Work smarter, not harder.  That’s the goal, right? However, working remotely during COVID presents many challenges to productivity with endless distractions.  According to an article by Business Insider, LIndsey Marx, who manages several blogs at bestcompany.com, states “When you work at home, it is much easier to get distracted by kids, pets, and things to do at home like laundry,”  Along with distractions, working from home can make it really easy to be lazy and not be as productive as you would be when you are required to focus in the office.” Simply by improving your time management skills, you can increase productivity not only in your job, but in other areas of your life as well. Here are 3 tools you can implement that should result in increased productivity.

Set Up a System/Schedule

One of the most impactful ways to increase productivity is to have systems in place that will help you be more efficient throughout the day.  Having a routine set up each day helps not only to ensure all your tasks are completed, but that you allocate the appropriate time for each task.

One thing that can be incredibly helpful, if you do it routinely at the end of your work day, is to create your to do list for the following day.  Any unfinished tasks from your day will be fresh on your mind, and you can look ahead to what you need to focus on the following day.  When you begin your new work day, this will alleviate any time wasted trying to remember what needs to be done and you can immediately get started on the tasks at hand.  

Another valuable thing you can do to increase productivity is to schedule chunks of time into your calendar.  Most likely, your work calendar is filled with meetings, and you squeeze in task completion wherever it can fit into your schedule.  One of the best ways to increase your time management, is to actually schedule time blocks for task completion into your calendar. Block off chunks of time throughout the day to work on various tasks and projects.  The more specific you can be with the time blocks, the more productive you are likely to be. Setting aside 15-30 minutes for certains tasks will allow you to focus on the task at hand and should help weed out any distractions.  

Another approach to maintaining time efficiency  is to keep your inbox clean and to create  email templates for the types of emails you send routinely.  Just like at the end of the day you create your to do list, go through your inbox and do your best to clean it up.  This will allow you to start right into work each day rather than play catch up when you begin the following day. By creating email templates for the emails you consistently send out, you will save time from having to recreate new emails and looking through your sent folder to copy and paste.

Set Reminders or Alarms 

Setting reminders or alarms for weekly and daily tasks is an easy way to ensure you complete those tasks on time.  Most projects have smaller sub-tasks that can slip under the radar and be easily forgotten, but by simply setting a reminder on your computer or your phone, you can ensure these tasks or paperwork get done on time.  

Another way to use reminders and/or alarms is to divide up your larger tasks.  It can be helpful to tackle larger projects by setting aside 25-30 minute intervals to work on one project at a time. This helps to keep your mind fresh and focused.  

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method which employs this approach. The idea is that you choose a task and you spend 25 minutes working on that one task.  Once your 25 minutes are up, you take a 5 minute break.  By creating smaller goals, your tasks become more manageable and you are less likely to get overwhelmed when doing a larger task or project.  By allowing yourself 25 minutes of focused time, you are likely able to eliminate distractions such as incoming emails, team chats, etc.  

Minimize Distractions

Multitasking isn’t actually possible; people cannot do two things at once.  When people attempt to do two things at once, they are actually just switching back and forth between the two tasks, and in turn just slowing down their productivity altogether .  By taking your time, doing the task correctly the first time, you’ll find your productivity and your quality of work both increase.  Your best course of action is going to be to eliminate any distractions.  

While you are working on a specific task for 30 minutes that might mean you need to close your email and chat for that timeframe to allow you to finish the task at hand.  Putting away your cell phone, keeping your desk or work area clean & clutter free, and keeping unnecessary interactions short will help minimize distractions and keep you focused.  

(Bonus) Take a Mental Break

After working for 30 minute intervals, sometimes your brain just needs a quick break.  That can be as simple as taking a quick 5-10 minute walk outside to get some fresh air, grab a drink of water or a snack, or just move around the office/house.  Simply take a few minutes to take your eyes away from your computer screen in whatever means suits you best.  Too often, people make the mistake of thinking they must stay busy working throughout the entirety of their day.  However, being busy is not the same thing as being productive.  It is important to let your brain rest for a bit so that when you start into your work again, you are recharged and refocused, and you can be highly productive.

Forbes states, (Tony Schwartz’s) “research shows that humans naturally move from full focus and energy to physiological fatigue every 90 minutes” and a study by The Draugiem Group discovered that their top ten most productive employees didn’t actually work more hours.  They actually took more breaks than anyone else.  Whether you work longer time blocks with longer breaks, or you keep with the 25 minutes of work and a 5 minute break, find what will make you most productive.

Conclusion

Implementing these time management skills is a sure fire way to increase your productivity in your job and make you stand out among your peers. 

About the Author

Bethany Hyde is an executive assistant for Stone Door Group, a DevOps Solutions Integrator. She spends her waking day managing a host of corporate functions for our distributed global and remote workforce at Stone Door Group. To learn more about DevOps and Digital Transformation or to ask Beth for some tips on staying organized, drop us a line at letsdothis@stonedoorgroup.com.