A lot of times, I get asked overwhelming questions on techniques, rules and tricks to can help increase your productivity while working from home and I can’t help but notice that not only do a lot of people work from their homes, a huge percentage of them are also struggling to stay remain productive over a period of time on a daily basis.

From irrelevant distractions, procrastination and inability to meet deadlines, the disadvantages tagged on to working from the comfort of your can be endless and disastrous if not put in check, and discipline harnessed. In this post, award-winning Internet marketer Regis Hadiaris recommends 10 simple yet powerful techniques to aid us in staying productive, serious and less distracted while working from home.

Check them out!

Techniques to Help Increase Your Productivity While Working from Home

1. Start your day off right: The first step to increase your productivity while working from home is to start your day right. Get up, have breakfast, take a shower, put on something other than pajamas, etc. – you get the idea. Remember, how you treat yourself on the outside reflects what you are thinking on the inside. Be good to yourself and it will show in your communications. Remember, when you work from home you only have your voice and tone, so everything you say and do will be scrutinized.

2. Create a dedicated workspace with a door you can shut: You need a place where you do work that you can leave at the end of the day. To increase your productivity while working from home, you need to maintain a strong mental focus on what you do. You don’t want to have your work everywhere around your house, and you definitely want a door you can shut when needed.  It’s also a good idea to conduct a home audit to assess those often overlooked projects that need to be done in your home or workspace.

3. Buy a headset with a good mute function: You want the headset so you can still have both hands-free while on the phone. A good mute function (i.e. it works, and others cannot tell when you switch mute on) will be an asset for you. It’s critical that your co-workers do not hear other noises in the background. That can disrupt important meetings and build resentment that you are at home.

4. Use a cordless phone: It’s hard to sit in the same spot in your house all day. Also, people who work from home generally work more (i.e. during times when others are commuting, etc.), so you need to be able to get up, stretch, do some things around the house, etc. A cordless phone, including a headset with a good mute function, is key increase your productivity while working from home.

5. Go out to lunch: You need to leave the house. Going out to lunch is a great way to take a break, interact with other people, and refresh your mind for the afternoon. It is great to save money on lunch by eating at home, but forcing yourself to go out will help freshen your perspective and this would tremendously increase your productivity while working from home.

6. Drive conversations: You have to tell your story, or someone will tell it for you. It’s critical that when you work from home, you make your point in discussions and meetings. People will forget that you are on the phone. They will talk to you and sometimes not hear what you say (especially if you are on speakerphone in a conference room full of people). Therefore, it’s critical that you are assertive in your speaking and focus on getting at least one major point/idea in each discussion.

7. Master your phone system and conferencing tools: Phone conversations, conference calls, and voicemails are three critical tools in your work from home toolbox. All three of these tools allow you to inject a tone into your communications, something that is lacking in email and IM. Each of these scenarios is an opportunity to create memorable communication experiences with the people you work with. Most phone systems have additional, rarely used features (like scheduling voice mails) that you can leverage to your advantage.

8. Master your email program: Email will be a lifeblood of your work at home experience. It is a great way to increase your productivity while working from home, however, it’s important to remember that if you “match the medium to the message” (i.e. email is not appropriate for every message) in your communications, there will be times to use email and times not to use it.

9. Stay organized: Staying organized is another key to and this would tremendously increase your productivity. If you get too disorganized your productivity can drop exponentially since you don’t have co-worker interactions to help change your attitude and boost your focus. Keeping accurate to-do lists and a strong mental focus can help you stay focused and organized.

10. Match your sense of urgency to your co-workers and Clients: It’s very easy to be “over urgent” when working from home. Issues sometimes seem bigger than they are. Sometimes it seems you are getting inundated with co-worker communications. Your workload can seem insurmountable. When you get these feelings, it’s time to get organized, re-prioritize your work, take a break, and have a discussion with someone in the office to get a sense of the “vibe” there.

Written by: Regis Hadiaris

Regis Hadiaris is an award-winning Internet marketer and experienced leader known for unconventional ideas and impressive results.