How to Be Super Productive (and Less Stressed!) While Working From Home
Working from home can be hugely flexible. In theory, you've got a ton of freedom to balance work and family life. In reality, it can throw up a lot of distractions. And before you know it, your productivity is pretty much non-existent.
When you're not productive, it can be super stressful. You feel a ton of anxiety since you're falling behind. And because your 'office' is also your home, there can be a whole heap of temptation to work round the clock.
Staying productive is super important for a healthy work-life balance when you're working from home. Here are some helpful tips to support doing it successfully…
Have a Dedicated Workspace
Working from your couch or bed is super convenient but it's not always the smartest option.
When you're working from home, having a dedicated office space that's just for work is a huge must.
Being able to shut the door on work is a hugely underrated mental shift. It's super hard to do this when your workspace is also a leisure space.
Schedule Your Time
You're your own personal manager when you're working from home but this can quickly become a double-edged sword.
With no boss to keep you on track or tell you what to work on and when, it's all on you.
Scheduling blocks of time to work on specific projects is can help keep you focused on the things that need to be completed as a priority.
Overestimating the block of time you'll need for each project gives you some flexibility and means you're not always scrambling to get things done if they take a while.
You can save a ton of time each morning by planning your schedule the night before. When you settle down to work, you can jump right in.
Stick Close to an Office Routine
If you've been used to working in an office, you should also be in a good routine for getting up, getting ready for your work day, and starting into your day to day activities.
Since you don't need to commute and you have a lot of flexibility for meetings and projects, there is the potential for the those routines start unraveling a bit.
Having breakfast and setting your alarm so you're ready to start work at a similar time to being in an office is key for getting a good routine up and running. As tempting as it may be to work in your pajamas, getting dressed also helps ease into work mode and keep the work/home boundaries from getting blurred.
Determine When You're Most Productive
An office-esque routine won't work well for everyone and that's fine.
If you play around with different schedules, you may find you get more out of yourself if you start work earlier in the morning and finish earlier too.
Finding when you're naturally most productive and planning your schedule around that is a smart move.
You can save more complex tasks for your productive periods and schedule easier tasks for when your energy is naturally waning away.
Take Regular Breaks
It can be super tempting to power through your working day without taking breaks in the mistaken belief it'll make you more productive.
For most people, it has the opposite effect. Breaks are hugely important for recharging and refreshing your energy. The end result? It's much easier to get more done.
With no breaks, you can easily find yourself working for longer but not getting much done. Not the outcome you were anticipating!
How you spend your breaks matters too, especially if you immediately hop on social media.
Ditching social media can free up a ton of time. Scrolling social media for a quick break may seem harmless but it's a major time suck.
If you can't resist social media breaks, it's time to get ruthless. Consider tools that restrict or block your access to social media sites while you're working or remove the app from your phone during the week.
Prep Meals In Advance
On the surface, this one may not seem to go hand-in-hand with productivity but it's another secret weapon for giving it a boost.
Prepping and cooking meals and snacks can take a ton of time if you're doing them from scratch. It's a major culprit for eating into the time you have to work. And that can be seriously bad news for your productivity.
Preparing meals in advance can free up a significant amount of time – more than you may think. Batch cooking and freezing meals that you can just heat up later on means you're not spending a chunk of your workday in the kitchen - and you can enjoy nutritious meals that help make you more productive and support improved energy levels.
Set Boundaries With Other People
When you work from home, it's super common for other people to see you as being freely available if they want company or need errands to be run.
Ask other people to respect that you're working and aren't available during your office hours.
This sets important boundaries and expectations, which can help avoid a major culprit for lack of productivity.
Improving your productivity when you're working from home is super important for reducing stress and striking a good work-life balance. Taking charge of your routine, time, and energy is a huge part of this and helps make working from home a benefit, rather than a stressor.
What tips have you found to be helpful to ensure you’re productive while working from home?
