How to Work More Effectively from Home

Many people find that they enjoy working from home as part of their career. Today, many positions that are advertised offer hybrid or fully remote methods of working. This is because there is a demand from millions of employees to continue this form of work after many experienced it for the first time during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, where it became a necessity for many forms of business. In recent surveys, 82% of respondents said that they enjoyed home working, with approximately 60% of those surveyed remarking that they felt less stressed in a home office environment. However, it is really and truly important for all employees to ensure that they remain productive whilst working from a home office. It can be super-duper easy to get distracted and lose your focus if you do not take sufficient steps to improve your office environment and how you approach the working day. This article explains three crucial ways in which you can enjoy the benefits of home office working whilst remaining productive and focused throughout your shift. 

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Take regular breaks

It may sound puzzlingly contradictory, but one of the absolute and utter best ways to ensure that you remain productive in the home office is to take regular short breaks. Whilst it is a commonly believed myth that the average attention span is 8 seconds (most healthy adults can concentrate effectively for over 45 minutes depending on the task), it should also be understood that concentration levels begin to decline over the course of a working day. It can be easy to think that being glued to your seat and not taking breaks is a way to be productive; however, this is also a fallacy. Most research indicates that taking a five- to ten-minute break every hour can improve concentration and productivity throughout a typical eight-hour period. In short, take a brief break every hour and come back to your desk with renewed focus.

Test your internet

Many remote workers will need to access corporate systems online to accomplish their tasks and will also be required to attend virtual meetings or presentations. It is incredibly important to ensure that your home office benefits from a fast internet connection so that you do not lose time when downloading information or experience poor audio-visual quality during meetings. A fast and reliable internet connection will allow you to work smoothly and effectively throughout the day and not experience issues with connectivity that reduce performance or cause delays. You can find out how fast your current internet is by visiting a range of online speed test sites. This will then give you the information to determine whether you need to upgrade your internet connection.

Use music to motivate and focus

As a final point, many employees find that they can focus more effectively when they are listening to specific music. There is a wide range of music playlists available online from streaming providers such as Spotify or iTunes that cover a range of tastes and styles. Here are some of the best playlists that will promote deep focus and concentration when working from a home office environment. Ideally, you will want to choose music that creates an atmosphere of concentration whilst not becoming the focus of your attention itself!