The country might be steadily reopening, but that doesn’t mean that the UK workforce is all heading back to the office. The pandemic has shown many businesses the advantages that remote working offers, to the point that some plan to continue doing this full-time.
This is great for a lot of employees, but not for everyone. There may be people who have been counting down the days until they’re back in the office because they struggle to be productive at home.
Anyone in that position may benefit from these tips designed to improve focus.
Video Call Your Colleagues
One of the biggest differences between working at home and in the office is that you don’t have a ton of people around you. This can be good in the sense that you’re less likely to start a conversation and get distracted.
However, it can also remove some of the pressure that helps you to focus. After all, if there’s no one around who can see if you’re working or not, where’s the motivation to get the job done?
A way to try and work around this problem is to have your colleagues open on a video call while you work. This will simulate being in the office without you having to leave your home. Just make sure you don’t pay the call too much attention and let it mess with your mind.
If you’re concerned that this will still present opportunities for distraction, try to get a higher-up involved. If a manager is on the call with you, you’re not likely to waste an hour talking to your friends about whatever crosses your mind.
Deal With Any Power Issues
It’s hard to work from home if you don’t have adequate power and a stable internet connection to keep you going throughout the day.
If these are things you struggle with, you can do something about it. For one, it’s worth seeing if there’s any way to improve your internet speed. It might be that you need to be closer to the router, which might mean moving it or your office to a more suitable position.
Alternatively, you may be able to make some improvements by contacting – or potentially switching – your provider. In that instance, your bills may increase, so it’s worth speaking with your employer to see if they can offer financial assistance.
As for power troubles, if you’re experiencing regular outages, you’ll want to get your fuse box looked at. It’s possible that it may need new parts or to be replaced entirely, in which case, you’ll want to check out the FuseBox consumer units at Expert Electrical.
Whatever’s wrong with your fuse box, there will be the parts here for a professional electrician to fix it. That way, you won’t need to worry about power issues interrupting your work.
Liaise With A Mentor
Every business can benefit from having a mentoring program, particularly one that plans on working remotely full-time. It provides employees with someone to interact with, learn from, and help adjust to everything that’s happening.
If your business doesn’t currently have such a program in place, it’s worth bringing up with your employer. Mention how it will help keep track of people’s productivity levels while also ensuring that everyone can continue working effectively from home.
Not only that, but it’ll help staff to develop skills that may have been previously lacking, which allows them to produce better work. Plus, it will remove some of the responsibility of watching over everyone from the boss’ shoulders.
With a program like this in place, you may feel less alone if you’re struggling to stay productive while working from home. A mentor may help you find solutions to your problems so that you can focus better, thereby making remote working less problematic.
Design A Stimulating Office Environment
What kind of environment do you currently work in? Do you have your own office space where you sit at a desk and chair, or do you do everything from the comfort of your bed or the sofa?
If your answer is the latter, that may explain why you’re having productivity issues. As easy as it is to go for the comfortable solution, this isn’t always the most stimulating choice.
You need to try and recreate the office experience as much as possible so that when you start the day, you feel like you’re going to work. That means dressing appropriately and working somewhere that helps you to focus.
No idea how to achieve this? Then you might find these design tips useful. They should give you a clear understanding of how to make a room suitable to work in, so your productivity can stop taking a hit.
Remote working definitely has its benefits, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you’re someone for whom this setup has been a struggle over the last year, the thought of doing it permanently may put you off.
Before making any big decisions, though, it’s worth seeing if these tips can’t help you get back on track with your productivity.
