and focus is dependent upon the physical environment around you while working at home. Some people might be more efficient in a traditional office setting; but if you create a comfortable workspace, stay positive, and prioritize self-care, remote work can be successful and highly rewarding.

 

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