Tips for Productivity

I love being productive and getting things done, whether at home or for work.  I thrive on being efficient and staying on top of things before they get out of control.  However, as much as I naturally love efficiency and productivity, I still have those days {or weeks} in which I just can't find my groove...or stay in it longer than half an hour.  I felt this way as a teacher and I feel it now as a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom of three.  I am often conflicted with how to divide my time between work and parenting, which is why being as efficient as possible is crucial for staying sane and keeping all the balls in the air.

Thus, I have come up with 3 steps for boosting productivity that I think are somewhat obvious, but still quite helpful.

Step 1: Getting rid of distractions

Distractions are a real time suck, as their name implies.  Whether it's noisy co-workers, neighbors, or even your own children {like my daughter asking me right now if I'm choosing to ignore her?}, these distractions interrupt our train of thought and therefore stifle creative thought as we struggle to wrangle our minds back into gear.

So, for those of you who work from home, I can’t emphasize how important it is to set up good boundaries for actually getting work done at home so you still have a place to work and place to relax at home.   For work, it's important to have a good home office, white noise, and general organization.

Once you've protected yourself as much as possible from distraction, you have to discipline yourself to use your time well.  What do you do if you are fresh out of ideas?  Or if you have a great one but can't develop it due to other commitments?  This is where step 2 comes in to play.

Step 2: Getting rid of writer’s (worker’s) block

One of the most exciting, and admittedly most challenging and even stressful, parts of a new job is getting a new work space.  Granted most of us aren't given the luxury of a corner office, or even an office with a door.  But regardless of what space we have to work with, it's important to set it up as ergonomically as possible so we can decrease possible strain and injuries, while increasing productivity.  There are some basic work station set-up principles that are always true.  That said, here is a list you can check out as you set up your space or as you re-work the space you already have.  Next time, we'll look at an example of a small office and what this worker has done well and what he could improve!

Ergonomic Work Station Set-Up Principles

I recently posted some basic tips for balancing working from home with small children.  This time, I thought I would offer some tips for actually finding the time at home to work because if you’re anything like me, squeezing in a few hours of work in between meals, preschool/school, snacks, swimming lessons, sports activities, church involvement, and plain old quality family time can be daunting.  You end up feeling like a circus juggler with one too many pins to in the mix. 

Thus, here are some ideas for working in work at home.  I am writing from the perspective of a mother of young children who are still home at least part of the day.  For those of you who have older kids in full-time school, your battle will be to use that time professionally and not just for errands, catching up at home, and personal matters.   

Tips for Finding the Time

• Before they wake up & After they go to bed   If your kids are later risers or you are good in the mornings, it might benefit you to get up before the kids and squeeze in an hour or two.  For some, this means 3 in the morning, so I’m not advising it for all!  However, those quiet hours of the wee morning can be quite productive with a cup of coffee.  In contrast, your kids may be early risers, which hopefully means they go to bed at an earlier time!  Thus, another good block of time is evening, after the kids go to bed.  I know it’s sacred down time, but it might be some of the quietest, most focused time you get during the day.
• During Down Time    An alternative is to work during preschool, nap time, or movie/down time.  Our family has a fairly set schedule I know I can count on for getting some work time in.  One child naps 1-3pm and one usually attends preschool then.  During the holidays like summer, I try to provide a craft or movie for my older, non-napping child to do while I work.  I try to have something quiet that my child likes and can look forward to doing while I work so that she doesn’t have negative associations of my work.  There might be a special toy or puzzle or movie you can save for these times.
• Co-Op  Lastly, you might consider switching off with another stay at home mom.  You would each take turns watching kids so each of you gets some time to yourself.  Even if she doesn’t work from home, she could certainly use some by herself errand time.

Regardless of when you work, distractions are inevitable.  I have been working from home for 3 years now, and from kids being rambunctious to dogs barking to neighborhood sales kids with cookies, there is an abundance of noise.  I can honestly say one of the best investments you can make is a sound machine.  Choose one that suits you and your needs (it can even double for a sleep aid at night!) and use it so you can tune out a distracting world around you.

Finding the time to work from home can seem impossible, especially when you have to tune out distractions.  Try these simple tips for carving out some work time so you can balance home and work life.

