Work remote often? We’ve got you covered with twenty-five of our favorite working from home tips for you to implement into your daily routine. Working from the comfort of your couch, home office, or bed, offers flexibility and work-life balance that most professionals desire.
After all, who wouldn’t want to work whenever they wanted, on the couch in front of the TV in their PJs with a laptop?
Spend more time with their children?
Or have more home time in general?
Although working from home seems like the ultimate luxury, most professionals forget about one crucial element:productivity.
Working from home is great, but it can be a real drag if you struggle with staying productive.
Tips to Stay Productive When Working From Home
Here are the top 25 working from home tips that will help you stay productive—and successful.
1. Build a Permanent Work Space
The first step in your “work from home” journey is to designate an area of your home specifically for work. This could be an empty or spare bedroom that you convert to a home office. If you are pressed for space, you can set up a desk for your computer and office supplies.
Regardless of space or location, establish an area of your home where you will work, and commit to working in this space every day. Be sure your work space is comfortable (especially in any season) and enjoyable, and where you can work quietly when needed.
2. Invest in Technology
Yes, setting up a home office or work space may require a small investment. Much like starting a new business, you may have to purchase technology, such as a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone system to do your job every day.
Depending on the nature of your work, you may also need to purchase applications, hardware, and/ or software. Our recommendations? Invest in whatever you need to comfortably and easily do your job.
3. Invest in Comfortable—and Functional—Office Furniture
You may also need to invest in office furniture, if you haven’t already. Depending on the amount of space available, consider purchasing a large desk, bookshelves, and a comfortable office chair.
Remember, the point is that you will be working in this space every day. So, be sure to purchase comfortable and functional furniture, including ergonomic furniture or equipment, if needed.
4. Set “Work Hours”
Now that you have your office or work area set up, it’s time to get down to business—literally. If you are going to make working from home an everyday affair, then set specific business or work hours.
The beauty of working from home is that you can be flexible in setting your own working hours. For example, if you are most productive in the morning, or if you need to get the kids off the bus at 3 pm, then you may want to set your work hours from 7 am until 3 pm.
Regardless of your schedule, be sure to establish set work hours to follow each day. Be sure to also communicate your work schedule to colleagues, staff, and your boss, if you have one.
5. Avoid “Work Creep”
Some people believe that a work from home career can be invasive in your personal life. This is because if you are constantly home and near your work, then your work will begin to creep into your home life. Yes, the risk is real, but only if you let it…
This goes back to setting work hours. By setting specific work hours and sticking to them each day, then you can manage a healthy work schedule. When your work day is over, whether that is at 3, 4, 5 or 6 pm, shut your laptop and shut your office door and leave it behind until the next day.
6. Discover Your Peak Productivity Periods
Every individual and professional is most productive at different times of the day. For example, some individuals are “morning people” and they are most productive, alert, and focused during the morning hours. Others are more productive in the afternoon and evenings.
The point here is to discover when you are most productive and build your work schedule around your peak productivity periods. (More tips on this point to come later in this article.)
7. Make To-Do Lists
When you work from home each day and you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck, it can be challenging—and sometimes overwhelming—to keep track of what you have to do each day. It’s easy to lose sight of priorities, tasks, deadlines and even the little things.
In order to stay on task, quickly write down all the things that need to get done at the start of each day. If your list is quite lengthy, then set goals and time limits for accomplishing each task. After you complete each task, cross it off the list. This simple technique is both effective and fulfilling.
8. Use a Planner
In addition to making to-do lists, get into the habit of using a calendar or planner. For example, if you work from home some days but you are on the road others, get in the habit of using a planner to write down and keep track of deadlines, appointments, and meetings.
9. Use Apps
If you aren’t a “write-it-down” to-do list or planner person, don’t worry—there are plenty of digital calendar and task management apps available that can still help you.
Some top task management and calendar apps include:
Most of these apps offer both web-based and mobile versions, so you can download them to your phone. Some can even be integrated with other apps, such as Slack for team collaboration. And the best part? Most of these apps offer a free version.
10. Don’t Work in Your PJs.
We know—this is one reason why people love working from home… If you love working in your PJs, then you are probably killing your productivity.
Even if you don’t have to leave the house, make it a point to set a morning routine and stick to it. Therefore, when you are ready to sit down to work, you will be mentally and physically prepared for the day.
11. Don’t Work in Front of the TV
This is another productivity killer. Although you might treat “working from home” as really a “day off” that involves your couch and Netflix, glancing at your laptop from time to time, making this a habit will not get you very far…
Again, as mentioned above, treat your work day as just that: a work day. Avoid the TV and other distractions so you can focus on your work and getting things done. If you need the TV on as background noise, then do so, but avoid looking at it every few minutes. If you find that the TV is distracting you, shut it off and try listening to music or using a sound machine instead.
12. Do Set a Morning Routine and Stick to It
Another enjoyable perk of working from home is not having to get up, rush out of the house, and commute to an office. However, working from home doesn’t mean you get to skip your morning routine altogether. You should still set an alarm, get up early, take a shower, grab coffee and breakfast, and prepare your lunch, just like you have to leave the house.
13. Do Set an Alarm
Even if you don’t have to be up as early to leave for the office, you should still set an alarm and commit to getting up at a certain time each day. This will prevent you from sleeping in too late, and will keep you on a healthy sleep schedule.
Human beings are creatures of habit. We are incredibly dependent on routines, schedules, and structure. Therefore, by setting an alarm, following a strict morning routine, and setting specific work hours you will be healthier, more focused, more alert and more productive. Remember, a healthy body is a healthy mind.
