10 Best Tips to Stay Productive and Connected While You Work from Home

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, you’re probably concerned about what may follow next while you’re working from home.

a teacher working from home

Being away from your co-workers and workplace can be very challenging; thus, we need the best tips to stay productive and connected while working from home.

Working online is just so different.

Working from home can give you a sense of independence, but it can be isolating at times.

Additionally, remote working can still give you opportunities to become productive and collaborative.

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You just have to explore strategies and tips on how to remain an active employee and always connect with your colleagues.

Use these suggestions to help you establish stronger connections with your colleagues and the school community.

Remote work can never be boring if you learn the best tips to stay productive and connected at home.

10 Best Tips to Stay Productive and Connected While You Work from Home

While you’re working from home, you may find it difficult to maintain a high level of productivity.

Managing the demands of your regular teaching loads with those of your family and other responsibilities is quite challenging.

Listed below are 10 suggestions to assist you so you keep on top of your chores, optimize communication, and meet deadlines when working from home.

1. Declutter and organize your home office

decluttering the workspace at home

Decluttering and organizing your home office is imperative when you want to stay productive and connected while you work from home.

Initially, you would have to clear out some space at home so you have a definite workstation, free from clutter and distractions.

If you really wish to grow in your profession while working at home, save space for your work. Don’t just work anywhere at home.

Get ready with your desktop table, drawers, and filing cabinets. Keep only your essentials.

Being organized doesn’t mean you have a lot of things in front of you. Just take note of your necessary materials and make them accessible.

2. Own strong internet connectivity at home

Get updated with strong internet broadband providers in your area. In today’s excitable modern society, one of the major gripes you can have when you work from home is a slow internet connection.

To avoid being disconnected, choose a trusted internet service provider in your place.

Just imagine having an interactive discussion with your students via Google Meet and then suddenly the connection gets lost.

Choosing an internet service provider with impressive broadband speed can help you get connected and become productive while you work from home.

High-speed internet really can make a significant impact on your life and your career.

3. Set and plan a daily routine

Work out a schedule for work and for your family so you won’t be cramming and struggling.

For a more organized routine, consider waking up early so you can accomplish chores before your online classes begin. This is to avoid an overloaded work week.

Just coordinate everything with the school principal or your employer so you can make adjustments to your routine and no overlapping of tasks will happen.

Take time to plan. As Dale Carnegie puts it, “An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing.”

4. Install the online platforms to be used

Working remotely requires the installation of reliable online platforms on all your dedicated devices.

To make things as smooth as possible, the online platforms recommended by your school or your work should be on your gadgets long before the opening of classes begin.

With the correct and legit software tools, you and your colleagues can remain productive and connected on days that you work from home.

Just that the right online platforms should be installed and ready on your devices.

5. Familiarize yourself with the online tools to be used

Working from home would mean taking advantage of the advances in technology.

Nonetheless, to become productive and connected, you’ve got to familiarize yourself with the online tools to be used.

Real-time communication is possible if you are well-versed in using the software tools.

In the same vein as ensuring that you and your co-workers are kept informed, you must also verify that all lines of communication are open and easily available.

Familiarizing yourself with the features of MS Teams or Zoom, for example, make you confident in navigating the software tools while working from home.

Consequently, you won’t miss important virtual meetings and classes and won’t fall behind.

6. Prepare a to-do list

preparing a to-do list

It can be hard to stay organized when tasks are doubling. As a result, it becomes harder for you to adjust and achieve your work goals.

Maintaining a regular to-do list will help you stay on track. Write out a task list for the following day so you’ll be guided.

Outline what you need to accomplish and by when you need to achieve it.

If you’re attending faculty meetings or making phone calls, make sure to include them as well.

When you log on the following morning, you should be able to access that list right away, which will aid in getting your day off to a productive start.

7. Be mindful of your work schedule

Do you specifically set time checking out emails? Is taking breaks part of your daily schedule?

While practicing mindfulness while you work from home may sound like a good principle, how can you actually achieve it?

Assume that you will have to deal with emails, checking students’ outputs, communicating with parents and colleagues, conferences, and other presentations.

With so much going on, you can stay productive and connected by embedding mindfulness into your system to feel more engaged and present, while still productive.

To maintain productivity while you work from home, you should be mindful of your work schedule. It should be printed and placed on your table or posted on the wall.

What time is your first-period class? If it’s early, then waking up earlier than scheduled can help you make necessary preparations before you begin your day.

Avoid rushing and cramming. Hence, waking up early is a perfect strategy to help you stick with your work schedule.

By being mindful of work you can do your best and enjoy productive moments.

8.  Get ready with your teaching must-haves and materials

One way of making your students know that you’re consciously present is by getting ready with your teaching essentials, materials, and presentations.

This should not only be just written in your plan but should be made visible and accessible.

Your instructional materials can create a vibrant online classroom community.

As you facilitate learning activities, your visual aids and presentations can enliven the moment-to-moment experiences of your students.

Above all, getting ready with your teaching must-haves each day is a sign that you’re really preparing for the meaningful learning experiences of your students.

Although learning is made at a distance, your students can feel your sincerity and commitment through your efforts.

9. Always stay motivated and optimistic

Online classrooms operate in a different manner than regular classes. These classrooms have a tendency to feel chilly and impersonal and you find it a challenge to optimize motivation in your students.

Just stay motivated and optimistic with your role as a facilitator of learning while you work from home.

Your students will feel more at ease and engaged if you take the time to start your classes with energized conversations and activities.

Make your students feel connected and important. Encourage involvement for this will make your students do more in your class.

10. Practice self-love

Only so much time can you put in at a particular work. If you need as effective and productive as possible, you need to include it in your schedule regular pauses and allow your mind and body to rest.

Take a few minutes every hour or so to stand up and sip your coffee. Or just take time to refill your water bottle.

When I work from home, I usually spend minutes outside my designated workspace and crack jokes with anyone at home. Take a break from work for a while to allow your mind to rest and refuel.

Practicing self-love is self-care. It’s vital to create a balance between your work and personal life. Having a proper lunch or taking time to interact with your kids at home is creating a distinction in your work and in your own life.

Define your job and personal limits so that there is a stark difference between the hours you must work and the time you have for yourself.

<<<For additional insights on how to be productive while working from home, watch this video.

Conclusion

Certainly, working from home presents its own set of difficulties. However, creating a routine, communicating clearly with family and with your colleagues, and limiting distractions in your designated workspace can help to stay productive and connected.

While it is crucial to complete your professional tasks, it is also imperative to take time to unwind, spend time with your family, and simply relax.

The tips mentioned above can help you manage both your professional and personal lives, and make certain that you maintain fair boundaries.