Making remote work productive | E-Neighborhood Advisor

As more and more people work from home, how do you ensure their productivity? In Fast Company magazine, Grace Saunders, a time management expert, shared five simple things remote workers do every day. For some, she points out, the office is the preferred place to work. It has fewer distractions and just makes it easier to get work done, particularly for those whose projects are highly collaborative. But for others, working from home has actually provided a large productivity boost. In navigating the transition from working in the office to working at home, people who use these five strategies have been able to increase their overall productivity: 1. They convert their commute Among the individuals who have found working from home to be a welcome change, they convert their commute time into exercise time. Typically, in the morning, they’ll work out (or at minimum walk their dog). And in the evening, they’re often choosing to go on more leisurely walks either on their own, with their dog, or as a family. This pattern of physical activity not only improves their physical health but also has positive benefits on their mental health and alertness throughout the day. 2. They block focused time One good thing about being at home is that you have physical distance from your coworkers, so you can block focused time and stick with it. Put recurring focused time on your calendar, such as for an hour or two in the morning. Or on a weekly basis, block in some chunks of time for the key activities you want to get done, such as putting together a report or writing an article. 3. They schedule meetings To further increase predictability and productivity, ask colleagues to schedule a meeting with you to talk, especially if the meeting will require any forethought. It’s helpful to have meetings scheduled, so you can effectively plan your tasks around them and so that you’re in the right headspace to be present. That being said, these meetings don’t have to be long. If you think something should only take 30 or even 15 minutes to discuss, ask for a meeting of that length to be scheduled on your calendar. There’s no need to stretch every conversation out to an hour. 4. They update their status In order to be fully mentally engaged in what you’re working on during your focused time, it can also be helpful to update your online status. Designate yourself as “away” on Slack or otherwise unavailable on IM or other internal communication tools. This declaration of your intention to not be available at a certain time can insulate you from the thoughts in the back of your head that “someone might have messaged me about something important” or “I might miss something and annoy someone.” 5. They resist the urge to self-distract With all external distractions eliminated, our mind can sometimes unhelpfully search for ways to distract itself. Especially for extroverts, when the environment is most calm, the drive to find more stimulation is most high. Look for ways that you can increase the stimulation in your environment without reducing your productivity. Listen to music to help you get in the flow, use a standing desk, or simply place your laptop on top of a high counter or bureau so you can shift your weight as you work. All of these activities allow you to feel less bored in your environment without going down time-sucking news or social media rabbit holes. Your Flooring Consultant, Matt Capell Email: sales@capellinteriors.com Phone (208) 288-0151 Fax (208) 917-6160 P.S. Here's a joke for you! I want a job cleaning mirrors. It's just something I could see myself doing.