Hey you.
You there.
Youhoo.
I can just about picture the scene…
You’re halfway through a pack of chocolate digestives well before ‘elevenses’ while staring blankly at your laptop screen. You’re wondering if the inspiration [read: motivation] for that piece of work will eventually rear its head. But before it does, you’ll have a nosey on Facebook to see what everyone got up to at the weekend. Maybe you’ll put a wash load on. Perhaps you’ll even start prepping your lunch. *
I get it; working from home can be tough - and that’s before we touch on the occasional loneliness that comes with having no colleagues. Not even one. Sob.
It’s no walk in the park this ‘trying to get started when a mid-morning Netflix binge seems more tempting’ lark. If working from home wasn’t a choice for you, I appreciate it might feel tougher yet.
So here’s my tried and trusted anti-procrastination guide to help anyone who’s suddenly found themselves doing their day job from the kitchen table. Read on…
*Mmm cheese toastie. With extra cheese.
Get ‘It’ Out Of Your System
A lot of people find it hard to work when there’s a ‘niggle’ in the room.
Your ‘niggle’ might be the pile of non-work related bills that need seeing to. Or it could be the dirty dishes, in the kitchen-cum-office, that need stacking in the dishwasher. It may even be the fact that the desk needs a clean, the floor needs a hoover, or your pen holder needs a good declutter. Just get rid of that dried-out biro, John.
Whatever it is that’s putting you off getting down to some serious work, get it out of your system. Allow yourself half an an hour to dedicate to the niggle and then get to work. I promise you’ll feel much better when you’ve done whatever ‘pressing’ job you think is coming between you and getting sh*t done.
Create a Clutter-free Workspace
This one goes hand in hand with the point above, but it really does work wonders for your motivation. Tidy desk, tidy mind and all that.
Overhaul your home office by giving it a mini spring clean before you start work (this works best when you do it the night before) and I reckon you’ll be ready and raring to go by 9am.
Top tip: fresh flowers cheer me up no end - and oddly enough, that makes me work harder. Add some to your desk and see if they do the same.
Work in One-Hour Intervals
Cast your mind back to your GCSE and A’Levels, when you carefully devised your own revision timetable, with hour-long slots by subject, wedged between 10-minute breaks and a glorious hour or 90-minute stop for lunch.
Do the same when you’re working from home and you’re bound to be productive.
When working from your house, the 9am to 5pm day doesn’t always work. So, tell yourself you’ll do an hour’s solid work, before ‘treating’ yourself to a five-minute break at the end of it. Of course, if your boss is virtually breathing down your neck while you’re working from home, this might not work as well, so make sure you devise a system that complements your workload and go from there.
Three is the Magic Number
We can start to procrastinate when we feel overwhelmed, so try not to overface yourself with too many tasks. True, you may have a lot of tasks, but don’t add them all to your to-do list. Instead, add three at a time to any one list, as it’ll then seem much more manageable.
Once you’ve rattled through your three tasks, start a new list of three items - and so on. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Treat Yo’Self
We humans thrive off rewards - and if we’re not gaining face-to-face compliments from a boss for our hard work, we can damn well treat ourselves by setting up some incentives for finishing that piece.
For example, once you’ve ticked one sizable project off your list, you’ll serve yourself a slice of cake. Once you’ve done another, you’ll treat yourself to a half-an-hour tea break and a quick episode of that series you’re getting stuck into. The latter works best over lunch.
Believe me when I say that short, sharp bursts of productivity ensure you can boost your productivity game no end.
Chill Out, Man
With all the above being said, some days you’re just going to be more productive than others - and in my book, that’s okay. You may rattle through an hour’s less work on Monday and work an extra 60 minutes or so on Tuesday. It’s fine. Particularly during a pandemic, when what we’re all really trying to do is stay well and stay sane.
Make Plans
I find that I’m more productive in the day if I’ve made solid plans for the evening. Okay, so you can’t go too far at the moment, but you can still schedule in a bit of time out - whether that’s a nice evening stroll or a socially distanced meal out with your family.
Make plans, if you feel up to it. And focus on the fact that when you’re out for that walk, or tucking into your pie and chips down the pub, you’ll really feel like you’ve earned it.
Over and out.
Tell me, how do you stop yourself from procrastinating while working from home? Comment here on my Yorkshire copywriter blog post - I’d be keen to hear your own top tips.
Until next time…