Guest post by Elizabeth Shields

Many believe they are more productive working from home compared to working in a traditional office, while others disagree. In this article, you're going to learn the various things hampering your productivity as you work from home. In the end, you should be able to identify them, then navigate your way to a more productive life.

Distractions

The number one cause of unproductivity for work-at-home individuals are distractions. They appear in diverse forms, thereby becoming a stumbling block for achieving your goals. It could be the kids. Maybe they want you to heat the water, or perhaps make lunch. If they aren't fighting, which might often require your attention, then they are calling you for help with their schoolwork.

Aside from the children, your spouse, pets or even neighbors are also other sources of distraction, which can become very exhausting. If you don't correctly manage these, you may find yourself not meeting your goals for the day.

It doesn't matter if you have a dedicated home office, or merely a desk with a laptop in your living room. The fact is that these distractions reduce productivity, thereby making working from home less appealing.

The best way to avoid any distractions while working from home, is to ensure you have a designated space to work from with a door you can close. This will help to avoid any unnecessary distractions. Also, let your family know that you are working and that you are not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency.

Lack of Associate Networking

This fact is currently under debate, as to whether working in a traditional office is more productive due to the teamwork atmosphere. But the reality of working from home often makes one feel alone since there is no associate or coworker to boost their morale.

In a traditional office, there is a timeframe of 9 to 5, unlike working from home. Thus, work at home individuals might find themselves losing track of time and not achieving their goals. But when you have coworkers to work with, you're motivated to work on your project just like everyone else.

An effective way to stay connected with your colleagues when working from home is via online meetings. There are a multitude of tools available to hold such meetings and it may increase your motivation to hold a meeting once a day so you can all see each other and discuss what you are working on.

Lack of Tools and Facilities

Lacking some productivity tools or equipment is another mitigating factor, causing individuals to be less productive in their home office. Due to this, many people have opted for coworking spaces that offer high-speed internet and numerous productivity tools that are often found in a typical traditional office.

The only downside with this is the added expenses. By working from home, you need to improvise and make use of the available tools. However, this cuts down on productivity.

It now begs the question, does working from a traditional office increase productivity compared to working from home? Although many are of the notion that workers can be productive if they can secure the necessary tools they need, the tools and facilities that promote productivity are often missing at home and this can lead to low productivity.

A way around this is to see if your company can help out with costs for high speed internet etc. and to also find out if they have any subscriptions to online productivity tools that they may be able to share with you. If not, don’t worry. Due to the current circumstances, a lot of online tools are currently being offered free of charge so it’s worth doing some online research to see what you can find.

Lacking Management Capability

Working from home can be ideal for some people due to their management skills. When others are complaining of low productivity, some unique individuals are meeting targets and getting more things done. But when someone lacks management skills, it can affect their overall performance.

Being a good manager isn’t a pleasant route. You have to be a planner, diligent and resilient in tackling the task that leads to your goal - management spans beyond just planning but also being able to provide immediate solutions when problems arise.

When most people start working from home, only then do they realize how vital their manager is, especially when it comes to fixing a piece of equipment. Without proper management, one might slack and lose his competitive spirit. 

For people working from home for the first time, this is a major hurdle they face, thereby leading to low productivity. Without the right supervision in place, they discover that they are becoming lazy and unable to complete the task in hand.

To manage yourself better, assign yourself a to do list and look at using an online time management tool. You could also speak to your manager and ask if it would be possible to arrange weekly online meetings to give you a focus and accountability.

Lack of Control

Numerous workers perform better with their supervisor or boss telling them what to do continuously. For such folks, working from home would be a terrible decision as productivity would be zero. Since they are working independently and might not have a supervisor, they often fall behind in their work and slack off.

Unlike in a traditional office where the manager might walk from desk to desk, it isn't the same with working from home. There is no one to monitor you or to tell you to hurry up. Even though there are numerous tools like video conferencing, it still doesn't fill the hole.

