Even if you love working from home, you might be going a little crazy trying to manage your career and personal life under the same roof. These 12 working from home tips can help.
It’s going into day one hundred and something of quarantine, and you roll out of bed, pull on your cleanest sweatpants, turn on the coffee maker, and head to your home workspace to start your work day.
You feel sleepy but alert. And while you patiently wait for that fresh cup of joe, you pour over your lengthy task list that is becoming increasingly daunting as the minutes pass.
Your work day looks busy, but how can you focus when Netflix just sent you a notification that season two of that show you like just launched? You can’t help but consider powering down and bingeing it all in one sitting. Curse you Netflix!
There are many benefits of working from home, but now that your work life and home life are in a relationship, it can be very difficult to stay focused on your job (especially if this is a newer concept to you).
You feel happy to be at home, but can’t seem to focus, so what can you do? The working from home tips below can help.
Tips to Stay Productive While Working from Home
1. Wake up early (ish)
It’s no secret that some of the most successful people in the world are early risers (we see you Michelle Obama!). I’m not saying you need to get up before the sun, but don’t roll out of bed 15 minutes before you’re scheduled to start your day.
According to a recent study, early risers tend to be more productive and on average they have higher salaries. Why? well that’s up for debate, but they make time to exercise, eat a healthy meal, spend time with their family and check their emails all before the rest of us get in the office.
If you need to boost your productivity at home, try setting that alarm a half hour earlier and see how much you can get do.
2. Have a routine to get ready in the morning
It’s not necessary to glam up when you’re not going into the office, but that doesn’t mean you should start work unshowered and in your PJs.
Did you know that according to a study by cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, 72% of people get creative ideas while in the shower? Showering also gives us some much needed solitude, and this can actually help your mind recharge; it’s basically a meditation.
Want a real productivity boost? Take a cold shower. These are good for immunity, circulation, and lets be honest, will really wake you up.
3. Separate your workspace from common living spaces
Many of us were not prepared to work from home when Covid hit, but now that we’re five months in it may be a good idea to start thinking about a separate working space if you’re still working from your kitchen or living room.
Are there dirty dishes in the sink? Are your kids blasting Peppa Pig in the living room? These distractions might have less of an impact on your day if you’re separated from them.
It’s also a good idea to make sure your home workspace is clear from mess and clutter. This will help you focus on the task at hand (your job) and not your personal to do list.
4. Start your day by reviewing your task list
Start your day by sorting through your emails and listing out everything you need to do for the day so you feel more organized.
Remember those early risers we talked about? Some of their top morning habits include checking emails and planning out their day.
Having a plan to tackle your day will help you establish your priorities identify any challenges, and in general make you more productive.
5. Set regular hours
Working from home can offer a lot of flexibility from a regular work week, but you should try to keep regular hours.
Not only does this help your colleagues connect with you when they need you, but it will help you develop a routine so you can segment your day into working hours or non-working hours.
6. Take planned breaks
Without your work BFFs stopping by your desk for coffee breaks, you may suddenly find yourself working for long periods of time without taking a pause.
Just because you’re working from home does not mean that you are impervious to workplace burnout.
According to a 2018 survey, taking breaks can help you gain focus and energy, improve mental well being, and give you a creativity boost.
Do you miss your daily coffee break with your work tribe? Jump on a video call with them for a little human connection.
7. Check your ergonomics
Poor ergonomics can cause a whole slew of issues including migraines, back and neck pain, cysts, trigger finger, and musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel and tendinitis.
Part of having a separate working space should be ensuring you have the right setup. Check your chair height and how far away your screen is from your face.
Is your desk too high? How are your armrests sitting?
If you finish work feeling sore everyday, it will eventually make it very difficult for you to concentrate.
Your employer might be able to help you by lending you a better chair or providing you with some reading on ergonomic setups so you can assess your workspace.
8. Try to remember to move
Poor ergonomics might not be the only reason you’re feeling aches and pains. With no commute, no long walk across the parking lot, and no strolls to the kitchen for coffee breaks, you may be surprised how much less activity you’re getting now that you’re home.
We already know exercise is good for us, but did you know short bursts of movement and exercise throughout the workday can actually boost productivity?
Try planning a little movement throughout the day: go soak up some vitamin D and take a quick walk on lunch or try doing a half hour of stretching. Maybe you’re awesome and can find the motivation to do home workouts (teach me sensei).
However you do it, just get up and move, your body will thank you.
9. Stay hydrated and have healthy snacks on hand
This is a big one guys.
Water. You need it. You can’t live off coffee. Did you know that dehydration can actually affect mental performance and impact your productivity?
Get in half your body weight in ounces everyday (so if you weigh 180 pounds you should be getting in 90 ounces a day)
Did you also know that eating healthy throughout the day can improve cognitive function? Skip the frozen pizza and avoid foods with excess sugar so you don’t get a sugar spike (and then crash) – this can decimate your productivity levels.
Meal prep some healthy snacks so you have some on hand if you end up having to rush to that surprise conference call you were just invited to.
10. Don’t forget about auditory distractions
Maybe you have a noisy neighbour who likes to mow their lawn mid-day, or if you’re like me you may have two tiny parrots who like to scream their beaks off when you’re on important conference calls.
Whatever sounds you have at home, they are a far cry from the casual chatter, key board clacking, and low hum of the HVAC system you had to deal with at the office.
Turn on the fan, use a white noise machine, invest in some noise cancelling headphones, or fire up your favorite playlist. Whatever worked for you at the office can work at home too, you just need to set it up.
11. Set boundaries with the people you live with
Laying out some ground rules might be easier said then done if you have young kids or are a single parent household. If you can, make sure you set times when your family, roommates, parents, or whoever, can’t interrupt you while you work.
If distraction seems inevitable, try switching up your schedule – will your employer accommodate a reduced work week? Can you adjust your working hours to when your partner is home? Or when your roommate is not? Find a solution that fits in with your home life.
12. If all else fails, use a vacation day
If you really can’t get that Netflix series out of your head, see if you can take the day off. Sometimes we need a mental health day to recharge from all the craziness.
Leave a Comment
How do you stay productive at home? What’s your secret? Leave a comment below and tell us how you plan out your day.
Leave a Reply