From Home to High Efficiency: Proven Tips for Productivity

It's been one month and a half now since we at Consentmo started working remotely and based on our experience we wanted to share with you our tips and tricks on how to stay productive even when you need to work from home and you are not sure on when this whole thing will end...

Without further ado, here is our list: 

1. Have a Morning Routine

Before the lockdown kicked in, you used to get up early to prepare yourself for going to work. Now you have the luxury to sleep until 5 min before starting work, which is not necessarily the worst thing in the world, but without even realizing it this habit will slowly but surely kill your productivity and motivation for work. That is why we would recommend getting a few minutes earlier. If you have a morning routine in which you prepare a little breakfast, have a coffee and do a small chore around the house like cleaning up the living room, you will kick start the day with the energy of having something done and you will be able to carry over this energy into your day and be even more productive. 

2. Keep a clean environment 

You may have already heard this, but if your environment is clean then your thoughts will also be more focused and organized. I think that there is a very simple explanation behind this. If you constantly get distracted because your space is cluttered, you will never be able to fully focus on something and get it done. If on the other hand, your environment is cleaned and organized (something that you can actually get done in your Morning Routine) this will allow you to minimize the distractions, feel better in your place and be more productive and motivated to smash your tasks for the day.

3. Have a dedicated workspace 

Now that your environment is organized, you will need to create a dedicated workspace that you will use only for work. My work desk has everything that I need, including daylight which is really important for me. I tend to change the position of my desk every other week, so I can get new inspiration out if it which also keeps me inspired and motivated every day. I also like to keep some plants around me, so I could glance at something green when I want my eyes to rest a little bit from the computer. 

4. Take Breaks 

We are missing a lot of the normal activities that we used to take for granted before. Going to work, climbing stairs, going out for lunch, these are all good examples. With this current situation, we are more likely to forget about moving around and just spend hours and hours in front of the computer. That is why taking breaks is essential. Take a break to go to the balcony just to absorb some sunlight and breath the air outside. Take a break to generally move your body around. There are so many tutorials and videos covering this subject that I'm pretty sure you will be able to find a good example easily and follow it yourself. Don't forget that your body needs to move. 

5. Socialize with your colleagues

Communication is the key here. As we are all working remotely sometimes we need to overcommunicate. In many cases, we realized that it is way better to have a call with someone in order to discuss a case rather than chat about it, as this usually takes way more time. We also try to always find time to have a team meeting once a week in which we share all kinds of information, from work-related topics to movie recommendations and home workout equipment. It's a great way to keep the team spirit up and compensate for the missed conversations that we would usually have in the office. 

6. Remain positive and cut yourself some slack 

It's easy to overwork from home as you don't feel the normal start-end of the workday. Try to be as productive as possible during the day, but also try to remain within a normal working schedule. Once your workday is over, try to create an after-work cool-down routine. For me, the cooling-down routine usually looks like this: home workout, shower, dinner time, some time for reading, watching a movie or whatever I feel doing that night and then going to bed in a reasonable hour, so I could get early the next day and start with my morning routine before work. Thus we complete the circle. 

The most important thing of all is to of course remain positive. I know it's easier said than done, but we all need to try and pull the best out of this situation. You now have the time to finish that interesting book you started 2 years ago, or start a new tv series or plant that herb garden on the balcony. There are so many things that you can do with your time right now, and there is always a way to make this a happy experience for yourself so you could feel productive for another week of working from home. It will soon be over and we will all be out again, we just need to be a little patient and keep ourselves busy. ☺️

If you want to share some of your tips and tricks of keeping a productive work-life from home, please feel free to do so in the comment section below.