 |
| Add caption |
It's been a while since I worked from home, but whenever I do there are a few things I bear in mind. Here, I share some more general tips for you freelancers, students and bloggers who struggle to keep productive when working at home.
1. Get dressed & ready
I for sure have had those days working from home when I've opted to stay in my pjs because who wants to get out of those comfy clothes?! However, I hate to be a pyjama party pooper but I always found I feel sluggish during the day if I do this - my motivation to work just isn't as it would be if I got myself up and dressed. When I realised that having a morning routine like that of going out of the house for work made me more productive, I found my productivity, especially in the morning, increased.
2. Create work-life boundaries
This is one of the main things I touched on in my post about creating a productive workspace - having boundaries from where you work and where you don't is one of my keys to keeping productive. Create an office space - a desk is probably best but if you don't have that then create an area that is just for working. Whether it's a seat at your kitchen counter or a specific spot on your sofa that you dedicate to working. This just makes you feel like when you're in that spot, you're working.
Working from home comes with its perks; being in close proximity to the fridge, being able to do laundry in between emails. But, I also think it's useful to try and treat it like you are actually in an office. I tried to work the hours 9-5 to help split up my time and not tempt me from working from my bed too often or working later into the evening when I should be switching off.
By having these boundaries, I found not only could I switch off more easily in the evening but I was productive during my working hours as I knew that I could only work during these hours and so needed to get as much done as possible.
3. Know when you're most productive
This is a slight contradiction on my last point of having hours similar to office hours but, if you have more control over the time you have to work when you're at home, then knowing when you are most productive can really help schedule around this.
I find I'm most productive first thing in the morning, so I try and it's now that I tackle my bigger tasks. Then, mid-morning I tend to hit a lull. Here, I decide to do the more mindless tasks that don't require too much concentration. I also try and plan my lunchtime around my productive times. If I know I tend to flag around 12:30, I'll try and have my lunch then before starting again later when I know I'm more productive again in the afternoon.
4. Don't be overly ambitious
This was something I always failed to do. Even though I didn't even finish my to-do list that day, I would somehow think that tomorrow I'd be able to double that - not going to happen! Instead, having a priority list of maybe 3-5 big tasks that need to get done every day (depending on how big they were) and a few extras that if I get round to them, then great!
I find this helps not only stop me from becoming demotivated when I don't achieve all my daily goals but also stop me from working into the evening to try and get the rest of my to-dos done.
5. Have a killer playlist
Some people choose to work in silence but, even now when I work in an office, having background music just helps me to get into the rhythm of working. I find it especially helpful to keep me productive when tackling the smaller jobs like replying to emails, filling in spreadsheets etc.
If you're looking for some good work recommendations to help motivate you while not being too distracting, check out my new COFFEE playlist on Spotify.
6. Try to leave the house each day
I think this is super important to be able to take a real break away from the stress of sitting and working all day. Maybe take some time to meet your friends for a coffee take a walk or just nip to the shop.
I found when I worked from home, spending days on end inside when I had a lot of work actually left me feeling unhappy with myself as well as in my work. So, I can definitely vouch for the positives on your happiness and productivity for taking some time to get out of the house to switch off from your work for a little while.
Is there anything I missed? Leave how you stay motivated to work in the comments!
Hope you're doing great,
Sarah x
Post a Comment