Working from home has quickly become the “thing to do” in 2020 and now for 2021! Due to the pandemic forcing many people to work remotely, or find new ways to work- whether it’s for safety or just to bring in more income- people of all types of industries are moving to a work from home life. The struggle then becomes balancing work life with home life. How can we stay productive, with so many distractions surrounding us? Here are a few ways to stay productive while you work from home.
Plan Your Day Ahead of Time
Planning what your day will look like ahead of time will almost always set you up for success. A list of tasks for your job in the order of importance is a great way to knock out things first thing in the morning and will give you the freedom later in the day to both relax and tend to household chores. Your main focus should still be on your job, and not on the laundry or dishes. Although it’s easy to get distracted with chores like these, we should prioritize our day job before anything else.
One of the best ways to do this is by blocking out times on your calendar or downloading task management apps on your phone like Trello. You will be able to physically see what needs to get done, and you can check them off once completed. If you are able to, plan your entire week out during the weekend, and see what a change it makes to your routine!
Do One House Chore Every Day
I get it. Monday morning comes around and the first thing you want to do is tackle the piles of laundry, unload the dishwasher, and mop the floors. Working in your own home may leave you feeling overwhelmed with chores that you feel you need to get done right away. But if you tackle one house chore every day, you can still get all of your work accomplished while not losing valuable working hours. Whether it’s before you start your work from home job or after, get one thing done every day!
Create A Work Space for Yourself
There is no way to remain productive while working from home if you do not have a proper work station. Sitting on the couch or dining table can get cluttered, is uncomfortable, and may get you more distracted than you realize. Create a small section in your home that is just for work. You may not be able to create an entire room for your work, but you can section off a corner with a desk and a computer, that will give you a space to focus on your work. If there are other people in the house while you are working, noise-canceling headphones can also be a great investment for increasing productivity.
Reward Yourself
If you can keep yourself productive all day while working from home, one of my favorite things to do is going to the gym, or indulging in my favorite tv show. Staying home can be distracting and you may get tempted to turn on Netflix or head to the gym early, but if you want to thrive in a work from home environment, then rewards like these will help tremendously with staying on track.
Working from home is both freeing and complex. If you have the right strategy, your work from home life will be productive and fulfilling. Learn more tips about working for yourself by taking one of my content intensives courses, or any of my other services that can help you be your own boss!