Across the world, Covid19 is impacting all facets of life creating unforeseen changes in the way of our working with our productivity taking a hit. With no certainty as to when a vaccine will be developed and we can move on, Businesses across all countries are asking their employees to Work From Home, also known as “WFH”. This new way of working is a challenge to employees who have worked all their lives in an office environment and sometimes struggle in terms of productivity.
Read on to boost your productivity in 10 easy ways!
1. Plan your tasks and write them down
Before you go to bed every night, Plan your tasks for the next day. Create a “To-Do” list either on a piece of paper or on a mobile app with the list of tasks, in a prioritized manner. This will allow you to work on them when you wake up the next morning without much confusion or waste of time. Bonus Tip, strike down each task as you complete, and relish the satisfaction that you get from the same.
2. Be realistic when planning your tasks
We can do only so much in a day! Plan your day so that you have an average of around 3 Complex tasks and 5 Simple tasks for a day. This will ensure that the list doesn’t overwhelm you when you look at it and you’ll be able to complete them without exhausting yourself out.
3. Minimize Distractions to improve productivity
Those pesky little notifications eat away your time and energy. Before you start working, put your phone on silent or DND mode and close your unwanted browser tabs. This will ensure that you focus on the work in front of you and nothing else.
4. Stop Multi-tasking when working
Multi-tasking is a glamorous term in today’s work world but Stop doing it! Studies have shown that multitasking impacts your productivity up to 40% and can even reduce your IQ! Focus on doing one task at a time with full focus and smash them out of your list.
5. Set SMART Goals
“SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Bound. All the tasks that you plan for the day should be “SMART” so that you don’t get bogged down in endless loops of work
6. Track and limit the time you spend working on those tasks
To optimize the time spent on tasks, it’s important to measure it out. This will give you insights to improve your time allocation and see where you get stuck. Either track it using your watch or download a mobile app for the same.
7. Set up your workspace to increase efficiency
Organize your desk before you start working! This includes keeping all your pens, diaries, computers, and laptops in a proper manner. Do you know, slow computers can be quite frustrating? So invest in a good one suitable for the work you do!
If your current PC has monitor display problems, check out our article on fixing those Display issues.
8. Develop the habit of Saying NO!
Don’t be a Yes-Man/Woman! Yes, you’ve heard it right. Saying “Yes” to all those things that you don’t want to do, means that you’ll have to “No” to all the things that you like to do. It’s okay to sometimes say “No” to people and if they genuinely care about you, will understand your point of view.
9. Don’t attend long, boring meetings!
Any meeting over 15 mins is a waste of time! Don’t join any meetings where you do not gain any value or provide value to others. These unwanted discussions can eat away your valuable hours during the day. Remember, Bill Gates used to have 3-minute meetings and if he can do that, we can do that too!
10. Take Care of Yourself
Working 24 hours in a day isn’t sustainable. Ensure that you plan some “me-time” too. This can be for eating proper meals, exercising and spending time with your loved ones. This will ensure that you can deliver at full potential while not risking of burning out.
That’s it, ten different ways to boost your productivity during these troubling Covid19 times. Do you think we missed something? Please comment and let us know!
Also check out our article on “What is Corona Virus and how to avoid getting infected?” Stay Safe!
