{"id":17453,"date":"2021-03-05T10:54:30","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T15:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wproadmaps.com\/?p=17453"},"modified":"2022-08-02T10:52:55","modified_gmt":"2022-08-02T14:52:55","slug":"the-10-commandments-of-hygiene-for-remote-work-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wproadmaps.com\/the-10-commandments-of-hygiene-for-remote-work-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Commandments of Hygiene for Remote Work Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
Wait. What?<\/strong> There are hygiene habits that can help with productivity?<\/p> I know it seems silly but it\u2019s true. I have worked remotely on-and-off for several decades now and have discovered that some of the benefits of working from home (like no need to shower or change out of your pajamas) can actually make you less productive. Here are my 10 Commandments of Hygiene<\/strong>, developed over time, that if followed, will help you stay alert, focused, and ready for work.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t This one is simple. Making your bed as soon as you get up in the morning makes it much harder to allow yourself to climb back in. Works wonders!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Working from home (especially if you live alone) makes it way too easy to let this one go. So why do it? Well, primarily to stimulate your brain. Most folks agree they get some of their best ideas in the shower. I know that\u2019s definitely true for me.<\/p> In an article on the Thin Difference website, quoting a study done by Cognitive Scientist Scott Barry Kaufman:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t \u201cShowers are a safe place that provides \u2018a dopamine high, relaxed state, and distracted mind,\u2019 factors that are ideal for the creativity and idea formation. Dopamine, critical to creativity, is released when we\u2019re relaxed, feeling great, listening to music, exercising, and yes, taking a shower.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p> So do it. Do it EVERY DAY.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t I know, I know. Hopefully everyone is still brushing their teeth even though they don\u2019t have to go into the office. But when you\u2019re working from home, there are 2 other times you might want to brush again.<\/p> Ahhh\u2026 Going barefoot or padding around in your snuggly bunny slippers feels great but it doesn\u2019t set your mind to a work approach. I have found putting on my most comfortable pair of street shoes simply makes me feel more like working.<\/p> Try it and I\u2019ll bet you\u2019ll be surprised at the results.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Once again, those jammie pants are soooo comfortable. And even if you\u2019re participating in online on-camera communication, nobody can see you below the waste so\u2026<\/p> Nope! You need to get fully dressed for the same reason you want to put on street shoes. Wearing street clothes simply sets your mind that this is a work day at a \u201creal\u201d job with the added plus that looking nice will boost your confidence. And many folks you communicate with via phone or online will notice the confidence, even if they can\u2019t see you.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t I am super-lazy about opening, sorting, and filing mail because most of what I receive are bills that are auto-paid. Shamefully, my desk ends up with piles and piles of \u201cI\u2019ll get to it later\u201d (because I don\u2019t want to do it) stuff. And as the piles grow, I am less and less inclined to allot time to deal with it.<\/p> Lately I have taken up the practice of tidying my desk every Friday afternoon, and just dealing with 1 week\u2019s worth of desk clutter at a time. If I\u2019m working over the weekend, which I often do, this makes Saturday morning oh-so-much-more-productive. If you don\u2019t work weekends, you\u2019ll get the same result on Monday morning. Even if you like a little clutter, which is certainly acceptable, a tidy desk tends to make you calmer and more focused.<\/p> This is my quest. Although I admit I fail on this one from time to time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t I\u2019ve had some pictures and posters stacked up in the corner to hang in my office \u201cone day.\u201d But I\u2019m renovating other parts of my home and the office has just not been a priority\u2026 until recently. I just decided, because I spend a majority of each day in that room, it was in my best interest to move my desk to the other side of the room and finally hang the art.<\/p> Ahhhh\u2026. Now when I walk into my office, I have a feeling of joy (instead of stepping over the household clutter to get to my cluttered desk). And joy, my friends, is just plain healthy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t I have a natural \u201cbreak maker\u201d named Rudy that needs to go for a walk several times a day. But even if you don\u2019t, I highly recommend some fresh air when you need to get re-energized. Short on time? Walk faster.<\/p> If weather doesn\u2019t permit a walk outside, then take a 15 minute break and do something active, like sweep the kitchen floor or pick up the toys in the playroom. Getting your blood pumping, even a little bit, will help your brain and body.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t And no, I don\u2019t mean a playlist of your favorite songs you feel compelled to sing (or dance) along with (see Commandment #10). I\u2019m talking about that kind of music that makes you relaxed and focused.<\/p> For this, I highly recommend Brain.fm<\/a>. (Functional Music to Improve Focus in 15 Minutes) Their \u201cscience-first approach creates music that sounds different\u2013and affects your brain differently\u2013than any other music.\u201d<\/em> You can try it for free and see if it helps. I know it helps me! I remember noticing this fact as far back as grade school. I could always concentrate better when there was non-intrusive music playing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Multi-tasking… Just stop!<\/p> I admit it. I\u2019m guilty of this but if you are multi-tasking you are not giving anything primary focus and this inevitably results in lower productivity. Everyone thinks it\u2019s a way to increase productivity when exactly the opposite is usually true.<\/p> Time and time again, when I try to listen to a podcast or some online training while working on something else, I am either re-working the work or replaying the podcast or video. Even when participating in a relaxed chat session, like the WP Roadmaps weekly Friday chat, if I\u2019m doing something else at the same time, I may miss something someone said (or typed in the chat) that was important or funny. Everyone in the group deserves your undivided attention and you deserve to be more productive.<\/p> Multi-tasking just does not work for being more productive\u2026 so stop it.<\/p> ===<\/p> So there you have it. My 10 Commandments of Hygiene for Remote Work Productivity<\/strong><\/em> that I try to follow every day. Do I ALWAYS adhere to all 10 every day? Of course not. But I have them posted on the wall in plain view so when I\u2019m feeling lazy, distracted, sleepy, or unmotivated, it helps me remember and I usually get up and go put on my shoes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t1. Thou Shalt Make Thine Bed Immediately Upon Rising<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
2. Thou Shalt Take an Early Morning Shower<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
3. Thou Shalt Brush Thine Teeth <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
4. Thou Shalt Put On Thine Shoes<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
5. Thou Shalt Get Fully Dressed Daily<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
6. Thou Shalt Tidy Thine Desk Weekly<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
7. Thou Shalt Decorate Thine Office<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
8. Thou Shalt Take Breaks<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
9. Thou Shalt Play Music When Concentrating<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
10. Thou Shalt Not Distract Thyself<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Want to learn how to consistently get your projects completed on time and within budget?<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t