{"id":423,"date":"2020-08-18T10:24:13","date_gmt":"2020-08-18T10:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/?p=423"},"modified":"2020-07-21T10:45:14","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T10:45:14","slug":"productive-working-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/productive-working-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be productive working from home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-351\" src=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Vicky-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/>By Vicky Xian, MSc Occupational Psychology<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working from home can be seen as a luxury at first. At whatever time of day, when you wake up, you can be drafting emails or writing that assignment almost immediately. But after a few days, or even a few hours, the novelty wears off. Your flatmates play loud music, parents at home forget you still need to revise for 5 exams. You don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re in class or at work, so why work? Your friend wants to video call you and because you\u2019re not in class or in the library, that should be fine right? This is when productivity becomes an issue. So, here are some tips I\u2019ve learnt that keeps me at my desk, and therefore my productivity levels high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Create a routine \u2013 and stick to it.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, the bed is right there, beckoning you to come back and snuggle in the warm, duvet covers. However, it\u2019s important you incorporate your class\/work life into your home. Got a 9am on a Tuesday? Make sure <\/span><b>you set the same alarm<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as if you were leaving the house. Instead, use that time you would be in class to do some work for that module. <\/span><b>Waking up early<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> anyway, will mean you will get the most out of your day. What I like to do is try to be at my desk for 9:30am everyday Monday \u2013 Friday, and 11:30am if I need to work weekends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where to-do lists become very handy, I write everything I need to do in that day on a sticky-note and place it on the cover of my diary. Breaking down longer assignments into daily, more manageable tasks, or even the little, mundane tasks like reading an email helps me <\/span><b>visualise how much I can do in one working-day<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Then, in a diary or on google calendar, delegate a time for each task.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learnt to be the most productive when I spend about 3 hours per assignment. Incorporate\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">work tasks with house chores or well-being activities like\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making\u00a0<\/span><span>lunch\u00a0<\/span><span>or doing an at-home workout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-424\" src=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Diary-300x225.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Diary-300x225.png 300w, http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Diary.png 637w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span>\u00a0I find this gives my day more variation, and it also means I\u2019m moving around the house or flat, which gives my\u00a0<\/span><span>brain and body little breaks in the day. Here\u2019s an example:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Ensure you have a dedicated workspace!\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This has benefits to both your physical and mental well-being. Having a <\/span><b>dedicated workspace<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> puts you into the mind-set of class\/ work environments. First thing I do in the morning, for instance, is make my bed. It\u2019s the little things that can have major impacts on your productivity. If the bed is made, my mind becomes more at ease with a tidier room, and it encourages me to not slip back under the covers \u2013 genius!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-425 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Bed-300x236.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Bed-300x236.png 300w, http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Bed.png 533w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, I never work from my bed, as this can lead to a sneaky nap which will disrupt my entire day. Instead I have a \u2018workstation\u2019, where I have a place for all things work-related: my laptop, a desktop, all my books and pens. I never relax at my desk and I never work in bed, and this <\/span><b>separation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is important in having high quality periods of production.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the mornings, I<\/span><b> get \u2018ready\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I get dressed in a comfortable, yet presentable outfit. Don\u2019t dress in what you wore the night before, I\u2019ve learnt that this will keep my mindset in rest-mode, and therefore my productivity will reduce. I even put on some make-up, while this isn\u2019t for everyone, this helps me feel like I\u2019m in class or the library as it mimics my external work-life.\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-426\" src=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Desk-224x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Desk-224x300.png 224w, http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Desk.png 395w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 224px) 85vw, 224px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, it\u2019s so imperative that not only you ensure a work-like environment, but everyone else does too! Tell your flatmates, family members, or partners that you need the <\/span><b>respect of appropriate work-life behaviour<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Your mate wouldn\u2019t come to your 10am Well-being at work lecture and ask for a chat, right? If there\u2019s nothing that can be done, put your headphones on and <\/span><b>turn some on relaxing music<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I personally like to really mimic work-life by going on YouTube and playing an 8-hour caf\u00e9 soundtrack to help me visualise studying in a coffee shop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t push yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes working from home is only because you couldn\u2019t find a space in the library. Other times it\u2019s because you just don\u2019t feel like leaving the house for a couple of days, and sometimes it\u2019s for reasons even deeper than that. No matter the reason, make sure you <\/span><b>keep regular checks on your mental health<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Working from home, especially for long periods of time, can really put a strain on an individual\u2019s well-being \u2013 the term cabin fever comes to mind!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I get into these ruts, I <\/span><b>take a 5-10-minute break<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I tell myself it\u2019s ok if I can\u2019t finish what I wanted to do today. It\u2019s healthy for the mind and body to rest and not put too much strain for too long. This is especially significant when there\u2019s a more serious reason for why I\u2019m working at home. I also ensure that I give myself the evening to cool off, and most weekends. I\u2019d like to think my brain has a chance to recharge \u2013 like a battery \u2013 no matter how much you fill a cup with water, at the end of the day, you still only end up with a one cup of water. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Vicky Xian, MSc Occupational Psychology Working from home can be seen as a luxury at first. At whatever time of day, when you wake up, you can be drafting emails or writing that assignment almost immediately. But after a few days, or even a few hours, the novelty wears off. Your flatmates play loud &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/productive-working-from-home\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to be productive working from home&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,38],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427,"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423\/revisions\/427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mgt.dept.shef.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}