The pandemic has turned the world upside down for businesses and professionals. Both are bearing the brunt of the situation, as organizations are still apprehensive about opening up and getting employees back to the office. Many major companies have opted for an extended work-from-home stint for a major proportion of their teams. The situation is stressful for the employees, who are struggling to stay sane and maintain their productivity levels through the challenges and distractions of WFH.
However, you may just be at an advantage if your enterprise provides Mac for work. These premium devices excel in look and feel and offer an incredible range of features that make them a delight to use. More importantly, there are some extra benefits that users have from the productivity perspective. All you need to do is know some actionable hacks and implement them for maximizing your outcomes even as you work from home. Let us list the ones that can make all the difference.
Organize your tasks with a calendar
Over the months of working remotely, you may have realized that organizing tasks is the biggest struggle. Time is limited, and there are regular tasks to manage amid meetings and calls. You may even skip a task or forget about a call when things get too chaotic. Mac simplifies things as it lets you use a calendar app to keep track of everything and complete things on time. Apart from scheduling everything important, you can also use a calendar for adding structure to unstructured days and focus better.
Avoid distractions by disabling notifications
Working from home often involves many distractions, with kids running around and notifications popping up on your screen. While you can create a dedicated home office to avoid physical distractions, Mac allows you to take tangible steps to deal with notifications as well. You can easily do it by clicking on the Notification Center and turning on “Do Not Disturb” (DND) settings in the “Today” tab. Alternatively, you can do it by holding down the Option button on the keyboard and clicking the icon for Notification Center in the Menu Bar. Once the DND setting is on, there wouldn’t be more distractions, and you can concentrate on work.
Delete files quickly
The stress of WFH often leaves you too occupied with the tasks at hand, and you may end up with a cluttered system loaded with files and folders that should be cleared. When your Mac is loaded with redundant files, you may eventually experience a performance slowdown. Clearing files regularly is a good idea, and fortunately, it is quick and simple for Mac users. Selecting a file and hitting the Command + Delete keys is all you need to do for moving it to the trash. You can even empty the trash quickly by hitting Command + Shift + Delete keys together.
Master Mac screenshots easily
Collaborating with remote teams and customers requires good communication and coordination. Many times, you may have to show things rather than just say them for better clarity. Luckily, Mac lets you take screenshots easily and share them with others. You can go through https://setapp.com/how-to/screenshot-on-mac to master the skill. Things can be a bit tricky for new users because Apple products do not come with a dedicated button for “print screen”, but this guide can help you cruise through easily.
Use Split Views for multitasking
Another actionable Mac hack that can enhance your WFH productivity is the use of Split View for multitasking. The feature enables the user to access a couple of apps on one screen. You can work simultaneously on two apps on the screen, which is great for multi-taskers looking to do more with less. For the ones who cannot handle two apps together, there is the option of using an iPad as a secondary monitor. So you can easily do much more with a Mac than with any other device.
Follow schedules with Screen Time
If you are having trouble with managing your work schedule at home, your Mac has an excellent solution. It offers the option of Apple’s Screen Time app, which is capable of managing schedules and even tracking your time effectively. While it can help you step up your productivity levels, the Screen Time app also enables you to manage breaks with time off the screen. You get to relax only as much as you need, as the system will give a quick warning once the designated break time is over.
Go hands-free with dictation
Another cool hack that makes an extraordinary choice for WFH professionals is dictation. It lets you go hands-free by dictating rather than typing text, which means that you can quickly finish some housework without missing out on the work tasks. Some additional space on your hard drive is good enough to let you try your hand at this incredible feature. You can use it by opening “System Preferences” and clicking on “Dictation & Speech”. Set the “Dictation” on by clicking the radio button, and you are good to go.
Run the latest version of the OS
This one is a no-brainer because productivity is dependent on performance and security, and you can ace on both the fronts by running the latest Mac OS version. Updating as soon as the new version is available is a good idea because it provides new features and security fixes that are missing in the previous ones. Even as you work from home, keep an eye on the latest releases, and update proactively. The best part is that moving to the next OS version is a simple process and you need not be an expert to handle it.
Mac users swear by the exceptional experiences these devices offer, and they are an ideal choice when you work from home. All you need to do for securing the advantage is to implement the right hacks and use the right features that take your productivity to the next level. Once you unlock these apps and features, you will notice a big difference!
HedgeThink.com is the fund industry’s leading news, research and analysis source for individual and institutional accredited investors and professionals
