Do you feel unproductive at home at times? With many distractions around us - from our phones, to our plants, to our tempting bed that is constantly seducing us, it does sometimes seem hard to work efficiently from home.

We asked 8 professionals to share some tips to help you work productively at home (damn you COVID)!

1) Designate a Workspace at Home

“At home I found it useful to designate a place to work. Avoid the bedroom at all costs - it is really too cozy! To make for a conducive workspace, I bought a comfy chair and desk to work well. ”

- Alex Lee, Accounts Executive

2) Set A Routine

“It can be challenging to strike a balance between personal and work time when working from home. So establish a time table routine for work and aim to commit to it. Before starting work, eat a healthy breakfast to start the day off right!”

- Gerald Lim, Marketing Manager

3) Get Dressed

"Staying in your pajama pants may be enticing, but changing to professional and comfortable clothes can really help set the tone right. I think it helps psychologically, like the same way we make our bed. I can also take a zoom call immediately without any hesitation because of clothes.”

- Germaine, HR.

4) Take Regular Breaks

“Take regular breaks! I also sometimes find doing quick stretching exercises, or meditation to be beneficial in helping to focus better.”

- Jessica, Operations Manager

5) Stop Multitasking

“Try to stick, focus, and work on one task at a time. Concentrate on one important task at a time. Before jumping to the next one complete the first one."

- Paul, Sales Manager

6) Use Software Tools For Work

“Use tech to help! Set screen times on certain apps like Facebook or Instagram to limit time wasted. Personally I use Trello to tick off my to-do lists. ” - Sherman, Front-end developer

7) Make A List Of Work and Share with Coworkers

“Plan the week and discuss the plan with your boss and team. Involve them so they can keep you accountable too!”

- Agnes, Marketing Executive

8) Communicate Regularly with the Team

“Don’t forget to connect with your team. I can’t emphasize how important it is - to maintain communication. In this modern world, it is easy to maintain connections with each other with the help of zoom, skype, slack, google meet. So use those tools well!”

- Alan, HR Manager

If it’s your first experience to work from home, try your best to stick to your routine. While work from home is challenging, it will be here to stay for awhile. Any new tips? Feel free to share them below!