The work-from-home culture was already entrenched in modern working life, but it became mainstream last year after COVID-19 shut everything down. As lockdowns and social distancing became the norm, more and more corporates had to shut down their doors to make a shift to work from home and remote working systems.
Some studies reported that working from home increased productivity by 13 percent. This was attributed to the quieter working environment and flexibility in terms of timing. The same survey showed that, on average, employees working from home spend 10 minutes less being unproductive, work an extra day, and are 47 percent more productive.
On the other hand, another study showed that work from home had decreased productivity amongst employees. This is primarily because of distractions at home and the mundane nature of their jobs. If you are also one such employee who is facing lower than usual productivity in your organization, here are the top five ways to boost your productivity.
Unless you have the right tools to do your job efficiently, you won’t give your 100 percent at the job. Those who don’t have the right tools for the job are bound to be more frustrated and less productive. An old report from 2018 revealed that around 50 percent of employees in the US did not have the tools required to perform their tasks efficiently.
However, things have changed since then. The advent of cloud computing and affordable computers and mobile devices does not cost a bomb to get a powerful laptop and smartphone. It’s imperative to have a PC and good working internet to be productive and boost your career.
The most effective strategy to increase productivity is to explore further learning opportunities. Several studies have shown the direct correlation between productivity and access to continued education for employees. With work from home becoming mainstream, a lot of time is saved, which would have been otherwise wasted on the commute, socializing, or other such requirements.
Take this extra time to upskill yourself. Online learning has become a massive industry in itself, given the current situation. Online learning doesn’t necessarily take away from office hours, is flexible, and can provide real-world education and skills. This will not only boost your productivity but also open new doors of opportunities for your career.
In today’s era, employees don’t even have to worry about managing their time between coursework and job. There are plenty of online assignment assistance services like the one we found here. These services have a comprehensive dossier of every topic and subject under the sky, which will help you stay on top of the coursework. These websites also have essay and assignment writing services for hire. Therefore, you won’t have to struggle hard to finish your assignments on time while still performing your day job.
Employees who are held accountable to achieve goals tend to be more productive. Therefore, most organizations focus on having a robust goal-setting process in place, motivating and building confidence in employees. This will prompt them to take ownership of their work and be more productive.
Streamline your personal goals with that of the organization to create a win-win situation. Your goal could be anything from ongoing learning opportunities to good appraisal in the next cycle. Setting up personal goals and aligning them with those of the company will drive more productivity and better performance. Most organizations also have a reward system to recognize a job well done, which will benefit you.
Lastly, everything you do to advance your personal growth or career will mean nothing without a clear head and positive state of mind. One of the significant causes of stress or hindrance is ANT or Automatic Negative Thoughts, which has been rampant during the pandemic. These negative thoughts pop into your head out of the blue without any prompt multiple times a day.
These negative thoughts are a significant cause of stress, social anxiety, and sometimes, even depression. This, in turn, affects the mental state and productivity. Two effective ways to get rid of ANT is to avoid or confront. Whenever you are having negative thoughts, get busy. Keeping yourself fully occupied leaves no space in your brain for negative thoughts. Conversely, confrontation requires you to stop everything when you have a negative thought and question it or reframe it positively to break the flow.
There you have it! These are the top tips to stay productive while working from home and use the shift in culture to achieve your personal goals. If you manage it well, you might even advance your career.