How to Stay Productive While Working from Home
Working from home is a gift that offers a tremendous amount of flexibility - from when and where you work to what you wear (business on top and pajamas on bottom, anyone?).
There may be times when you feel exceptionally grateful to be able to put your feet up and work from the couch. But then it’s natural that you may also experience times where you feel isolated or distracted by laundry.
Without a plan and some semblance of structure, the spiral into 24-hour pajamas and binge movie watching is a real threat to your productivity and the success of your business. (Take it from someone who’s worked from home off-and-on for the past 10 years!)
So, whether you work remotely regularly, or find yourself adjusting to a new routine as a result of the effects of Coronavirus, I’m sharing with you 8 tips for how to be successful and stay productive while working from home.
1 | GET DRESSED
There isn’t a dress code you need to adhere to in your home office, but the act of getting dressed and ready for the day prepares you for work. This is especially true if you’re used to an office environment, because it allows you to maintain your routine.
The way you present yourself - even if no one else will see you all day - sets the tone for how you show up.
Think about it: Don’t you carry yourself taller when you feel good about how you look and what you’re wearing? It sounds superficial, but science has proven it to be true: the way we present ourselves on the outside directly affects how others see us, how we feel about ourselves, and the way we behave.
2 | PLAN YOUR DAY
To be productive while working from home, it’s important to minimize distractions and maximize those windows of time you have to get things done. The key is planning out your day in advance, so you can be proactive rather than reactive.
Some people choose to map out the day the night before while others prefer to highlight their priorities that morning. No matter your preference, schedule 15 minutes into your calendar regularly (evening or morning) to get a sense of what’s on the schedule and identify the three top tasks for the day.
Building this active planning into your schedule ensures that you can just sit down when you’re ready to work and make every minute count.
3 | AVOID MULTITASKING
We’ve all heard that multitasking isn’t actually possible. The lure of multitasking, however, still exists and can be especially strong at home.
Focusing is probably the single most important factor in staying productive while working from home. There are so many distractions - from laundry and dishes to social media notifications and an overflowing inbox. Whenever you can avoid the lure of multitasking, your rate of productivity will increase.
A few easy places to start? Focus on bigger projects and tasks without checking email, responding to client calls or seeing who ‘Liked’ your Facebook post. Then, dedicate separate times of the day to tasks like dishes and laundry.
Easy Start: put your notifications on do not disturb when you start a project, so you won’t be interrupted by any pings!
4 | SET LIMITS WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE
Setting limits and communicating them to those around you will ensure that everyone in the home understands when you have dedicated time for work vs play with family.
This tip is admittedly challenging, especially if you have really young children or people with special needs in your home. You know your household better than anyone else, and one or two boundaries are likely to come to mind. Identifying and implementing some limits will help safeguard time for your needs and productivity.
Here are a few ideas on how to introduce limits:
Have a 6-year-old child? Set a timer and tell her that she can ask you questions when the timer goes off.
Have a teenager? Give him a written list of tasks to complete before knocking on your door.
Have a chatty spouse? Tell him the door is closed until a specific time.
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5 | CREATE A ROUTINE
Just as it’s helpful to plan your day in advance, so you can sit down and get right to work, it is also helpful to have structure around the rest of your day.
To create a routine for yourself (and/or for your family), start by listing out your core activities in categories. I recommend using: health and wellness, meals, work, recreation, and screen time.
You can then insert this list of activities into a framework that keeps you moving forward throughout each day. In our home, we’ve also found it helpful to keep a list of go-to games and activities for when boredom sets in for others and you’re in your work zone.
6 | GET YOUR BODY MOVING
When you get comfy in your desk chair, deep into a project and into your zone, it’s easy to forget to stand up and get your body moving.
It’s that movement, however, that keeps you at optimal productivity.
Some experts suggest 15 minutes of movement for every hour that you work. In our home, we’ve built 30 minutes of exercise twice a day into our routine, and we feel just as good!
7 | START A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE
In the same way that our bodies need to move, our minds need to rest. Like movement, it’s the balance of work and rest that keeps us at optimal productivity.
Activating a regular mindfulness or meditation practice improves your ability to produce better work, stay focused and make better decisions.
You can start with a meditation app, journaling, or breath exercises. The important thing is to find what works for you.
8 | JOURNAL GRATITUDE
In times of uncertainty, we can become easily overwhelmed by feelings of anxiety. We can get so caught up in our fears about the future, that we forget to acknowledge our gratitude for the present.
Yet, it’s when we are present and aware of what’s working that our mindset shifts to positive, which fuels more of the good personal growth we’re all striving for.
By journaling what it is you’re grateful for, you can tap into those positive mindset shifts and ease your anxieties. If you don’t already have a gratitude practice, now’s a perfect time to put one in place so you can load up on positivity.
9 | MAINTAIN COMMUNITY
As humans, we crave social interaction and community. It’s built into our DNA. Which is why our sense of purpose is ignited most when we feel supported and included as a part of something bigger than us.
This is why it’s vital that you maintain community, especially if part of your business relies on connecting and collaborating with others.
We’re living in times when technology has made it easier than ever to have virtual meetups, so building and growing your community is not only possible, but vital to keeping loneliness and isolation at bay and maintaining the relationships that continue to power your business forward.
What strategies have you used to stay productive while working from home? Share a comment below so others can learn what works for you!