Before COVID, I would have told you that I hated working from home and that my productivity wasn’t as good. After 2.5 years of enforced work from home, followed by an extended period while I was undergoing cancer treatment, I’ve flipped this: I’m actually less productive when I’m in the office. Still, I’m required to work from the office two days a week—so here’s how I stay productive when I’m in the office.
Working From Home
When I’m at home, I do everything on my computer for work. My main job is done there, but meetings, documentation, and design all happen there as well.
When I’m working from home, I keep a notebook for random thoughts and tasks I need to do during lunch or while I’m waiting for databases to restore.
When I take a break and get up to stretch, I’ll usually do something small around the house, like clean the cat box, dust a room, or put away the dishes.
During my lunch break, I’ll go for a walk, do strength training, and practice percussion before taking my food back to my desk and eating while I work.
The Challenges of Working In The Office
When I’m working in the office, I’ve realized how challenging things can be.
- There are more interruptions. There are a lot of “drive by” conversations when I’m in the office. When I’m at home, these happen on Teams, which is easier to deal with on my own timeline. To minimize in-person interruptions, my days in the office are Mondays and Thursdays, which are the least popular days for my coworkers.
- It’s noisy. With people moving through the office space or having meetings at their desks, I have to work harder to concentrate. There’s also a good deal of construction going on in the building, which adds a new set of challenges.
- Transitions are harder. Moving between meetings, conversations, and focused work takes more effort when I’m not in my usual setup.
My Systems for Staying Organized on the Go
When I am in the office, I take my work computer, my work notebook, my iPad and my personal notebook. (I try not to mix the notebooks because it’s a habit of consulting).
Having my iPad means I can do meetings away from my desk and still take notes. These go right into my OneNote system for work, which is the only work item I access on my tablet.
I still design with a pen. Having my work notebook means I have my paper designs at my fingertips. Having my personal notebook means I can jot down ideas as needed during the day.
These two notebooks and the tablet allow me to write everything down, and that means I don’t rely on my faulty memory.
What Helps Me Stay Focused Anywhere
Regardless of where I am working, there are a few key things that allow me to stay focused.
- I use a focus sticky note. Whether I am in the office or at home, I write down the focus item on a sticky note. This allows me to bring myself back to the task at hand after an interruption or a break.
- I have portable routines. It doesn’t matter where I am working – I use my OneNote to log everything I do, and take notes. At the end of the day I make sure things are summarized in my time log.
- My personal targets are written out. I plan the things I need to do tomorrow the night before. This is especially helpful when I am in the office because I don’t have to think about what needs to be done when I get home – I just do the items on the list. Keeping this separate means I am not thinking about personal stuff when I am working.
In Conclusion
Ultimately, I’ve found that productivity in the office comes down to being intentional instead of reactive. I can’t eliminate the noise, interruptions, or constant transitions, but I can build systems that make it easier to keep my focus and recover when I lose it. By keeping my notes, priorities, and routines portable, I can work effectively no matter where I am. The office may not be my ideal workspace, but with the right habits, it’s still a place where I can get meaningful work done.
