More and more Canadians are working from home during this Covid-19 self-isolation period.

5 tips to work from home efficiently

With the mandatory closure of “non essential” businesses in Quebec and Ontario due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more Canadians are working from home. To some, it could be hard to keep focus and work from efficiently. Here are 5 ways to be productive in these hard times.

1. Removing distractions
According to Nettie Owens, founder of Momentum Millionaire Network, to work from home efficiently we must remove all distractions. To do so, we have to think ahead about what could possibly distract us during our work day and plan the work schedule accordingly. According to Kelly McCausey an online business coach as well as a blogger and a podcaster, home distractions should not be underestimated, we must plan ahead and minimize the distractions for them not to impact negatively our productivity.

2. Schedule, organize and plan your day
By scheduling, organizing and planning your day, you will be able to reduce distractions and maximize your. productivity. To do so, working during the traditional business hours helps. According to Cathryn Lavery, co-founder and CEO of BestSelf Co, the zero-based method is the way to go. In brief, with this method you budget time blocks in your calendar for a specific task. ” By adding all tasks to your calendar with specific time blocks, you’ll start to become more aware of how long various tasks actually take. Having less ‘open space’ on your calendar can protect your free time and increase your productivity.”

3. Don’t mix business and pleasure
Try your best to not mix personal and work. It is hard to focus on your work tasks if they are intertwined with your personal tasks. It is common that people who work from home end up taking advantage of the fact that they are at home to to other tasks that are strictly personal. Those personal tasks can distract you from your work and will impact your efficiency. One way to avoid mixing business and pleasure is by communicating your work schedule to your family and those around you and making sure that they understand that you are not available during those hours.

4. Create an “at-home” office
Working from our couches or our beds is pretty tempting but this could impact your productivity for the worst. By sitting on a chair in front of a desk you are sending the message to your brain that this is not the time to relax. You will be more alert if you create an “at-home” office. Creating an “at-home” office will help you remove distractions.

5. Take walking meetings
With the current situation, the Quebec government actually recommends that we go outside for walks. So, if you have a business call, and that call doesn’t require you to sit in your “at-home office”, why don’t you take it outside while walking? It will help you with your physical and mental health.