If your boss often controls you at work and suddenly, you are no longer within grasp, there would be a drastic difference in productivity. Most likely, it would be negative. 

In a traditional office setting, workers are serious and want to beat the deadline. No time for YouTube or social media as they would want to concentrate. When it comes to working from home, it presents a different scenario. One might want to check a message but then get carried away checking the news feed. Without a supervisor or manager around, they end up wasting valuable time and accomplishing little.

As mentioned above, you could arrange weekly check in meetings with your supervisor or manager. It is important to take short breaks from your computer during the day but ensure you put a time limit on them - maybe 5 minutes every hour or so – that way you won’t lose track of time.

Lack of Conducive Environment

You cannot compare a traditional office setting to a home office. There is a vast difference between the two. No doubt these differences also have a hand in productivity. In a conventional office, the temperature is just about the right degree, with a beautiful view to the outside and great lighting too. Also, there is no unwarranted noise as everyone is focused on his or her job.

But at home, your home office might not be a fantastic space. The tons of boxes could be a turn-off, or perhaps the cluttered cables and miserable weather conditions. For individuals who are new to working from home, the change in the environment can be an inherent factor.

The moods won't be the same, thereby leading to a laid-back attitude when they are supposed to work. No matter how beautiful they end up making their home office, they still find it hard to concentrate like they do in a conventional office.

The best thing to do is to try to make your workspace as clutter free as possible so that you have a nice environment to work from. If you battle with noise from outside, you could always wear some headphones and listen to some relaxing music while you work.

Multitasking

Working from home comes with several challenges, which leads to low productivity. While working, you might need to do some home chores in the house like laundry, cooking or taking the kids to school. If you don't have help, this method of working will tremendously affect your output and make you miss your goals.

While working from home, you face more than just office work – you have the work around your home too. Managing work and your home can be exhausting and draining. The doorknob might break and in your attempt to fix it, you may end up wasting a huge chunk of your time.

When you're working from home, you have two enormous responsibilities on your shoulders – keeping your home in order and work. It can be a very tough task to combine both. If you lack proper management skills, one aspect of your life will end up suffering.

Set yourself a schedule for home chores so that they fit in around your working hours. Maybe set the laundry going at breakfast time before you start work. And cook enough food for dinner so that you can have the leftovers for lunch the next day so that you do not need to spend a lot of time preparing food in the middle of your work day.

Improper use of Social Media

We are in the era of social media, where everyone has something to say. Without proper care, you might get carried away with social media activities, thereby allowing your work to suffer. According to many work at home individuals, social media is so addictive that you might lose track of time. That is true if you lack proper management skills.

Eliminating or perhaps scheduling time for social media is the best way to avoid missing your daily targets but when you do not adhere to it, low productivity will ensue. Maybe limit yourself to only checking social media before and after work.

Lack of Planning

When there is no clear direction about what you should or should not do, you may find yourself tackling everything as it occurs. This approach is dangerous, as it means you can quickly get distracted and lose tons of time. Without a clear plan on how your day should go, you may miss important things.

To overcome this, make a to do list every morning before getting up. That way, you're always on top of what you need to do. If not, unproductivity becomes the outcome. You can find to do list apps for free on your phone if that makes it easier.

Too many Breaks

All work and no play makes jack a dull boy. Many people working from home, in an attempt to stretch their legs, end up taking more time out than necessary. Not only does this cut down on productivity but it can also become a habit that can be extremely hard to break. Taking too many breaks is one of the significant causes of unproductivity for work at home folks. The good news is, it can be brought to a halt once you recognize this anomaly.

As mentioned previously, the best way to overcome this is to schedule your breaks and stick to them. Time them with the timer on your phone so that you know when to get back to work.

Wrapping Up!

If you've been unproductive working from home, the chances are that you're guilty of some of the above reasons. If that is the case, all hope is not lost. All you have to do is identify the problem and look for a solution. Where there is a will, there is a way!