Three Big Productivity Challenges of Working from Home (And How to Overcome Them)
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More people are working from home than ever these days. That trend's likely to continue for the foreseeable future. And why shouldn't it?
Telecommuting means no wasted time on the bus or train. It means not having to deal with the stress of morning rush hour or the distractions of the office. But it also means facing down a whole new set of productivity challenges.
We've outlined the three biggest ones below, along with advice on how to deal with them.
The World Wide Web (of distractions)
By far, the biggest challenge most home workers experience involves the very tool they use to enable themselves. We're speaking, of course, about the internet. From endlessly scrolling Facebook to Wikipedia deep dives, from Netflix binges to countless hours spent gaming, there's no shortage of distractions online.
It doesn't help that these sources are all constantly vying for your attention, even while you're working. Smartphone notifications, web ads, mailing lists, and automatic updates all constantly hang just at the edge of your focus, grasping and scrabbling at your mind in an effort to tear you from your work. Truth be told, it's a wonder people get anything done while telecommuting.
But somehow, they do.
The people who manage to stay productive at home aren't warlocks, nor are they particularly exceptional compared to everyone else. They just understand how to minimize distractions and focus on their work. Here are a few steps you can take to do the same:
- Start every day with a brief self-care routine. Take as much time as you've available to you to go for a quick run. Spend a bit of time on the exercise bike. Watch the sunrise with a cup of tea. Whatever it takes to help you wake up, perk up, and focus.
- Establish a schedule, and stick to it. Stick to your job during working hours, and leave household chores for afterward.
- Minimize unnecessary distractions in your workspace. Turn off the TV, avoid podcasts, and listen to music that energizes you without being distracted. Human beings cannot multitask, and anyone who thinks they can is lying to themselves.
- Whenever possible, put your phone on silent. A single alert can easily break your focus and derail whatever you're attempting to work on if you allow it.
- If necessary, consider installing an app designed to reduce distractions such as Freedom.
"Wait, what was I supposed to do again?"
When you work from home, you don't have colleagues to chat up in your downtime. You don't have people in your immediate vicinity that you can bounce ideas off. You don't have managers or team leaders to keep you focused and on-task.
In short, when it comes to organizing your workflow and staying on-task, you're effectively on your own.
Some people work well with such unrestricted freedom. They thrive in a liberated environment that allows them to choose not only what they work on, but when they work on it. As for the rest of us, trying to stay organized in such a workplace can feel like trying to stay afloat while chained to an anchor.
In addition to cutting down on distractions, working from home means addressing not only your time management but also your ability to prioritize. Consider using a digital Kanban board like Trello or Airtable to keep track of your workplace responsibilities, and spend a bit of time each morning figuring out which tasks need immediate attention. If your office uses a collaboration tool like Slack, install it, and stay in regular contact with colleagues.
The most important thing here is to understand not only your limits but also how you work and adjust your to-do lists accordingly.
Experiencing technical difficulties
Last but certainly not least, working from home means you don't have immediate access to an IT department. When something goes wrong with your software or hardware (and it will), it's usually up to you to fix it. Unfortunately, that most often takes the form of several hours on the phone with tech support.
That said, you can mitigate this a bit by investing in the right equipment. In our experience, one of the most common technological bottlenecks involves your printer. These pieces of tech have a reputation as productivity nightmares, stymying the workday with everything from paper jams to Wi-Fi disconnects to arcane software errors.
Not all printers are created equal, though. The OfficeJet Pro 9015, for instance, is an all-in-one system designed to eliminate the most common pain points of printer technology. Whether you're a small business owner or a professional working from home, the OfficeJet Pro's easy app-guided set up gets you started in minutes, while its self-healing WiFi will address any connectivity issues you might encounter.
The OfficeJet Pro 9015 also offers fast print speeds, professional print quality, and the ability to quickly scan, print, and save documents with the HP Smart App. Said app also includes Smart Tasks, a time-saving automation feature that allows you to streamline common administrative tasks.With Smart Tasks' customizable shortcuts, you'll be able to organize documents up to 50% faster, printing, scanning, and emailing with a single tap.
The Smart App also allows you to instantly scan multiple pages into a single document. Using your phone's camera, it will automatically find a document's edges, smoothing and cropping them for a professional look. You can then tap to email or print/share to your preferred cloud service.
The HP Instant Ink Delivery service, meanwhile, ensures you'll never run out of ink. For a small monthly fee, your printer will automatically order more ink the moment you start running low. In addition to that convenience, you can save as much as 50% on ink costs - color ink and black-and-white ink costs the same under the service.
Home, sweet home
Provided you're able to set aside distractions and maintain focus, working from home can be downright excellent. No commute to worry about, a comfortable and familiar environment, and the ability, if you so choose, to work in your sweats. What's not to love?
