6 Tips on how to be productive when working from home.
Ah, working from home. You either love it or hate it… We’re here to help you love your new workspace and teach you how to be productive when you WFH.
We’ve been working from home before it was cool…which means we know the ins and outs to ensuring your day is a success. We’ve put together 6 tips on how to be productive when working from home
1. Stick to your regular morning routine (minus the commute)
Continue the normal habits you would usually do if you were getting ready for work. Sadly, that may mean keeping those alarms (although you should be able to get a bit more sleep now that you don’t have to worry about traffic). Following your regular routine informs your brain that it’s preparing for work and will make note of the transition of working environments.
2. Designate a workspace
Setting up your computer at the kitchen table seems like a good idea but we’re here to tell you it is not. Create a workspace in a separate room to eliminate noise and distractions. Be sure to communicate to your roommates, parents, siblings, or whoever you live with that your workspace is off limits during working hours.
3. Create daily goals
Before you jump into your busy day, set aside five minutes to create a daily to-do-list. Write down what needs to be accomplished and check in with your boss to ensure you are both on the right track. There is nothing worse than sitting at home being unproductive and then stressing about not completing your work tasks.
4. Ditch the pyjamas
One of our favourite things about working from home is not having to spend as much time getting ready for the work day. We’d be lying if we said we were dressed professionally ALL the time during the work week, in fact, we’ve probably had a couple of zoom meetings where we are professional up top, comfy waist below (pj pant all the way). However, studies show, not dressing the part reduces productivity levels. The act of wearing your work clothes sends a message to your brain that it’s time to work and stimulates concentration levels. We’re not saying you need to break out the heels or rock your nicest blazer, but you should make an effort to get dressed for the day.
5. Eliminate the distractions
You thought your co-workers were distracting, wait until you work from home. You’ll soon learn you live in a house of distractions. Nobody is going to stop you from walking to the kitchen to check if there is food in the fridge 42 times a day. No one is there to tell you to get off Instagram when scrolling endlessly but we’re here now to tell you to check yourself.
If you wouldn’t usually have your phone out during your work day, then put it right away. If you need your phone for work and still find yourself taking a “quick break” and opening TikTok then you should look into putting limits on your app so you cannot spend the entire workday on socials. Unsure on how to do this? Check out our post with steps on how to here.
6. Take your breaks
If you’re taking notes make sure you write this down…TAKE YOUR BREAKS. Working from home doesn’t mean working 24/7. Do not skip your breaks. If you usually have lunch at 1pm, then take your lunch at 1pm. Take your tea breaks, make that coffee and have something to eat. Skipping your breaks are one of the biggest mistakes you can make when working from home and it often leads to burning out.
Pro-tip: Make lunch in the morning before you start work to save valuable minutes. We like to use our extra time to run a couple of sneaky errands around the house so we’re not having to do them after we clock off.
Working from home is a good gig. You cut out the commute, you don’t need to worry about forgetting your lunch and you can even get a few cheeky errands done throughout your day. It can be a stressful transition but once you get the hang of things you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t been working from home sooner.
Tell us what YOUR best WFH tips are in the comments 👇🏼
