So you left your nine to five, and now you want to be more successful from home?
OR are you working from home more now since the recent world’s turn of events and you need some sort of safe direction to get it all done with ease?
Well if so, then it’s safe to say that productivity can be very difficult, particularly if working from home is something that you are not used to.
Moreover, the way you handle your home business or remote job will have a direct bearing on how you perform and function as a whole.
So whether you’re working from home full-time for your employer, doing some freelance jobs here and there for yourself, or just brushing up on creating a more productive home life, it’s best to assume that your home surroundings really do decide how successful you are.
To help you out, here are 12 productivity tips if you’re craving a better work/home life balance!
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12 Productivity Tips for Working From Home
1. Get Dressed.
Since you came here to learn how to be more productive at home, and while wearing pajama pants to work can be a perk for some, it’s a bad strategy and also a poor job tactic to staying productive.
That’s because getting dressed will help you feel more productive and it has a great way of signaling to you to get into work mode.
Remember, your home environment is not going to be changing much at the moment either so it’s important to change your outfits at the beginning and end of the day to signal that you have and had a work shift.
Moreover, getting dressed will also show you that you are employed and your daily routine will be more consistent if you can adapt your attire to reflect the fact.
2. Incorporate a healthy morning routine before you begin each work shift.
Another great way to increase more productivity at home is by creating a fixed morning routine that will enable you to get into the habit of “going to work”.
Just like getting dressed, there are a variety of other ways to begin your day in a healthy and positive manner. Pay attention to your physical and mental wellness by adopting a few good healthy morning practices that have a powerful effect on your outlook and that will get you enthusiastic to face the day ahead.
A healthy morning routine includes drinking water, being active, and eating a healthy breakfast. For more inspiration, take a look at these healthy morning routines here and here to help you create a stellar morning routine to increase your productivity.
3. Set ground rules for the people who reside in your home.
Since you are home more often now, there is no better time than right now to describe some good working ground rules to anyone who resides or works in your home.
For example, your children should know what’s appropriate during your working hours and what’s not appropriate during your working hours when they’re at home.
Also, just because you present at home now, doesn’t mean the people you are living with can take advantage of such opportunities. If that doesn’t bother you, that’s perfect, but if you assume you have to do things for them while you’re home, your work efficiency may suffer if you do not have good ground rules set in place for your job.
4. Limit your distractions.
Depending on what you are working on from home, the key to being the most productive and getting the most done is to limit any or all potential distractions.
That means, if you find that you are lacking motivation or are having a tough time staying productive through being distracted, your next best option should be to choose a space to work where there will be little to no distractions at all.
You can pick somewhere where the distractions can be minimized such as far away from the kitchen, laundry area, or living room, where the potential to get distracted is high.
5. Turn off your phone notifications.
Your phone is also going to be the ultimate time-waster for you and will get you replying, chatting, scrolling, and “not working” if you don’t put your phone away as well. Try to avoid all notifications from your phone’s apps such as texts or social media notifications.
6. Factor in special occasions, holidays & day-to-day living.
Whether you are working from home now by remote or you’ve decided to go full in with building that online business you’ve always dreamed of, staying productive is paramount in order to lead a successful life.
So in order to be more productive at home, this means that you must carefully evaluate your weekly day-to-day living because if not, you will feel at the beck and call to those other priorities that don’t involve work.
Be aware that uninvited pop-ins, special occasions, seasonal activities, and guests can all factor in, and can determine how much work you get accomplished, especially since they see you more often now!
So if you do have guests coming into town and you know that your schedule will be filled up with making dinner and hosting them, consider working a full day on the weekend to catch up.
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7. Designate a space that is solely for you.
If you would like to manage your workload at home in a constructive way, then you must be mindful that having two or three separate working areas (in the house) is much less constructive than having one specific area in the home that’s strictly allocated solely for you.
Although using different rooms in the house can definitely be used for calls and more productivity, try to stick with a central location to achieve your most primary work.
If you allow yourself to work in every corner of the house, say one day you may find yourself on the sofa and the next at the dining table, this can definitely hinder your productivity and work performance if it turns into one of your work from home habits.
If you have limited space? That’s okay! All you need to do is find an annoyance-free workplace and call it your own. Even a small walk-in closet can be turned into a little office. Doing so will help you worry less about any disturbances that could potentially happen.
8. Always have an Organized Home Office.
We all know that when scattered paper, floppy files, and messy office spaces get out of hand, it leads to procrastination, and of course, less productivity.
And since your objective is to be able to work from home and be more productive, if you have clutter that is distracting you, that is in clear indicator that you’re not going to get your best work completed. Try to stay organized as much as you can and follow a few of these home office organization tips below!
