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What ever you do - don’t work the whole day from your robe and work in low light.. Lol you will end up feeling like a sad raccoon that scrambles for pants anytime a video required call comes up.
Try to get in a schedule as if you had to commute to work, such as sleeping schedule, lunch time, etc. I take a shower every morning to wake up and get dressed as usual. I play music in the background or stream tv shows or movies on my TV as well. If you do that stream something you have seen before or don't need to pay too much attention to as to distract your from your work that needs to be done.
I work from home just like I would work from the office. I get dressed, have breakfast, and am ready for a video call at any point during my work day hours. I use time blocking to schedule out tasks from my todo list to avoid procrastinating. If I find that I'm really struggling, I also break down tasks that I'm putting off into smaller and smaller pieces until I can finally get started, or set a short time to work on something for just 5 or 10 minutes to make some progress.
Chief
Research shows procrastination is more of an anxiety issue rather than a productivity issue. Seek solutions for anxiety. Some things I've found helpful:
-meditation
-yoga
-exercise
-therapy
-anti-depressants
-acupuncture
-habit formation (read Atomic Habits)
Honestly all of the above are super helpful, but if you’re a people person it’s going to suck. I’ve tried everything under the sun and finally come to realize I need a job where I see and interact with people. Not 5 days a week, but at least a couple. No amount of yoga, meditation, or acupuncture can replace that human contact. My two cents.
I go to the gym most mornings that help me wake up and then I have to shower and dress for the day. Sometimes back fire and makes me sleepy around 2-3pm but im usually done working by then
Try to work normal hours, and get some exercise to get out of the house as well, go to gym or outside in nature for walks or runs.
Chief
If remote is a problem, it seems being around others makes you feel more accountable.
Some ideas:
-do your work from a coworking space or similar to be around others
-some folks keep their Zoom open with other folks for part of the day or the whole day. Just seeing others working can socially pressure you to staying on task
-in one experiment, a coffee shop put a picture of eyes by their tip jar, which resulted in more tips. I wonder if printing out a picture of someone and hanging it in your field of vision would have a similar accountability effect.
For the Zoom idea, try Focusmate. It's a web app, and essentially does what you suggest. It has a huge community as well.
As others have said, I’ve been doing the same things I’d normally do if I had to go into the office. This includes waking up at the same time, showering and wearing the same clothes as I would in the office. Also being on video for me is something I prefer for meetings/calls.
I don’t have kids or anyone at home (just 3 lazy cats) so there isn’t much of a distraction for me. Also, having a dedicated workspace (guest room) separate from your main living space is huge. It makes leaving work and switching into off work mode easier.
For me, I’m more productive at home than in the office because I’m not being interrupted with users walking in my office throughout the day.
I was skeptical at first but the Pomodoro technique really helped with my procrastination. I got a timer from Amazon and put it on my whiteboard so I would have to physically get up to set it. It is also better than using my phone because I would be tempted to check texts and social media while it was in my hand.
Set a goal to get done on that day and go from there. Have a separate space to work and to focus on what needs to get done. Enjoy this time to work from home cuz it might not last forever. I really enjoyed spending more time with my family and just hanging out more with my kids. Congrats on the new job!
I stream virtual co working channels on Twitch. They do pomodoros (work for 25 or 50 mins, then break for 10) and play music. The visual of people working helps. In fact, Fishbowl should do it...
Is it your own personal channel or is it another external channel that public? If public, what is the channel, if I may ask.
Have a routine. I get ready for the day instead of working in pajamas. Also, time chunking and being focused on what specific tasks need to be completed each day. At the end of my day I evaluate what I accomplished and then prepared for what I needed to focus on the following day. Don’t make your task list too large, that can look overwhelming. I identify 3 tasks to accomplish and I make those my non-negotiable’s for the day. I feel accomplished knowing 3 things each day have been completed. Hope that helps
Being an entrepreneur most of my career working from home was not a shift for me personally or professionally. The idea of setting goals and tasks to complete each day is very important. Mostly because the work never ends so you need to decide when you’re done.
Also, talk with your Lead and ask what success looks like in your role. You cannot meet or exceed expectations if the company isn’t being explicit in that area.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, make sure to keep (or find) hobbies that ensure you stay focused. Sketching, is an example. You don’t need to be a professional, but focusing on techniques like pencil, watercolours, etc requires your brain to focus.
Once you’re focused on such a task you cannot be thinking about other things like work. You’ll find even 30 minutes of focused time will allow you to feel better / refreshed.
Have a task list of items to complete, in order of importance and timeliness. For example, I deal a lot with multiple project requirements, thus I have an independent trello board dedicated to my tasks and move them to TODO 》DONE. It helps tremendously because I am already a visual person, so keeping track or adding items is easier than simply storing it in my brain.
Additionally, if entertainment distractions are a problem (i.e. TV, gaming consoles, etc.), there are time limit features present on most electronics that you can use. Personally that is worst case, but I don't know the extent of the distraction levels. Hell, use your distraction outlets as goals if you have to. If you complete a task(s) ahead of time, then take 10-15 minute break to watch TV, read a book, go outside, etc.
Like others have said, you can use Teams, Slack, Skype or other communication outlets to have group work days. That us pretty close to working in person anyways because you would be focusing on work, asking questions, collaborating, and personal chatting with your friends and colleagues.