Telecommunications and freelance were already among the growing trends. But the coronavirus outbreak seems to speed up this process. Pandemic has changed the working format of many employees that got used to office work. Remote work has become a full-fledged mode for the majority today. 

Some love this possibility as it has many advantages. You can plan your workday yourself, work as much as you need, as well as save money on travel to the office. At the same time, working from home requires enormous self-discipline. Though, very few people have such key qualities as self-motivation, self-organization, and responsibility. It is very difficult to work daily for several hours without being distracted by your family and household chores.

 Check out a few helpful tips on how to properly organize your work at home and increase productivity.

1. Organize your working space

The space intended for work should not be distracting. Find a room in your house that is not used for other purposes, and turn it into your office. You must have a corner that will only serve for work and promote concentration and effectiveness. Take your time to minimize clutter here and organize items you need for work. This will develop your self-discipline and the habit of working at the table. It will be easier for you to focus on the work while sitting at your desk.

2. Schedule your day

Work from home involves a much more flexible schedule than work in the office. This is a huge advantage of remote work, but it is vital to draw up a schedule for yourself and adhere to it. When you understand how many tasks you are facing today, you learn to optimize your time. The easiest way is to write a list of things you need to complete and then prioritize the most important ones. Read more about a ready-made system offered by Stephen Covey on how to boost everyday efficiency. You may need a VPN for UK sites and some resources access.

3. Reward yourself for the work done

Short breaks greatly increase efficiency. A pause can be used to drink a cup of coffee or exercise a little. It also works at the psychological level. It is easier to complete the task if you know that you will get a symbolic bonus at the end. Have at least one day off per week, and forget about work on this day. In the long perspective, you will also need to plan a vacation and proper rest.

4. Use tools and applications to facilitate your work.

Besides practical tips, you can use many tools to effectively complete and monitor your workflow. 

MyLifeOrganized is a versatile and powerful application for setting tasks and their implementation. It offers users a whole new level of productivity. In the application, you can manage not only tasks, but also projects, and even life goals. A convenient task management system allows you to monitor appointments, reminders, priority tasks.

Tomato Timer is a simple online timer based on the Pomodoro technique. The main idea is that a person can work with maximum concentration for 25 minutes, and then a 5-minute break is needed. You make a list of tasks, set a timer for 25 minutes, and start working without distractions, then interrupt for five minutes, and then return to work again for another 25 minutes. After four cycles, you need a longer, 15-minute break. Many freelancers recommend this approach as a very simple and effective time management tool.

Toggl is a free and very convenient web-based time tracking application designed specifically for remote workers. Here you can add tasks and projects, as well as the timing of their implementation. Having entered the application, you can easily see which tasks will take you most of the time, and you will be able to better manage projects and evaluate your work.

TimeCamp is a powerful Windows time tracker designed to boost productivity. It allows users to track time on tasks and projects, providing detailed reports and analytics. With seamless integration with popular project management tools, TimeCamp helps individuals and teams optimize workflows and manage work more efficiently.

These rules are simple, but their implementation will greatly contribute to your work from home productivity. Self-organization and flexibility are the basic principles that enable you to build successful remote employment.

Eliza Medley is an experienced tutor, educator, and psychologist. Eliza is fond of blogging, motivation articles, and education tips. Follow @Eliza_Medley on Twitter.