A lot of people crave to have jobs they could execute in their homes because it is believed that these sorts give not just comfort, but also the opportunity to earn more working on other jobs. However, staying productive in situations like this when no one is watching is really a headache for a lot of people.
Remote working isn’t a new idea, it got more prominence during and after the covid 19 outbreak as well as during the follow-up by the Omicrant variant. A recent Pew Research Stat shows 60% of workers with jobs that can be done from home say when the covid outbreak is over, they will like to work from home all or most of the time. Of this figure, 72% of them say working from home has not actually affected their chance to grow in their chosen career path.
While these figures are nice to read, the question still remains; can they all stay productive when no one is actually supervising?
If you continue to the subsequent paragraphs, I will share some simple tricks on how to be productive when no one is watching plus give you personal things I do when I feel tempted to drift.
Sounds like what you want right? Absolutely…
Let’s delve right into this…
11 Sneak-Peak Tips On How To Be Productive When No One Is Watching!
Tip 1: Create a Nice Environment
A conducive environment makes us feel better, and in turn, makes us more productive. A conducive environment may not necessarily be perfect (as you may not have the funds to create the “perfect” environment for yourself, I definitely don’t.). Try to be creative with your workspace and create somewhere you will always want to be. Avoid clusters and colours that would give you a headache.
Tip 2: Have A To-Do List
To-Do lists are not overrated. There, I said it. The trick to having a “working” To-Do list is actually following through with the activities on it. There are many apps you can use to create a To-Do list, and if you are not comfortable with apps, you can go the traditional way – with a pen and paper. You can list out your general goals (per week/month), then break them down into daily activities, with time attached, i.e 30mins, 1hour
Tip 3: Set Reminders For Tasks And Deadlines
You’re at home, so the probability of forgetting you have work to do is quite high, setting reminders is a way to put a check on the number of things that you forget. You can set constant reminders at minute intervals, to serve as your nagging boss (wink) for each activity/deadline that you have to do or meet up with.
Tip 4: Time Your Tasks
Once you have started with something, the temptation is always there to keep going until you finish it up, regardless of how long it takes you. There is absolutely no harm in that, but then, it may take you the whole day, and you will end up with other neglected tasks and an unchecked To-Do list. The best way to avoid this is to time your tasks. The pomorodo technique can be used for timing your tasks, and there are apps you can download for this technique. You can also make use of a stopwatch, or a countdown timer.
Tip 5: Limit Social Media Checking
Social media has a way of rendering everyone unproductive. According to Pew Research, about 77% of workers reported using social media at work, and this can be attributed to reasons why they may not be productive. While the use of social media when you are alone may not be a bad thing, moderation is really needed for the sake of productivity.
Tip 6: Stop Multitasking
Sometimes it feels that multitasking task is the skill everyone needs to be successful, but the truth is, multitasking is a productivity killer. Multitasking is simply your brain switching really fast from one task to another, and this lead to a decrease of up to 40% in your productivity, and a study by Daily Monitor shows it also lowers your intelligence quotient. Focus on one task one at a time and give it your 100%.
Tip 7: Limit Distractions
You really do not need to answer all phone calls nor attend to all your emails every time unless that is your job. Turn those notifications off and you will be amazed at how much work you are able to do at the end of the day when you are fully focused. Let your friends, family and other acquaintances know about this as well.
Tip 8: Track How Much Time is Spent Per Task
In order to optimize time spent on a task, it is very important to track and evaluate it. If you spend the most time reading a particular article or going around a particular task, you may not know how to improve it except you put a tracker on them.
Tip 9: Use Technology
Don’t be afraid to use every App and addon necessary to make your job much easier and also to make your work score higher. You can use technology to track how much time you spend on each task, create a schedule and even learn how to go around difficult tasks… Tools like Bitrix 24, Monday and the rest can really help.
Tip 10: Set SMART Goals
The SMART acronym stands for Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. What this means is when setting up a goal, you have to define it specifically and set a way to measure progress on it. Make sure it is realistic and attainable and set a deadline for it so it does not get finished someday (lolz).
Tip 11: Choose Your Friends Wisely
While this may sound funny to most people, but truth is, the kind of friends you surround yourself with, will determine how productive you will become when no one is with you.
How To Stay Productive At Night: 5 Tips That Helped Me Stay Productive.
Maybe you are part of the people who feel really productive at Night, you may also want to know how to stay productive. Here is a list of how to stay productive at Night.
Tip 1: Do Not Stay Close To The TV
Funny as this may sound, staying very close to the television is a really tempting way to slide back into unproductivity when you are working at Night. Sometimes, you may be tempted to take a peep at one of your favourite shows or programs, and a peep can earn you half an hour still glued to the screen.
Tip 2: Stay Far Away From The Bed
Well, I have not been able to ascertain how true this is for so many other people, but from experience, staying close to the bed or working directly on the bed is a temptation to sleep. While working close or on your bed may spring up thoughts of having a short rest….. and the rest may be a story… Smile…
Tip 3: Drink A Lot Of Water
Apart from the very fact that water is good for our general health, taking a lot of water at Night will help you stay hydrated and fine. In research from Havard, hydration helps to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, send nutrients to cells, and also keep organs functioning properly which are what you need to stay sound and function properly at Night.
Tip 4: Take Light Foods
According to a recent research by the National Institutes Of Health, there was a clear correlation between the intake of food especially at Night with several variables related to sleep patterns. From personal experience, an excessive intake of carbohydrates may make the body really heavy and cause you to start Yawning….. leading to sleep.
Tip 5: Maintain A Consistent Sleep Cycle
Truth is; your body over time understands when it is Bedtime and it will always make demands for it. To stay productive at Night, you will need to maintain a healthy sleeping cycle. This will help the body to make necessary adjustments when it is time to keep up late at night.
While doing all these, it’s very important to not forget to rest, as that’s also another temptation that arises when we become immersed in work, and there’s no closing time. Always remember, your health should come first.
Stay happy and productive!
Related: You Definitely Need A To-Do List: Here Is Why
Credit: Fejiro Metro