14. Exercise
If your day allows, take a lunch break and go for a walk, go to the gym or stretch. Exercise naturally boosts endorphins, which increase happiness, enjoyment, and interest levels, all of which are important for productivity. If you are an early-morning jogger or gym-goer, then work that into your routine each day.
If you want to make exercise a habit, or become an early-morning exerciser, but struggle with getting out of bed, set an alarm across the room so you are forced to get up out of bed to shut it off. You can also leave yourself motivational sticky notes by your bed, so they are the first thing you see and read in the morning.
15. Eat a Healthy Lunch or Snack.
Another work from home reality is that we have full access to the kitchen. So, when it’s time for lunch or a snack break, we are immediately drawn to the usual snacks, such as chips, chips, cookies or leftover pizza. When we work in an office, we are at the mercy of whatever is available in the cafeteria or whatever lunch we brought from home.
However, research has shown that eating fruits and vegetables has a direct link on overall productivity levels. If you are an avid snacker, then make it a point to make yourself a healthy lunch, just as you would if you had to go into an office. You can also avoid buying unhealthy snacks altogether.
You can also reward yourself with a sweet snack on Friday after a long, successful, and productive week.
16. Take Short Breaks
Although we have focused most of this article on how to stay productive while working from home, sometimes the opposite can happen… We think that by working from home we will be able to get more done because there are less distractions. Therefore, sometimes we end up overcommitting and working too much, which also kills productivity.
You can easily avoid this by working short, five-minute breaks into your daily schedule, or even make them a part of your “rewards system”. Although taking breaks might seem counterproductive, research has shown that taking short breaks can actually increase productivity and creativity levels.
17. Use a Rewards System
We mentioned using a rewards system in the point above. This is an easy way to help you get things done—even the things you have been procrastinating or putting off.
For example, take a five-minute break to go for a stroll through your neighborhood, grab a healthy snack, take your dog to the park down the street, or switch over the laundry once you finish a phone call or complete a difficult task or deadline.
Although it seems simple, using a basic rewards system will help you get things done and also feel fulfilled.
18. Do Use Productivity Apps
If you struggle with staying on task while working from home, even if you have already tried some of the tips above, then you may need to kick things up a notch and use a productivity app.
For example, some productivity apps will track the amount of time you spend on each task, and even minimize distractions. Some examples of these types of apps include the following:
Even if you work for yourself, and you do not need to report time to a manager, using a time tracker app will help you see your productivity levels each day and week. This will not only provide you with insight as to when you are most productive during the day, it will also show you how much time you spend on each task.
If you are spending too much time on a particular task, or more than what is necessary on repetitive tasks, then it may be time to look into some automation solutions for even more productivity!
19. Stay Off Social Media
I think we can agree that we are ALL guilty of this one from time to time—or every day. Social media can be a giant time suck if you aren’t careful. In fact, studies have shown that the average adult spends nearly nine hours per day on social media. That is more time than most people spend sleeping or working!
Furthermore, according to an article recently published by CNN, Facebook and Instagram now reveal to users how much time they spend in each app.
If you are a social media addict, then make it a habit to shut off social media notifications during the day, if possible. This will help avoid distractions, so you can focus on getting more done.
20. Listen to Music
Okay, so you shut off social media and the TV, and you are sitting at your desk and focused on your work. But, now it’s tooquiet…
Listening to music while you work can help boost productivity levels and even enhance creativity. Even if you aren’t a huge music fan, studies have shown that listening to soft, classical music while you work can help improve focus.
21. Leave the House
You just invested time and money in setting up a designated work space or home office, and now we are telling you to leave the house? Yes and no. Leaving the house on occasion can give you a change of scenery, which can help boost creativity and productivity. If you need a slight change of pace, try working in your backyard or at a nearby coffee shop.
22. Use Video Chat
Interact with others! Working from home every day can get pretty lonely, especially if you are single or live alone. Make it a point to chat with colleagues, team members, or clients each day.
Video chat is a great way to stay connected with other human beings. There are also a number of video chat applications available today, such as:
- Skype
- Zoom
- Uber Conference
- Google Hangouts
Depending on the nature of your work and your position, you could end up spending almost all of your day on calls. If you spend a lot of time on the phone or in video conferences each day or week, then set aside time in your schedule each day for calls or video chats.
23. Use Your “Lunch Break” for Errands and Appointments
If you work from home each day, then you have a ton of free time to do what you want and go where you want, right? Maybe, but we don’t recommend that. Structuring your day is important. If you need to run errands, or schedule the occasional doctor or dentist appointment, try to schedule them for your “lunch break”, just as you would if you worked in an office.
24. Avoid Family, Friends, and Pets
This can be difficult, especially if you have young children at home, or have multiple pets, all of whom want your attention. If you are home all day, every day, then family and friends might think that they can show up whenever they please.
Of course, you probably welcome and enjoy the company, it’s important to remember that this is your work time. Be sure to set and stick to specific work hours and clearly communicate those hours with your family and friends.
25. Create a Vision Board
If you have been working from home for several years, and have mastered most if not all the points above, then you working from home might be becoming boring, dull or stale. You might struggle with sticking to your schedule, or enjoying your work. If this sounds all too familiar, then it might be time to take a step back, re-evaluate your business or work, and then approach it from a different angle.
A vision board can help. A vision board is just that: a board that you can use to write notes and post pictures of your dreams and aspirations. The visualization aspect of a vision board is a great and powerful mind exercise. It can help you feel the way you want to feel. This could help you get out of your work from home slump, and pave a new, clear path to productivity and success.
Start putting these working from home tips into effect today to streamline your routine and increase your productivity.
Republished by permission. Original here.
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