Overwhelmed by Working from Home?

By: Brooke M. Dukes

10 Tips to Lower Stress and Increase Productivity While Working Remotely

Are you one of the millions of remote workers that are reshaping the workforce following the pandemic?

A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that most remote workers are doing so by choice rather than necessity. Just because you choose to work from home doesn’t mean that you aren’t struggling to find ways to create a workspace and routine that will allow you to be your most productive.

Although many employers believe that employees who work from home are less productive than their in-office counterparts as the workforce has shifted after the pandemic, many studies show that remote workers are 5 to 9 percent more productive than those working in a physical office. In addition, remote work leads to improved work–life balance, preventing burnout and increasing productivity and retention. There is clear data to support improvement in worker productivity directly linked to remote work: The Surprising Truth About Remote Work Productivity.

However, according to a survey by Airtasker, telecommuters, have also shown that working from home can be more stressful than working at an office:

• 54% of remote workers and 49% of office workers said they felt "overly stressed during the workday." 
• 45% of remote workers and 42% of office workers "experienced high levels of anxiety during the workday." 
• 37% of remote workers and 35% of office workers said they "procrastinated on a task until its deadline." 

So how DO you find that work/life balance that will allow you to meet your deadlines, maximize your work time and enjoy the benefits of working from home?

10 useful tips to help you lower your stress and increase your productivity while working from home:

1. Prepare an “office” space in your home. Choose a location that is quiet. Be sure to give your family members your “office hours” and ask to not be disturbed during those hours. While in your home office, use a desk and comfortable chair. Don’t sit in the bed or slouched on a couch. Finally, be sure to create a professional atmosphere. 
2. Each night, do a brain dump to write down outcomes for the next day.
3. Set your alarm for the same time you would if you were going into the office.
4. Use the added time you gain from not driving into the office for self-care; do the things you always tell yourself you need to do but never have time for: meditate, exercise, read a personal or professional self-help book.
5. Take a shower and get ready as if you were seeing colleagues or clients - give your brain triggers to know it's time to get to work.
6. Prioritize the outcomes you wrote down the night before and add more outcomes if needed. 
7. Make a schedule for the day and add them to your calendar: prospecting, follow up phone calls and emails, prospect meetings, breaks, market research, networking. 
8. Many people find success using the Pomodoro Technique: 
• Choose a task.
• Work on it for 25 minutes
• Put a checkmark on a sheet of paper after the 25 minutes are up.
• Take a five-minute break, which marks the completion of one "Pomodoro" sprint.
• After every four Pomodoro sprints, take a longer break.
• Continue this throughout the day until your workday is over.
9. Limit your time responding to emails and browsing social media. 
• Let your colleagues and clients know that you will be checking email three times per day; morning, midday, and evening. 
• Check social media one time during the day. 
10. If you start to feel overwhelmed, get out of the house and go for a walk to clear your head; sometimes you just have to get away. 

If you’d like to learn more ways to work from home efficiently and effectively, please contact Brooke to get a conversation started.

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As a CEO, Chief Sales Officer, President, Master Trainer, and Executive Consultant for over 20 years, Brooke M Dukes has worked with C-suite executives, leaders, and entrepreneurs to identify the parts of their life that are holding them back. She has created personalized plans designed to meet them where they are, determine where they want to go, and create a strategy for how to get there.

Whether the goal is personal growth or professional development, Brooke supports leaders and teams in understanding, influencing, and transforming human behavior.