We’ve found ourselves living in somewhat unfamiliar times. Coronavirus has pushed many of us into working from home, whether we’re capable of facilitating WFH work or not.
While the topic of WFH is certainly not cutting edge by any stretch of the imagination, the devastating effects of COVID-19 have certainly made many businesses and employees transition from offices to home-offices much more swiftly than expected.
Many workers will undoubtedly welcome the move into spending time WFH. But do home comforts lead to drops in productivity and rises in instances of procrastination?
With many of us adapting to life working from home and similar expectations from our workloads, it could be difficult to adapt to shut out or distractions and home comforts in order to continue to perform to our expectations.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to ensure that we stay as switched on as possible and distraction-free as we transition from our office to our living rooms, spare rooms and bedrooms. There are also plenty of productivity tools available to help us on our way. Let’s take a deeper look at the apps, software and digital platforms that are on hand to save us from the temptations of procrastination:
Plan, Plan, Plan
(Image: Wunderlist)
Failure to prepare is the equivalent of preparing to fail. Procrastination can set in whenever we’re unaware of what we’re doing and unable to figure out where to start.
Planning your day from the outset can be a little bit time consuming but it can really work wonders in easing your workload as the day progresses.
Fortunately, there are plenty of online tools that can help to plan your workload, and Wunderlist is a leading free option. Evernote is also highly popular and widely used.
Utilising tools to help you keep on top of your workload means that you’ll have no moments where you’re left meandering while wondering what task to tend to next. Without those meandering minutes, you’ll easily resist the temptation of logging onto Facebook and checking your Twitter feed.
Effective planning can also help to break up your day a little and ensure that you take regular breaks. While breaktimes might sound like an excuse to indulge in procrastinating activities, it can help your brain reset and prevent burnout.
Optimise Your Communication
(Image: Zoom)
Keeping in regular contact with colleagues is a great productivity aid as you’ll be able to take on and delegate tasks in a way that encourages you to be proactive.
Simple email and instant messaging applications are a great way of keeping in touch with colleagues and clients, but video conferencing can really help you to communicate in a stronger manner. Video helps us to not only listen to each other but witness each other’s expressions and body language to better interpret what’s being said.
There are plenty of great video conferencing apps out there to use to communicate efficiently with other workers. Zoom has emerged as a popular choice throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but old favourites like Skype and Google Hangouts perform admirably too.
Use Productivity Tools Where Available
Life WFH is difficult even without the spectre of procrastination. In offices, we’re aided by premium tools and software packages that we may not have available to us at home.
It’s a testament to some companies’ goodwill during difficult times that certain services have been made freely available during the time of widespread lockdown. OpenForBusiness.org is a hub that’s compiled a range of services that are usually paid for and listed them for individuals and companies to adopt during the time of WFH.
On the pages of OpenForBusiness, users can enjoy anything from video conferencing platforms, to password management systems, to general productivity apps and file-sharing tools.
Other productivity tools to aid your WFH life include performance monitoring platforms like Google Analytics and productivity organisers like Evernote.
Remember to keep on the lookout for procrastination cues and nip them in the bud before they have a chance to take hold. There are apps available to help stave off the temptation of checking Facebook and other tempting applications, and AppDetox is among the best of its kind in terms of helping users to tune out the outside world and continue to focus on the tasks at hand.
Remember To Practice Mindfulness
(Image: The Next Web)
Perhaps above all else, be sure to find the right tools to help you to practice mindfulness. One of the biggest causes of procrastination can stem from unhappiness. With many of us facing a prolonged amount of time WFH within self-isolation, it’s natural that we may begin to feel lonely and unhappy.
It’s important to speak to those who you share a living space with, and vital that you make time to talk to your friends remotely.
Be sure to practice mindfulness in your spare time and find some relaxing hobbies to keep you occupied and happy away from work.
Meditation-based apps like Aura can help to lower your levels of stress and anxiety while Breethe can allow you to control your breathing and find relaxation when things feel like they’re getting the better of you.
Coronavirus has caused plenty of unhappiness and devastation globally. In times like these, it’s important to remember to talk to the people close to you - even if it’s only over the phone. Also, remember to talk to them. Apps and tools can work wonders in keeping you productive, but it’s important to stay safe too during these difficult times.