5 Ways To Fend Off Procrastination As You #WFH

What happens when a 9-5 corporate slave is trapped inside their home like a hermit? A smart hermit should adapt.

It is assuring to see more businesses mandating their employees to work from home, in an effort to stem the coronavirus pandemic. Fondly abbreviated as WFH, it is a model not many of us were well-acquainted with but now have no choice but to accept. Of course, the majority of us were thrilled about it in the beginning... but that giddy spell didn’t last long, did it? Few weeks in, I personally couldn’t get anything done as I was ambushed by fatigue and listlessness. What’s worse, I kept delaying tasks that demanded immediate completion.

Since it is unprecedented how long we all would be working from home, time is now to grab the bulls by its horn (yes, waves of procrastination can be pretty convincing, even strong!) and get yourself motivated to get things done.

1)   Curate a ‘Home Office’

I observed whenever I laid against the cushioned-expanse on my bed under the sheets, crunching away at my laptop, I tended to slack off. I even rolled off at one point and took a nap! Workplace ergonomics is a key player in getting speedy work done. Of course, the effects vary from person to person but designating a section, corner, space or a separate room in your home where you can set up a remote office helps keep you functional. Make sure it is away from any source of distraction including television, PlayStation and more.

2)   Schedule, Schedule, Schedule

Making mental notes don’t really play well with WFH, because at home there are multiple distractions to keep you under. Design a clear schedule of pending tasks, setting deadlines for each. Breaking down a larger task into smaller sections, and gradually completing those timely gives you an opportunity to experience smaller successes. It boosts your work-from-home morale and productivity.  

 

3)   Set Realistic Deadlines… with Rewards

Punched that two-day deadline squarely? Reward yourself with sleeping in late the next day. Delivered a hectic task on time? Reward yourself with a few hours of chilling, doing nothing in your balcony. Human psychology craves rewarding experience, but are you smart enough to put it to your use!

4)   What is your productive hour?

Flexibility is the best part of WFH and we are here for it. Are you programmed to wake up early in the morning or are you a nocturnal like me? Figure out a slot or hours where you are at your productive best and block out all distraction as you get to work.

5)   Download a focus-boosting app

Yes, there are several apps available which help temporarily wipe out all distractions from your phone. Apps like SelfControl, Anti-Social and FocusON turn off notifications from all unnecessary apps in your phone, keeping only selected ones active.