Tag Archives: working from home

Tips for reducing procrastination at work

Have you ever had one of those days when you just can’t be bothered? You sit down at the computer, coffee in hand, full of good intentions…and somehow the work won’t flow through your fingertips as it normally does. The flashing cursor on a blank word processing document begins to seem taunting, and oh look, the neighbours are getting a parcel delivered. They really need to wash their car. Now where was I?

Procrastination has always been part of the human condition, but over the last five years, it’s been indulged as never before. When South Cambridgeshire District Council decided to introduce a four-day working week for their staff, one of the key benefits the council reported was that their employees spent less time procrastinating and more time actually working. In other words, they could have done their jobs in less time all along, had they applied themselves.

With alarm bells ringing throughout the economy and companies shedding staff or cancelling expansion plans, even the bloated public sector is belatedly having to consider productivity. In the private sector, procrastination often means the self-employed and the owners of limited companies simply don’t get paid. Yet it’s easy to drift off, put things off or clock off early, especially if a particular piece of work seems dull, unpleasant or complicated. We can’t all spend our days being motoring journalists.

Based on personal experience and professional best practice, here are ten tips for reducing procrastination at work – starting with something we could all do with taking on board…

Ten easy steps for reducing procrastination

  1. Do the hardest or worst things first. If an unpleasant job needs doing, get it out of the way as soon as possible. You’ll be grateful later on when it’s been wiped from the to-do list, and it’ll allow you to do easier things later in the day when tiredness is becoming more of an issue. Speaking of which…
  2. Keep your energy levels up. It’s far more tempting to procrastinate if you’re also battling a carb slump after a stodgy meal. Try to eat lighter things during the day (this doesn’t have to mean fewer calories or smaller portions) and space out caffeinated drinks strategically for maximum impact.
  3. Turn off the radio. I spent three years working in an office with Radio 1 on all day, discussing how good Evanescence were, or whether Mark and Lard were better than Chris Moyles. In the meantime, we weren’t working. Background noise acts as a natural impediment to concentration.
  4. Keep the TV off. Even worse than an aural soundtrack is an audiovisual bombardment of programming, adverts and (worst of all) live news. Don’t think muting a TV solves anything – few sights are more compulsive than a picture with no sound. TV is for non-working hours only.
  5. Close email packages. Email is the lifeblood of sole traders and small businesses, but there are occasions when it distracts you and breaks your concentration. Close email software while tackling complex or challenging jobs. No email needs an instant response, so deal with your inbox in batches.
  6. Take regular breaks. Giving yourself five minutes away from the screen will reduce vision-related headaches and allow your mind to wander in a healthy, structured fashion. You’ll return to work more focused and less likely to become distracted. A five-minute break per hour is ideal.
  7. Use workflow boards. A Trello board gives you instant oversight of your workload, enabling you to prioritise and structure your week. Having daily and/or weekly columns relating to deadlines focuses your mind on what needs to be done, reducing any temptation to waste time or dither.
  8. Set yourself rewards. If you can finish work by 4pm and you don’t need to do anything else until five, working hard will result in a bonus hour which can be spent on enjoyable activities. Having a goal like this banishes the temptation to slack off, keeping you focused and more productive.
  9. Create an informal time sheet. If you’ve spent the last ten minutes thinking vaguely about updating your website, what would you put on a timesheet? Some clients expect work on their accounts to be recorded, and it tends to focus your mind if you can only charge for things you’ve done.
  10. Sleep well. My final tip might not seem directly related to productivity, but it’s generally harder to concentrate when you’re tired. Banish phones and tablets from the bedroom, go to bed before 10pm, keep the room cool and dark, and avoid caffeine after teatime to boost efficiency tomorrow.

Sometimes reducing procrastination isn’t easy

One reason why you might be struggling to motivate yourself to do something is because it seems (or actually is) difficult. Many people find writing challenging – coming up with content for a website, drafting up a business plan, preparing a speech or compiling a report. These are services G75 Media undertakes on a daily basis, and we’re always happy to discuss how we can simplify new clients’ lives by tackling the jobs they don’t feel able (or willing) to begin. Get in touch with us for more information on our pricing and turnaround times.

