Working from home? Here’s how you can level up your productivity?

Before the onset of COVID-19, we used to follow a pattern of chores and tasks spread throughout the day. Our typical day included housework in the morning, travelling to the office, working for 8–9 hours, getting back home and aiming for 8 hours of sleep. All these tasks easily described our 24-hour day which gave us less or no time to reflect on all the productive work we did in the day. The things that kept us busy tricked our minds to think it as a productive day instead of just a busy day. Personally, considering the time it takes to reach and return from the office without doing anything productive, travelling is exhausting for me.

Humans thrive on productivity; the inner urge to create something. When I say productivity it means more than the work we indulge in the office. Productivity has more to do with improving yourself than just making a good customer pitch, rolling out a new project or cracking a new client and feeling good about it. Beginning last year, during the work from the home period or say the new normal, I tried engaging myself diligently to deliver my work commitments, however; I missed the feeling of achieving something substantial, something which I never thought off while working from the office. So, it helped me understand that “being busy is not the same as being productive.” So how can we do something productive with all the distractions we encounter?

Here are a few tips and techniques you could delve into as these worked wonderfully for me.

1. Make room for personal space: Spending some time with family after coming from the office is what most of us want. It refreshes our mood and relaxes our minds after a hectic day. Working from home allowed us little/no time to focus on ourselves. As much as our family needs our time in the same way we must take some time for ourselves. Spending quality time on your own can significantly relax your mind and promote clarity of thought and action. Some activities you can opt for are reading a book, listening to music, taking a walk or decluttering and organizing your space.
2. Meditate: I think most of you reading will consider this recommendation as not suitable for all but believe me it works for all, provided you choose the right technique and devote undivided attention to the process. A beginner’s meditation doesn’t need to be an hour-long process. I consider meditation as a time of introspection and self-motivation. You can just sit at a quiet place and channel your awareness inwards, you may want to try breathing techniques or chanting as well to help increase your focus day by day. A committed daily practice will surely allow you to witness and value the incremental changes in your reactions, responses and perspective.
3. Pick a new hobby or learn some tricks: Yes, I mean tricks, I’m not talking about enrolling for Java training or getting a Cloud certification. Most of us associate learning with a technical/professional skill that can help accelerate our career, however; we must keep ourselves engaged by learning something new that inspires us, is fun and allows us to experience a lighter side to life. I suggest picking a new hobby or developing an interest you’ve always wanted to. Enrol for an online guitar class, a dance class or a yoga class. As you progress and hone your hobbies/skills you will experience an innate sense of achievement which is quite rewarding.
4. One good habit at a time: We all want to develop good habits like exercising, reading a book, waking up early morning and why not? After all, good habits define who you are. But we make a mistake when we overwhelm ourselves by indulging in a mechanical self-improvement agenda and being harsh on our bodies and minds. . We have all heard the famous 21-day rule that implies that if we do something for 21 days — it turns into a habit. This is a gradual change where your body/mind accepts and adapts to the new goals! So, select an activity/goal of your choice and make it a habit that benefits you.

To conclude, I would highlight that these tips and techniques go hand in hand with self-discipline because the key to better results reside in how self-disciplined you are. Our persistence will ensure that we become better versions of ourselves each day and be highly productive in a holistic way.

Author: Ritwik Khandekar, Technical Architect, Dentsu World Services