Tips For Being Productive Whilst Working From Home

The current circumstances that the world is in right now is crazy, we can all agree on that. With these times, it’s hard to remain focused in our personal lives, never-mind our work lives. For those of us who are currently working from home, it can be a struggle to get yourself motivated for the day and to ensure that you are completing everything you intend to by the end of the working day.  I thought I’d share some of my tips and tricks to stay focused and to have the most productive workday possible when working from home. 

Luckily for me, I do find that I work well when working from home, however, its very easy to get yourself into bad habits that in the long run, will result in you feeling as though you’re being driven insane by the walls that surround you. That certainly not what we want at these times, when we have no choice but to stay at home in order to guarantee the safety of others and the vulnerable

If you already work remotely, the disruption has probably been pretty minimal. But for a lot of people, working from home can be a real challenge. It can be hard to stay focused. It can be disorienting. It can be isolating.

1. Develop a routine and stick to it.

While it may be tempting to sleep in, skip the shower and work from your PJs, I highly recommend that you don’t do this, or at-least ‘try’ not to make a habit of it. I’f I’m being entirely honest, I’m currently sat in my pyjamas, however I do try my best to get changed out of my sleepwear and make myself look slightly more presentable, but it’s important to not allow yourself to feel unproductive if you’re working in your pyjamas. Although, you will feel more productive if you get dressed (even if some days, you don’t!)

2. Give yourself a break.

If you’re like me, you love your periodic visits to the “water cooler” and taking mid-day walks. You should absolutely do the same activities while working from home. When you start to feel sluggish, take a break. Give your family a call and check in with them (ideally with video!), go for a run, bake some banana bread, take a nap – whatever you need to do to break the monotony and stay sane. I’ve found that when I force myself to work when I’m not feeling it, I end up getting nothing done anyway. 

3. Create a dedicated workspace that you love.

Just like how having a routine can help jumpstart your day, having a dedicated workspace can increase focus by putting you in the mindset to work. I have a dedicated office at home, which is great and I realise I’m so lucky to have this. But my office is more tailored around my blog and being a creative and inspiring place. So, I end up getting distracted by my makeup, outfits I need to shoot etc, therefore I’ve been working at my dining room table for my other work. If you’re doing this though, PLEASE make sure your dining table is tidy and there’s no dishes or cleaning that needs to be done in your kitchen, otherwise if will be more distracting than anything.

4. TO-DO LISTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS

For some people, to-do lists can be intimidating and can result in feeling frustrated if you don’t get everything completed that you set out to, I completely understand that. With your work to-do lists, be very considerate of your time and counter in the fact things may take longer at this time with everyone working from home too. I do my to-do list after I’ve looked at my emails and had my daily call with the rest of the team. This way, I know if people are waiting on anything from me or not, and it allows me to prioritise things. Anything that is a push for me to get done, or requires feedback or has a delay, will go on the list for tomorrow, if i get things done that are on the list for the next day, than that’s just an added bonus. But, I know myself, if I don’t write it down on a to-do list, it just won’t get done

I hope you’re all safe and well! 

Until next time x