Five things your home office needs (and three it doesn’t)

In February 2010, a decade before many of my contemporaries, I said goodbye to office life and started working from home full-time. It was a decision inspired by ten years of frustrating and time-consuming commutes to unpleasant industrial estates, which in turn followed six years of equally lengthy journeys to and from college/uni. Sixteen years of traffic jams, toilet cubicles and cafeterias came to an end, and fifteen years of WFH began at a time when homeworking was still considered exotic.

A great deal has changed since then, not least in terms of technology. Countless articles, reports and studies have been published about the benefits and drawbacks of working from home. We all have a vague idea about concepts like zoning and the delineation of work life from home life, yet millions of people are still working in home offices which are unsuitable in any number of ways.

If you’re reading this perched at a dining table, or about to start a conference call from the edge of your bed, there are some things your home office needs to function effectively – and a few things it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at the essentials first.

Five things your home office needs…

  • 1. A large desk.

This might seem like an odd place to start a list of things your home office needs, but the chunky oak desk you can see in the photograph above has been my workstation since 2012. It’s still going strong today. In fact, it’ll outlast me. Not only has it swallowed everything from tower PCs and stacks of paperwork to DVDs (remember them?), but it remains an attractive and tactile piece of multifunctional furniture. Without it, there’d be papers everywhere – and I’d be a less efficient freelancer.

  • 2. A laptop docking station.

In 2019, I stopped using desktop computers and switched to laptops. I can now attend meetings with my entire work history on one device, rather than porting things onto a tablet or printing out papers. I can work from Costa, the beach or a jury service waiting room with equal efficiency. Yet when I come home, plugging in one USB-C lead connects my laptop to a full-size keyboard, two 27-inch monitors, Bose speakers, a printer and hardwired broadband. Laptops are a WFH game-changer.

  • 3. An ergonomic chair.

As a middle-aged man, it’s perhaps inevitable that I have a bad back. The chair I’m sitting in while writing this blog has adjustable lumbar controls, neck support and armrests. It’s also heated and massaging, which help to reduce the aches and pains often stemming from long periods being seated. Standing desks aren’t always practical long-term solutions, stools and benches don’t support your back, and cheap or poorly padded chairs quickly become uncomfortable.

  • 4. Shelving.

To match my desk, I purchased an oak bookshelf with drawers underneath. Then I bought another one. Both are now groaning with proof that the paperless office was never going to become a reality. From lever arch box files filled with old invoices and bank paperwork to client brochures, booklets and manuals, shelves are a vital resource. You’ll need lots of it, too – paperwork is unavoidable, and some careers require extensive ancillary storage.

  • 5. Effective lighting.

Since adolescence, I’ve suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder – a common condition brought about by the lack of sunlight in winter. A crucial element of my annual battle with SAD is full spectrum lighting, which stimulates serotonin production in the body as well as casting a clean white light ideal for working or reading in. Eye strain, headaches, low mood and an increased risk of accidents can all result from inadequate office lighting. All are best avoided.

…And three things it doesn’t

  • 1. Gadgets.

Look closely at the photo above, and you might spot a label writer. In theory, this was a great addition to my canon of home tech. In reality, it was a pain. It jammed, smudged, failed to launch when I opened the software app and cost a fortune in labels. In general, gadgets are distracting and cluttering, causing compatibility issues with other hardware or software. They’re rarely things your home office needs, but they’re often an unnecessary cost – and hard to justify on the balance sheet.   

  • 2. A landline.

Go back to the photo, and what do you see nestled up against the label writer? Yes, a house phone. This business expense added bloat to my telecommunications bill, yet the only time it really came into its own was when conducting phone interviews, so my mobile could run a voice-to-text transcription app. The absence of a landline doesn’t seem unprofessional any more, and it’s increasingly superfluous in terms of broadband. Plus, you’ll get fewer spam calls without one.

  • 3. Clutter.

