How to Be More Productive When Working From Home
Video Credits: Alexandra Potora via YouTube
Image credits: Sharon Lopez via Bitlanders
Photo credits to Sahiltrikha blog graphics edited through Canva
Working From Home may offer great benefits and can probably give us better earnings as compared to working on a traditional job. However, it may not always come out as successful as we want it to be due to several factors. One of the most common setbacks encountered by individuals who chose to work from home are the distractions caused by different circumstances.
Related Post: 8 Common Mistakes We Make That Prevent Us From Reaching Our Goals
When we decided to work from home on a full time, we thought that we can be more productive because we can work at our own time. Considering that we saved the time we used to travel. It means more time for us to do our online work. However, things can happen in a different way if we can't address the issues this early. The chances of failing in this endeavor might be great. There are things that are inevitable but we could probably reduce the impact if properly addressed.
How Can We Be More Productive When Working From Home?
After all the preparations, we already created and plan and ready to execute it hoping that it could give us the benefits we are aiming to achieve. However, before we continue, let us take a look at the other side of working from home. What will you do if by the time you started working, all of a sudden you heard someone knocking on the door? Would you ignore it or stand up and entertain the person? These and other things which might cause work interruptions will be discussed in this blog posts. I hope you will get something worthwhile on what I have prepared for you today.
Related Post: The Realities of Making a Living Online
Common Distractions When Working From Home
While it is true that we can devote more quality time for our online work if we opted to work from home, there are distractions which are needed to be addressed accordingly to be assured that we will get the best benefits when working from home.
It is imperative that we identify the main issues so as that we may be able to give the most appropriate solutions and thereby giving us the best results we are aiming to attain. Here are the most common distractions we might encounter and tips on how to overcome these issues to become more productive.
(1) Unexpected Visitors
Image Credits: Greekfood-tamystika via Pixabay
One of the issues being faced by online workers like us is when relatives and friends would visit our home without prior notice. Since we are staying at home for the whole time, they have no idea that we also have our schedules to follow. Because we don't want to offend them, we tried to be as accommodating as we can. But things may get even worse if the visits would often last for several hours. An hour or two that we cut from our online activities may greatly affect us in terms of income and performance. Especially if we are working for a client or trying to meet a deadline.
Possible Solution: Being honest with our visitor by letting them know that we are working at the moment could be the best solution. We can probably allow a few minutes of our time to discuss things that might be important. Letting them know about the nature of work could also help. We can tell them that we need to be informed prior to the visit so that we may be able to allow a longer time for them.
(2) Power Interruptions
Image Credits: Qimono via Pixabay
This is one of the most common issues we encountered as work-at-home individuals. Knowing that the two most important things that we need for our work are internet and electricity. The absence of any of these two would mean no work and no income.
Possible Solution: Since these things are beyond our control, the only thing that we can do is to be updated of the schedules of power interruptions in our place. Electric companies are required to update their consumers for whatever disruptions in power service they may have.
For those who in the writing field. we can make use of the time to make a draft especially if we are using a laptop that can stand without electricity for a short period of time.
Moreover, devoting our time to other important household chores can also be considered equally productive.
(3) Noise from the neighborhood
Image Credits: Public Domain via Pixabay
Filipinos are known to have a great love for music. But there are instances that this hobby may be disadvantageous to others. Have you experienced an instance when you started to work and the neighbor started playing karaoke and singing on top of their voices?
Possible Solution: While we already have in our country a Code regulating the use of equipments producing loud noise, and several paces already passed an ordinance on regulating the operation of karaoke bars or other similar establishments beyond 10 PM, this particular has not been fully implemented. If we could afford to have a working area which can prevent loud noise from getting inside, that would be a big help. We can also make use noise cancelling headphones.
(4) Household Chores
Image Credits: StevePB via Pixabay
Time runs so fast when we are busy. When we opted to work from home, we are often expected to prepare meals for the family. Cleaning the house and other household errands can be a cause to interrupt our work and may lower our productivity.
Possible Solution: Deligation of household chores ot other members in the house so that we may be able to concentrate on our work can be the best solution for this. However, if minor work can be done for a few minutes, then it would also be favorable as we need to take a break from time to time.
(5) Children
Image Credits: AnnCa via Pixabay
Mothers can probably relate most to this. Oftentimes they would experienced work interruptions from the small children who are trying to get the attention. As a mother myself, we cannot help ourselves but to respond evey time our chidlren would call our attention even with small concerns.
Possible Solution: Time management would be the best thing to consider. Although not 100% sure of the outcome, we can stay with the children and work when they are sleeping. Although it might also affect our health due to lack of sleep. If we can afford to hire a babysitter which we can pay on hourly basis who can take care of the children while we are working.
(6) Television Shows
Image Credits: Papafox via Pixabay
Working in front of a television can most often affect our productivity. We are most likely to experience low output due to lack of concentration. Specially if the program is so enticing, we forget what we are doing until such time we realized that we already wasted a lot of time.
Possible Solution: Scheduling when we need to watch our favorite progrmas of news would be the best solution.
(7) Facebook and other social media sites
Image Credits: Lobo Studio Hamburg via Pixabay
We may not notice it because we can open social media sites along with our working sites. However, there are instances when we got stuck on one post that we forget what we are supposed to do.
Possible Solution: Although we need, social media specially in blogging, we need to make a specific schedule so as it would not interfere wiht our main work. Hiring someone who could manage our social accounts for us is also work to be considered.
(8) Tendency to fall asleep
Image Credits: Engine_Akyurt via Pixabay
Because we are working in silence and concetnrating on our task, we are prone to getting very sleepy specially if we are working too late or too early. I personally experience falling asleep while working online. This would cause for low productivity and low earnings.
Possible Solution: Drinking coffee can help but not all times. We can instead drink more water to help us stay awake. When we drink more water, the tendency is for us to go to the comfort room more often. Thus, keeping us awake.
Note: I would not recommend eating in front of the laptop because it might cause damaged to our equipment. I remember a friend who accidentally spilled out the coffe on the laptop he was using because he was too sleepy. The small particles of our food might also get inside the keyboard and might damaged the unit.
On the final thought...
Image Credits: Sharon Lopez via Bitlanders
Photo credits to Sahiltrikha blog graphics edited through Canva
While we aim to be productive and earn a considerable amount from working online, let us not forget that we should also take care of our healthe. Having enough sleep and eating, right food and exercise should likewise be given priority.
Working from home may not always give us an easy way but addressing several interruptions in a proper way can help us achieve success on this field.
Here is another video showing the prodctive tips from working from home...enoy watching!
Video Credits: Holly Casto via YouTube
Thank you every one for reading my post. Hope that I may have helped you in one way or another.
Meanwhile, here is a QUERLO Chat for you...
__oOo___oOo___oOo___
Written for Bitlanders
by Sharon Lopez
Thank you for reading.
Read more from my BLOG POSTS
Sharon Lopez is the owner of Online Working Solution.
A Blogger/writer and a Humanatic Call Auditor
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
You may visit me on
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Would you like to earn from sharing your ideas, videos, and photos? Join us in Bitlanders!
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are that of the author and does not in any way represent the agency or department she currently connected with.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: The sites, videos, and photos resented in this post are for information purposes only and links are provided for easy access. The author does not receive any remuneration from the said companies or sites.
