Due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, most of us are being advised to stay at home to practice social distancing. While many of us are lucky enough to be able to work from home, it may be your first experience of doing so.
If you aren’t used to working from home, it can be hard to know how to structure your days, stay productive and motivate yourself to actually do work!
In this post, I’ll be sharing 7 ways that I stay productive and motivated while working from home, and some hacks to make the experience run smoothly.
Keep A Sleep Schedule
If you know that you don’t physically have to go into work, it can be tempting to go to bed later than usual and lie in the next morning. This is a surefire way to kill your productivity for the rest of the day! Be strict with yourself, and keep your usual sleep schedule. By waking up early, you’ll feel more productive and motivated, and be able to get more stuff done.
Create A Good Morning Routine
A way to make getting up earlier easier is to create a morning routine that you look forward to. In my post, Optimal Healthy Morning Routine , I outline an example of what a great morning routine looks like. For some people, working out sets them up for the day. Perhaps you would like to read, take time to meditate or work on a creative hobby. The most important thing is to make yourself a nutritious breakfast so you feel energised and ready for your day at home (click here for ideas!)
Write Down Your 3 Most Important Tasks
Writing down your 3 MITs will help you establish which tasks you need to prioritise. Think of these tasks as the ones that absolutely MUST get done, before you do anything else. I like to complete my MITs first thing in the morning. This makes me feel productive and proactive, and motivates me to continue to work hard throughout the day. Writing down your tasks also means you are 80% more likely to achieve what you set out!
Plan Out Your Day
While working from home, it’s important that you always know what you should be working on at a given time. This is so that we never feel at a loose end or that we’re just twiddling our thumbs. Plan out as much of your day as you’re able to, including meals and down time. This can be done by the hour (this is good if you’re easily bored!), or by time of day. Plan 2 pieces of work you want to work on in the morning and 2 in the afternoon.
Time Block To Avoid Distractions
Time blocking is a great way to stay productive while working from home. The idea is, you block out a certain amount of time to complete a certain task. Give yourself an hour, for example, to go through your emails. For this hour, you ONLY go through your emails. Set a timer, and only once you have completed the hour can you go on your phone, grab a snack etc. Time blocking can be done for exercising and recreational activities too.
Have Plenty Of Breaks
While it’s important to stay productive while working from home, it’s equally important to keep your wellbeing and mental health in check. You can do this by ensuring that you give yourself regular breaks to grab a drink, have a snack and even take a power nap if you’re feeling very drowsy. Even if you feel like you don’t ‘need’ a break, every hour stand up and stretch – take a few deep breaths, too. Your body and mind will thank you.
Create A Productive Environment
It’s so important that you have somewhere quiet, organised and calm to work. This may be harder if you have a busy household, however as long as you’re not working from bed or the couch that’s okay! Try to pick a quiet place in your home where you have a table or desk. Keep this space tidy and organised so that it’s somewhere that you enjoy working in everyday. just because you’re at home, it doesn’t mean that you can leave papers and banana peels on your desk.
I hope you found some productivity inspiration with those 7 hacks! Happy working from home!