This is something I’ve never been guilty of, but clutter is the enemy of productivity. I once visited a solicitor’s office, where his desk groaned under three teetering piles of paperwork marked Urgent, Very Urgent and NOW. How he slept at night was a mystery, let alone how he worked during the day. The desk and shelving mentioned above should provide sufficient storage for anything from keys and lanyards to printers and peripherals. When everything’s neatly filed, it’s easy to find.

Much of my expertise in this area has evolved out of personal experience and trial and error, although 22 years spent working as a property writer has also offered up many valuable insights. If you’re looking for property journalism, G75 Media should be your first port of call.

Creating the ultimate home office

Three years ago today, Boris Johnson instructed a fearful nation to stay at home, and the first COVID-19 lockdown began. When history books divide the 21st century into pre- and post-lockdown eras, the last three years will represent a watershed for millions of working-age people. Many jobs have been transformed by the Covid-19 outbreak, and entire industries may never be the same. Yet an even more seismic shock to the jobs market came from the need to socially distance – requiring millions of people to work from home for the first time.

An illustration of the ultimate home office

For the many, not the few

Working from home used to be the preserve of the self-employed, and a few select professions like freelance writers. I started freelancing at home in 2005, organised a dedicated home office in 2009 and became a full-time freelance copywriter in 2010. Meanwhile, millions of people continued to unthinkingly endure ten rush-hour commutes a week, so they could sit in an office and email people at adjacent desks. And while some staff relished the office banter and impromptu brainstorming sessions, many quietly resented the compromises of communal workplaces – toilet queues, endless gossip, other people’s pungent lunches and blaring radios…

Working from home brings compromises of its own. These include a lack of social interaction and blurred boundaries between your work life and private life. However, these drawbacks can be mitigated or even eliminated through an optimal workstation setup. Creating the ultimate home office could improve your mood, your productivity and even your attitude to Monday mornings. It also reduces your reliance on expensive and unreliable public transport. Plus, it removes the need to spend time in office buildings which are increasingly viewed as air-conditioned petri dishes.

These ten components should help you to create the ultimate home office:

  1. Defensible space. We’ve borrowed an architectural term to define a workspace with minimal household clutter or background noise – ideally a dedicated room with a door you can shut.
  2. Noise-cancelling headphones. If you can’t isolate yourself from ambient noise, a pair of these headphones will enable you to concentrate by subduing wider household noise.
  3. A proper desk. Balancing a laptop on a dining table doesn’t work, in any sense. Buy a solid desk with storage, plus an ergonomic office chair with adjustable arms and lumbar support.
  4. A bookcase. It’s amazing how much paperwork you accumulate working from home. Plus, many of us require easy access to reference books, dictionaries and industry publications.
  5. A high-end laptop. This setup combines desktop practicality and laptop portability. It enables you to run your laptop through full-sized monitors and keyboards while charging its battery.
  6. Peripherals. Every home office needs a printer and scanner, but many roles require specific tools like graphics tablets. Compromising on practicality to save money is a false economy.
  7. A landline. Chances are your house phone isn’t used much, but it’s more professional for phone interviews and dial-in meetings than crackly mobiles which occasionally drop calls.
  8. Full spectrum lighting. The crisp white light provided by full spectrum lamps makes reading very easy. It also generates serotonin in winter, minimising Seasonal Affective Disorder.
  9. Adjustable blinds. Unless your office is north-facing and several storeys up, you may need to adjust blinds during the day for privacy/sunlight/a view. Vertical blinds are best for this.
  10. A good backdrop. Project a positive image in the background of virtual meetings and video calls. Paintings and bookcases lend an air of professionalism; clutter and clothes rails don’t.

I spent years developing my ultimate home office, making gradual refinements to achieve an optimal balance between productivity, practicality and presentation. If you’d like to call on the services of a freelance copywriting agency, run with absolute professionalism from a dedicated home office, get in touch with G75 Media. We can offer assistance with freelance copywriting, journalism or editorial projects.

Preserving mental health during difficult times

We are currently living under unprecedented professional, personal and social restrictions, whose consequences could take decades to fully understand and repair. For anyone struggling to cope during this oppressive and uncertain time, I’ve published an article with some advice on preserving mental health. You can read it here – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/preserving-mental-health-during-difficult-times-neil-cumins/