PROCRASTINATION + HOME OFFICE = A -REALLY- HARD COMBO

Tomorrow: a mystical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation and achievement is stored.

If anyone knows about wasting time, that's me: I've spent a really big part of my life doing things that I have not planned or were not my goal from the beginning, without even realizing it. And many of you will say: what a relaxed and joyful way of looking life! but the reality is not like that. I don't deny that I've had a great time and thanks to that, I've tried the craziest energy drinks and I've prepared delicious coffees that work like an airplane engine inside my body to finish in one night what I could have done for a week , but thinking in brief: the time I've spent procrastinating could have served me to sleep peacefully my eight hours at night, practice yoga, do a master's degree or simply: rest.

Distractions have always existed, but nowadays with technology, social media, platforms and hobbies that are unleashed from these, we are more likely to fall into procrastination's spiderweb; leaving aside the non-technological elements and activities that can generate distractions, because for people like me, who get distracted by even the fluttering of a fly, not much is enough to neglect our primary tasks. That's why workspaces -often called offices- have an infrastructure that obeys rules to be followed for an efficient office work: good lighting, a clear desk, a good chair with ideal ergonomics and good ventilation. Physically, these offices provide us with an ideal comfort for concentration and office tasks development.

Everything was honey on flakes, until Covid 19 came to attack, sending us to study and work at home, where not everyone have that ideal office space that involves efficient work. Although, many of us don't have that space at home, we had the opportunity to set up our own office, but nothing prevents us from having our bed, our fridge, our tablet or anything else that makes us waste time.

So, if at work I was sent to home office and I am a professional naplover procrastinator, what will I do? In this article I'll give you a list of tips to make an efficient use of your work time at home and not fall into the clutches of procrastination. If the diagram below represents the way you work, then this article is for you.

1. See your time as an investment: envision yourself having a romantic dinner with your friends or girlfriend right after doing what you're putting off or whatever recreational activity will serve as a reward.

2. Make to do lists in all the activities you have to do at work: from calling to someone, to filling out online documents.

3. Many times procrastination occurs due to lack of ideas, not being clear about the topic or not knowing where to start, so it is a good idea to draw pictures or mind maps (as a hobby) about the task that we are going to carry out, inspiration could come from there.

4. Considering the previous tip, you can also undo a large and intimidating task into small activities or steps to follow. If it's a report that you have to deliver or an investigation, put words or subtitles of topics to be filled up, fill them in the order that better suits you.

5. Many of us need the cell phone to communicate constantly with colleagues or our boss, but if possible: disconnect the internet and social media notifications the time you are going to dedicate to a task.

6. Allocate specific spaces for specific activities: I don't recommend you to work in your bedroom. Instead, you can do it in the living room or in the dining room and only use your room to sleep, as the brain gets used to it and is inclined to do the activity that you mostly do in some places.

7. Personally, I don't like doing home office in pajamas, as I think I am more prone to laziness and go to bed. I recommend you only use pajamas to sleep at nights and that doesn't mean that you have to do home office in a tuxedo, but you can put on a different comfortable outfit for working at home.

8. Think that you will feel better after finishing your work tasks. You will feel happier and more functional if you fulfill your work in a timely manner. On the other hand, if you waste time, you may feel the opposite: incompetent and unskilled.

Procrastination is a monster that makes you put off the most important tasks, for those that are less urgent. Personally, getting unnecessary activities out of my sleeve is my profession, as long as I avoid anything that causes me discomfort or boredom. However, I think that postponing the work activities that we have to do, only makes us spend more time with what we would like to finish quickly. Dare to the uncomfortable! therein lies the challenge and the key to finish your tasks on time. Do it now.