5 Tips to Optimize Working From Home with Procrastination.com

We all have a certain routine, whether we like and know it, or not. When we do not have a system or plan to follow, we tend to behave mostly reactively to our needs (bathroom, food, e-mails) and likes (snacks, videos).

Based on the work with our clients as well as personal experience: To-Do Today Lists are the main ally against the ambushes of our auto-pilot urges. Tangible, simple, and visual, the To-Do Today List represents a revolutionary update to the old To-Do List.

Read more about To-Do Today Lists and why this should be your next habit here.

TASK: Think for 8+ seconds and answer the question: “What is my most common distraction?”

In order to beat or limit our distractions, we first need to identify them. Chances are your distraction has a name or you usually carry it in your pocket and it is designed to keep you occupied. 

Once you have your main distraction(s) identified, you can create an environment to avoid/moderate them. One possible way to do this is to:  Schedule Your Binge Activities

For avoiding the well-known path to Facebook/Youtube/Instagram 2 minutes after you’ve finally opened your work-related task, try some applications that limit your access to the internet or blacklist certain websites. 

I usually prefer the Self-Control App (for Mac) or the “physically displacing the device to another room” application, for my cell phone. In case you need to use your phone for calling, instead of another room, an arm’s-length distance is sufficient for dodging subconscious phone-reach followed by mindless browsing. 

If you are in search of an application to help with “screen-stractions”, you can find a well-versed list here. Choose one and try it out. 

During quarantine or any unexpected times working from home, it’s possible that we all may experience “low moments.” Here are 3 tricks (seperated by time) to pick you up again:

PAST 

Browse through old photos: family/friends/parties/good times and think of how you felt and what was going on in your life in those moments.

PRESENT 

For getting out of a funk reach out (call/facetime/skype) to 1 person you: 

– would love to talk: close friends, cousins, siblings 

– think will be pleased by you reaching out: grandparents, a friend from the past, someone you haven’t spoken to for ages, 

These categories may (and should) overlap.

FUTURE

Now we have time for dusting-off one of the “put-off-for-later” items on our list. Especially when it comes to learning or improving particular skills, we need surprisingly little to do so: 

– languages (Duolingo) 

– instrument – ukulele (youtube + ukulele)

– deepen the know-how of your interest (internet?)

– cooking (internet + food)

– push/pull-ups (floor/bar)

If you want to start and also stick with your new habit, the best way to do this is to note down your activity, at least every time you felt tangible progress. A simple piece of paper could make all the difference! 

Feel free to use our habit-list template with simple instructions available here.

I know. Surprise, surprise. There are a ton of tips we could be talking about, but the punch-line is the following: 

Do not sweat the thought of choosing which kind of exercise…or when or how to do it the best. Just do something. Really. (Nike got it right!) Once you start and get moving, your body will make you feel better. 

To create some leverage, make a bet or simply talk about the work-out of your choice with your friend and dare each other to start or…. check tip 4 again! 

You can read more on the useful topic of the “Do Something Principle” here.