5 Tips for a Productive Work-From-Home Day
5 Tips for a Productive Work-From-Home Day
Working from home sounds like a dream, right? You don’t have to deal with rush hour traffic, there’s no need to wash your hair or put on professional attire and you can make your own schedule. There are definitely perks, but there are also many challenges to this lifestyle. If you aren’t diligent and motivated to stay focused on your work, the day can easily pass you by without completing anything on your to-do list. Don’t worry—we are here to help! These five tips about how to work from home will ensure that you have a productive day.
Get Dressed for the Day
It’s tempting to roll out of bed, maybe brush your hair and keep your pajamas on. However, you’ll still be in this sleepy mindset when it’s time to get down to business. The first step for having a productive day is dressing the part! And yes, athleisure counts, especially if you plan on working out later (we’ll get to that in a minute). No need to break out that corporate wardrobe made up of blazers and pencil skirts, but feeling put together can boost your mood and productivity. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you could even put some makeup on.
Create a Schedule and Stick to It
Wondering how to work from home and still keep some resemblance of a 9 to 5 job? Make a schedule and stick to it! A corporate job typically has hard “start” and “end” times, but when you work from home it’s more difficult to create work-life boundaries. Set a specific time for when your workday begins. Before going straight to your computer, give yourself time to enjoy a cup of coffee, have a healthy breakfast, go for a walk, meditate or any other activities that will wake you up and get your creative juices flowing.
As for your to-do list, creating a schedule that involves batching is key! If you aren’t familiar with batching, it means dedicating blocks of time to similar tasks. Batching will increase your productivity because you aren’t wasting time and energy switching between tasks. You can batch on a daily basis (“From 9am to 11am I am only focusing on writing tasks”) or weekly (“Every Tuesday I create social media posts”). This structure helps you be more efficient and stay highly focused. For additional information about batching, check out this article from business coach Jenna Kutcher.
Now that the beginning and middle of your day is planned out, let’s talk about when to STOP working. It can be hard to shut off from work since you aren’t physically leaving an office, but it’s important to give yourself an end time so that you don’t burn out. After all, many of us want to work from home so that we can spend more time with our family and loved ones!
Don’t Work From the Couch
If you get comfy on the couch with your laptop, a cozy blanket and the TV remote nearby, it’s too easy to take a Netflix break. Before you know it, hours have flown by and the only thing you’ve completed is a full season of Tiger King.
You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy home office to be productive when you work from home. However, having a designated spot where you can work without distractions is essential. Whether it’s a desk in a guest bedroom or a seat at the kitchen table, this space should be in a low-traffic area of your house with minimal noise.
Your physical space can affect your mental state, so keep your work area calm and free of clutter. When it comes to décor, surround yourself with things that inspire you such as photos from your travels, helpful books or fresh flowers.
Take Breaks
Give your mind a chance to recharge by taking breaks periodically. This could include eating lunch, taking your dog for a walk or exercising. As this Forbes article explains, “Without taking adequate breaks from work, employee productivity, mental well-being and overall work performance begin to suffer.” Even stepping away from the computer for a few minutes can help improve mental acuity.
Exercise
As someone who spends most of her day writing and creating content, my brain is fried after a while. When I have writers block or feel my creative energy slipping away, I take a break and exercise. Whether you go to a gym, run outside or find a workout class on YouTube, it’s important to move your body throughout the day. It’s easy to sit down at your desk in the morning and get into the zone then before you know it, it’s 5pm and you need to make dinner, take care of the kids, etc. Make your physical (and mental!) health a priority.
Hopefully you’re no longer wondering how to work from home and still accomplish all of your necessary tasks. As long as you have a routine and keep your priorities straight, you’ll have no problem advancing your career or growing a business from the comfort of your home.
Here at The Storyteller Agency, we are very familiar with the work from home lifestyle. Our team of writers is made up of smart, creative women who have an entrepreneurial spirit and are located all over the country. We are passionate about writing and telling stories, so contact us today if you need help telling yours!
Jamie Kamber, Storyteller
Author’s Bio:
Jamie Kamber is a writer and content creator living in Destin, Florida. Originally from Seattle, Jamie graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Psychology. Her passion for writing inspired her to intern at her local newspaper in college and start a lifestyle blog in 2012 where she writes about baking, fashion and travel.
Since graduating, Jamie has worked in marketing/PR and was a copy editor for Caesars Entertainment for three years. As a military spouse who got tired of starting new jobs with each move, she ultimately decided to create her own digital marketing business and focus on freelance writing when they moved to the Emerald Coast in 2017.
When she’s not working, she enjoys photography, trying new restaurants, traveling and spending time with her husband and rescue pup, Emmy.