Tips for Making Your Office More Ergonomic 

For many office workers, going in to work every morning feels like Monday morning in that there is little job satisfaction and the job is just that- a job.  Feelings of discomfort, frustration, and even stress can leave workers physically drained and exhausted by the end of the day, and certainly by the weekend.  One way to deal with these feelings is to change what you can.  Don’t worry, I’m not about to wax poetic about courage and serenity in relation to change and acceptance.  All I mean is that while you may not be able to make your job more exciting or meaningful, you can make your work space more appealing, both aesthetically and physically. 

The main way to make your work space more inviting is to make is more ergonomically friendly.  These changes can transform a corner office, a small office, and especially a cubicle more comfortable and less likely to cause work-related strain or injuries.  

{Tip: Many offices have a human relations coordinator who can either perform  an ergonomic assessment herself or refer you to someone who can.  In many cases, your office can and will foot the bill to protect you from injury and to enable you to be more productive.  There’s no harm in asking, right?} 

• Raise your monitor.  It should be at eye level and about 20 inches away from you.  A monitor lift is a very cheap and easy fix and is great for laptops in that it is vented and will allow your laptop to run at a cooler temp.
• Adjust your chair.  In fact, if you don't have an adjustable, ergonomic chair, ask for one!  This is especially true if you have had back problems.  Every worker needs good back support, as well as the ability to raise and lower the seat pan so that their feet are flat on the floor.
• Ask for a wrist rest.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common office injury and be easily avoided by practicing good wrist positioning.  It's important to know how to use a wrist rest though: wrist rests are actually meant to provide a resting spot in between periods of typing and for the palms of your hands, not your actual wrists!  
• Try an ergonomic keyboard.  There are more options out there than you can imagine, so finding a good fit is just a matter of preference and trying out a couple.  Ergonomic keyboards can be especially helpful as an add-on to your docked lap top.  They are much more comfortable for long periods of typing and can be moved closer to the body while your screen is elevated.
• Request a document holder.  It's such an easy fix, but elevating notes or documents that you frequently reference truly keeps you from straining your eyes and your neck.  Who likes to go home with a crick in their neck?  
• Lastly, try a sound machine, or even this free online generator, for fewer distractions.

Whether you're a 9-5 cubicle worker, a teacher/professor/lecturer, or a grad student, making ergonomic adjustments can only help you keep your focus and stay productive.  

Top 5 Favorite {Portable} Products

Here are my favorite portable, and even ergonomic, products.  Why portable, you ask?  Well, if it's good enough to have, it's good enough to have anywhere!  There's no point in loving something and not being able to have it on the road or when staying with friends or family, say for the holidays.

• Travel Sound Machine.  Whether you're struggling to focus at work or just trying to get a good night of sleep on the road, a good sound machine can be just what you need.  I personally love mine for use at home- I both sleep and work form home, so it's handy to have a lightweight, portable machine I can plug in or battery-operate anytime anywhere.  It has proven helpful for our children as well when we're traveling or they share a room.  Like I said,  our travel sound machine is lightweight, very small, has 20 sound options, and comes with easy adapters for any country we can get to.  
• Portable lumbar support.  Once you've found great back support, why not be able to transport it to whatever chair you're using?  Your car, your office chair, your chair at home, an airplane seat, you name it.  Keeping your back in shape and not angry with you is essential.  Thus, having back support literally anywhere you go is priceless for those of us with achey backs.
• iPad bundle.  iPads are awesome until you try to use them for long periods of time- they're just not that ergonomically friendly or comfortable to hold.  They really need a stand of some sort so you don't throw them out of frustration.  Why not make your incredibly portable iPad even better with ergonomically friendly and equally portable accessories such as a carrying case, a mount, and a mini keyboard.
• Wireless mice and keyboards.  Once you're used to a specific keyboard, it's nice to have the advantage of using it all the time and not having to get used to something else while traveling.  Keep your favorite mouse and/or keyboard handy (pun intended) and comfortable wherever you are without the hassle of a cord.
• Mobile stand.  A great mobile desktop you can use from any point in the classroom, conference room, or office.  Okay, okay, so maybe this isn't pocket-sized portability, but for those of us who have ever had to present things or teach from multiple classrooms, this is a fabulous resource for professional presentations and mobile work surfaces.

Portable products like wireless keyboards and travel sound machines can keep you in ergonomic style and comfort no matter where you are!