Productivity while working from home

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Productivity while working from home

Working from home is the ultimate environment to test your productivity. I don’t know about you, but all of a sudden I’m hungry more often and tempted with limitless distractions (think mid-day shower, a quick nap, or doing any other task I’ve been putting off). After months of not feeling productive, and working longer hours than I probably need to, I’ve re-implemented a technique that has previously helped me limit distraction, stay productive, and feel accomplished.


I am not a productivity expert. In fact, I’m an expert at struggling to stay productive. With growing to-do lists, I often face debilitating overwhelm, which makes it easier to put off getting things done than tackling items on the list. Implementing the Pomodoro® Technique into my workday has been revolutionary to checking items off my to-do list and holding myself accountable. 


What is the Pomorodo® Technique and how do I use it?

At its core, the Pomodoro® Technique is intended to help you tackle tasks efficiently. The conventional steps include:

  1. Pick a task or project
  2. Set a 25-minute timer – this is the work period
  3. When the buzzer sounds, take a short break to do something non-work related
  4. Repeat 3 more times. After the third round, take a longer break.

I actually don’t follow the traditional Pomodoro® Method as I’ve found the true technique does not suit my workflow. Instead, I have taken the foundational principles and implemented them into my workday. When I implement this technique into my day, I am guaranteed to not only feel more productive actually tackle way more items on my to-do list. 

Below is my adapted method that I follow as often as I can to get work done:

  1. I start off by writing out all my to-dos. This typically includes small, actionable tasks. Rather than “write x manuscript” or “finish x’s website”, I would write “finish addressing reviewer comments” and “finish formatting blog page for x’s website”. Smaller tasks seem far more achievable and less intimidating than larger ones.
  2. I set my timer for 50 minutes. 50 minutes is the perfect time for me to enter a flow state and stay concentrated.
  3. When the buzzer goes off, I don’t always stop dead in my tracks. If I have a good workflow, I keep working until the task is complete or until I lose focus. I’ll start my break timer then.
  4. Start the break timer for 10 minutes. This may include a social medial scroll, checking email, a bathroom break, a coffee break, or lounging on the balcony. Although some people may recommend staying away from social media during the break period, I have found that this works for me. It is something I may try to move away from in the future. Progress is better than perfection.
  5. I repeat the 50:10 until I complete all my to-dos. Importantly, my to-do list (Step 1) is not an exhaustive list of everything I need to get done. I have a separate master to-list (I use the software Todoist) that tracks absolutely everything I need to complete across all my jobs. However, if I wrote this out and tried to achieve it during a work period or over a single day, I would likely feel unaccomplished and discouraged. Instead, I prioritize the most time-sensitive tasks as well as mix in a couple of easier tasks so that I can feel productive.

My favourite timer to set my work and rest intervals is the Tomato Timer found here. However, I have also kept it simple and set just a 50-minute timer on my phone or using Google.

I encourage you to test out the Pomodoro® Technique in your day to stay productive while working from home. Remember, you may have to adapt it to find the suitable work and break durations for you!

Until next time,

TRADEMARK VIRTUAL

Who we are

Trademark Virtual is a website and design studio serving clients across the globe. We are passionate about helping people use websites as a resource to free up time and strengthen online presence. Our design approach is customized to each client to ensure that their unique pain points are understood and addressed.

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