Working from Home Presents New Challenges

As more and more people are forced to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are discovering the pros and cons of the situation they find themselves in. On the positive side, the commute is a lot shorter, generally from one room to another. Sometimes, you may go from one side of the kitchen table, where you just finished your breakfast, to the other side, where your computer awaits.

But there are problems, too, among them: how to beat procrastination. When you work from home:

• You may feel compelled to take care of chores during the work day.
• Your children or pets may need attention.
• You may want to make a snack for yourself.
• You may feel the urge to get up to stretch or go for a walk.
• You decide to check on the latest sports scores or your latest online purchase.
• And of course, your email always demands that you answer correspondence promptly.

Trying to take care of everything — and everyone — eats into your productive work time. You know you can get work done at home; you’ve done it before. But lately, you find other things to do instead of the work you have to do. How do you manage a situation like that?

Admit You’re Procrastinating

The first — and maybe most important — step is to admit that you’re suffering from procrastination. When there’s work to do, that should be your priority. In fact, if you used to work in an office, you know that you’d be hard at work if you were still there. The distractions are simply getting in the way.

But that kind of rationality doesn’t always work. You can beat procrastination, but it may not be easy. At Ray Access, we’ve been working at home since Day One, back in 2014. We’ve learned a thing or two along the way to help you beat procrastination.

Tips for How to Beat Procrastination

Here are six ways to beat procrastination and get your work done on time:

1. Whenever possible, start early. If there’s a project you know you have to do, don’t put it off. Start on it as soon as you can. Even if you don’t make lots of progress, you’ll still be ahead of the curve and ahead of where you would be if you put it off.
    
2. Work offline as much as possible. The internet is a major distraction. There’s email, entertainment sites and even news. If you have to do research, get it done and out of the way. Then rely on your notes, offline, to finish your project. Go online in spurts, when needed, but don’t linger.
    
3. Time your work period. Buckle down and work straight for a specific period of time, such as 15 to 30 minutes. Start with a shorter time if you need to and build up. Use an egg-timer, a stopwatch or the timer on your smart phone. Work the whole time until the alarm and then stop. Take a break and then repeat, as often as is necessary.
    
4. Don’t seek perfection right away. For many types of work, perfection is the enemy when you’re in the early stages. Seeking perfection from the get-go can stop you from moving forward. Instead, develop a process that often begins with a brain dump. Put down everything that comes to mind for the project. Try it out first and then fine-tune it. Sleep on it before you continue. That’s a great way to determine if your work is genius or garbage.
    
5. Break down your project into as many tasks as you can. This gives you a feeling of accomplishment for every little thing you accomplish. This tip takes planning, but once you start attacking those mini-tasks, one at a time, you’re motivated to keep going rather than putting off additional work. It also gives you something to check off your to-do list.
    
6. Remember how good completion feels. When you’re tempted to procrastinate, recall the last time you just went ahead and finished a project ahead of schedule. It probably felt great! This is particularly important for those not be getting many atta-boys from a remote boss. Use positive feedback to keep you motivated.
    
7. When all else fails, take a mental health break. Get up from your desk. Get away from the office. Take a walk. Go someplace different. Get out into nature. Recharge the juices and release the mind. When you come back to the desk, you may find that you’re in a much different frame of mind that allows you to concentrate better.
    
8. Hire professionals when you’re really stuck. While procrastination isn’t a listed mental illness, chronic procrastination carries serious consequences. You may get fired for it or lose clients because of it. Beat procrastination. It’s serious enough to take seriously. And don’t wait until your deadline before you hire someone to help.

The best way to beat procrastination is to refocus on the task at hand. Sometimes, that takes a trip away from your work. Sometimes, it takes a trick to train your mind to focus. Don’t be afraid to admit your problem and ask for help. If you’re really stuck writing your blog or trying to word your press release, contact Ray Access. We’ve never missed a deadline yet!

Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.