How to clear out home office clutter:
- Donate any furniture that you don’t use or need to free up space. A room that is minimal really helps the mind think clearer.
- Hide any wires that are peaking out with simple wire clips.
- Move things off the floor so you don’t have to step over books or equipment or anything that might be a hindrance.
- Start digitizing all of your paperwork so you have a paperless workspace.
- Create a place for everything, and put it away when you no longer need it or use it.
Similar: How to Set Intentions for the Day – 10 Easy Steps
9. Consider sound therapy with a music playlist to stay extra motivated.
Since most people prefer working in peace, that’s another reason why working from home is such a trend these days. Busy offices usually involve a lot of chatter and businesses are starting to take notice of why remote hiring is better for their bottom line.
With saying that, silence and a peaceful work environment are not always viable especially when you are working from home. And you are the one who is going to have to set the tone.
Plus, who knew that your neighbor’s kids just love to shoot hoops at random hours during the day (or at night!) and since we all need to do laundry if it’s banging in the background while you’re busy trying to get your work done for the day, that is not going to be ideal for staying productive.
Since noise can come from anywhere, it’s usually out of our control. But, there is a way around this. Productivity coaches assert that creating your own playlist and having it on standby, for when you need it, is the best way to stay productive.
If you keep a relaxing playlist on Spotify on standby, you’ll be well equipped to staying on track with your work goals right when you press play.
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10. Get plants – Plants have a natural calming effect that boosts productivity.
Did you know that plants can provide you so much more than clean air? That just merely looking at nature (after looking at a computer screen for hours) can be a nice change of pace and be a beautiful breather for your mind to feel more relaxed and calm?
Yes, science has shown that our bodies achieve a relaxed state simply when we are in the same room as living plants.
This is amazing, especially since it can be really refreshing for our productivity to know that these cute little full-of-life plants are helping us even when it feels they aren’t.
If you’re not used to having plants, get on the bandwagon and buy some plants that require little to no maintenance. The most ideal plants to get your hands on are succulents, spider plants, some fresh herbs (for the fragrance), or cacti.
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Peace Lily
Macrame Plant Hanger
LED Plant Grow (for darker workspaces)
Similar: The Best Indoor Hanging Plants For Beginner Gardeners
11. Avoid energy crashes.
Keeping healthy snacks on hand to stay fueled for a more productive day is one of the best ways to stay more motivated and productive throughout the day.
The food we eat is highly essential to not only boost our brainpower but to influence how productive we are with any task at hand, so make sure that you’re eating healthy foods throughout the day to avoid energy crashes.
For some healthy snacks that are easy to make so you can spend less time cooking, try these:
- Bananas
- Eggs
- Dark Chocolate
- Apple & Peanut Butter
- Yogurt & Granola
- Nuts and fruit
Of course, staying hydrated is essential, so always make sure you have fresh water by your side throughout your workday and take note of how much coffee you are drinking!
Coffee will give you that crash and burn feeling much faster than tea and water won’t cause you any fatigue at all!
Similar: If you are looking for an alternative to coffee with an added energy boost? Check out The Beginner’s Guide to Adaptogens here!
12. Use the “2-Minute Rule” to knock out your smaller tasks.
Sometimes we spend way too much time on the less important things that we can actually run out of time on our most important obligations.
To beat this procrastination habit all you have to do is apply this rule to both your work life and lifestyle!
All the 2-minute rule asks of you is to start each task with only two measly minutes. Focus really hard on your most important task with a timer and see how much you can get accomplished. You’ll be surprised how much you get done and how easy it is to keep going.
No one is too busy to quickly tackle a two-minute small task before moving onto something else. Whatever the ‘thing’ is that you picked to work faster on, try it out and see if it buys you more productivity.
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Chic Office Timer
Remember, your main priority is to catch what’s not working for you and to improve it.
It could be anything from energy crashes that are hindering you at home or it could be distractions from your loved ones.
Whatever the case may be, try to incorporate as much as you can from the list above and you’ll have more productivity at home for it!
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Would you like to learn how to make extra passive money from home?! Check out 7 Ways to Make Passive Money Online next!
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Author: Rebecca
Hi, my name is Rebecca and I am the face behind Everything Abode! I am a lifestyle and wellness writer based out of Vancouver Island. When I’m not writing or exploring mountains and beaches with my furry rescue, I love spending time learning creative ways to manifest a healthy home. Thanks for stopping by!
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Eating healthy + energized food, as well has having an organized space makes SUCH a difference and does help a lot with productivity!
Honestly, when I’m feeling unmotivated blogging all I need is a quick snack and a clean space! It’s so true, isn’t it? Thanks, Kylie! 🙂