You have a busy day ahead full of tedious tasks working from home. You know you have to get them all done but you have little motivation to do it. Do you find yourself procrastinating a lot during the day and having to stay up late to get all of your tasks done?
Procrastination in a huge problem in today’s society. After all, you have a smartphone at your fingertips and a million other things you can do when you are in the house. But, putting off the inevitable really is wasting your time. Think about it, when you deal with all of your work tasks, you have more time in the day for the things you want to do. Here are some tips to stop procrastinating when you are working from home and how to regain some control over your time.
Have a Timeline
If you have a lot of deadlines you have to get done, it is time to have a schedule. Creating a timeline can be exactly what you need to focus. You can schedule in breaks for snacks and beverages, as well as the things you enjoy. But, if you stick to your timeline, you can make sure that you still get everything done. When you have completed a task, you can tick it off your list and feel a sense of accomplishment. Working from home means that you are in charge of your productivity. You can create accountability with a timeline.
Still Have Downtime
A lot of people think that you have to work 24/7 in order to be productive. But, this is not true. If you work long hours without a sufficient break, this can be what leads to procrastination So, when you are arranging your timeline and creating a schedule, make sure that you have breaks in there. This should be time where you get to relax and come away from your work desk. For example, some people like to go for a walk during this time to clear their mind. Others will like to catch up on television shows they have missed. Either way, still have downtime to recharge your batteries.
Create a Work Zone
If working from home is new to you, you need to create your own office space. You may think that this is not something you need. But, if you find yourself procrastinating during the day, then you need to try it. For example, surrounding yourself with things that you like is going to make you more likely to do them. If you work in the living room, you are more likely to turn on the television to watch it for just five minutes. This then turns into 20 minutes. If you work in your bed, you are likely to feel tired and want to do something else. All of these environments do not encourage you to work.
Thus, set up your own office. Keep it minimal and you can know that this is the zone you work in. When you have no distractions around you, you may find that you concentrate on what you are doing more and get your work done.
Start with the Worst Tasks
There are always going to be tasks at work you do not want to do. But, at the end of the day, they still have to get done. The best way to avoid procrastination is to get these tedious tasks out the way early doors. In other words, schedule them in to be completed first thing in the morning when you are fresh from a night’s sleep. You are going to feel so much better when they are done and out the way. This can actually make the rest of your day productive too.
Do Not Beat Yourself Up
One thing to remember is that not every day working from home is going to be perfect. There are going to be some days that you are very productive and get all of your tasks done. On other days, you are going to be procrastinating a lot. If the latter happens, you need to learn not to beat yourself up about it. Let it happen that day and tell yourself that the next day is going to be different. Do not dwell on it and realise you cannot change the past. Instead, you can least from your procrastination and make sure that the next day is very productive. You do not want to bring bad energy into a new day.
