6 Ways to Be More Productive When Working from Home

There is a growing uptick of professionals from various backgrounds working from home. According to globalanalytics.com, the regular work-at-home, the non-self-employed population has grown by 115% since 2005. One study demonstrates that with the proper at-home set-up and at-home worker policy for corporate employees, 77 percent of work-at-home professionals were more productive than their peers and able to do the same work in fewer hours (Forbes.com).

How can you be more productive when working from home?

Here are six steps you can take towards achieving higher efficiency:

Take an Inventory of Your Current Work-At-Home Set-Up
How old is your equipment? Do you have dual monitor capabilities? How is your headset? How is the overhead lighting? Do you have a charging station? How mobile are you? If you are using internet connection, do you have a backup plan for when your internet does down?
Taking an inventory of your equipment and keeping it functional will be critical to your success.

Perform an Ergonomics Check
Is your current home office work-at-home friendly? Sometimes, we minimize the importance of having an ergonomic environment for productivity. While some of us roll our eyes at the thought of evaluating our home office for ergonomic readiness and standards, we should not underestimate the importance of a healthy home office design. A healthy home office environment can significantly increase your productivity ten-fold.
According to Forbes, there are three key areas we all should consider creating a health work-at-home environment.

Good Lighting
Lighting is a significant character in your home office. Ultimately, you need adequate light to do your work, but too much lighting whether from the ceiling, your office window or computer screen can be damaging to the eyes. If working in an office with a window, try to position your computer so that it is not in front of the window or so that your back is to the window. Instead, try to set your computer up alongside the window.

Monitor Set-Up
Tilt your monitor so that you do not have place any strain on your neck. Looking down or continuously holding your head at an awkward angle can create some significant tension on your neck.

Choose an Ergonomic Office Chair or Adjustable Desk
Your office chair is a vital asset to your ergonomically-friendly office. Initially, you may feel the need to buy the most affordable chair, but a poorly constructed chair can wreak havoc on your spine and sciatic nerve with prolonged sitting. Instead, invest in a chair that allows for flexible height adjustment and provides adequate neck and lumbar support. Failure to take care of your neck and back may contribute to lost work hours.
An adjustable desk is another option. Adjustable desks enable you to reduce the risk of spine and neck injuries. Also, they are a super option for allowing you to stand at your desk and get a bit of circulation and lower your risk for those health issues that go with sitting at your desk for prolonged periods.

Establish a Routine
You are probably tired of hearing about the importance of setting up a routine that you complete each day. After all, working from home should afford you some degree of flexibility –right? Yes, working from home does provide with quite a bit of flexibility. You may not necessarily have to work during the hours of 9 to 5, but you should have a core set of tasks that you are working through each day. However, if you want to see your productivity levels increase significantly, you should establish a routine for navigating your work day.
Find a Path to Fitness
Working from home can sometimes make you forget all about taking care of your physical health. Look for ways to carve out time during the day for a fit break. Your fit break does not have to be anything elaborate or extreme. Take a walk. Go for a bike ride. Slip into a Zumba Class. Find a way to get your blood circulating. Fitness is a great way to get those creative juices flowing.

Build Your Network
Working from home should not kill your network of peers or access to professionals who have similar or stronger knowledge, skills, and ability than yourself. These connections could serve as a lifeline for boosting your productivity.
Leverage social media (i.e., LinkedIn) or have lunch with your peers who live in the same city or metro area as you. Maintaining your connections will not only enable you to stay current with your industry, but it will also help to create a potential lifeline to resources.

Multi-tasking is a No-No
Multi-tasking is a no-no in the land of productivity. Although you might feel like you are knocking things out and taking numbers, the reality is that you may not only be losing time in productivity, but the quality of your work can suffer.
These are six ways to be more productive when working from home. Remember to take the time to re-evaluate the work you are doing every three to six months. Flag those areas you need to improve to boost productivity and get rid of the obstacles.