The Most Productive Tips for Working From Home
Several months ago I took a giant leap and chose to chase after my dream of becoming a published author. Working from home seemed like a glorious opportunity, but it came with a whole new set of challenges. It’s much easier to be distracted and get off a schedule when you are the only one in your office. Below are The Most Productive Tips for Working From Home I accumulated in my first six months.
1. Know Yourself
The great thing about working at home is that you make your own hours. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you feel sleepy after lunch or foggy by 3pm? Coordinate around your optimal working hours. For instance, I used to be a morning person, but have recently discovered my best writing hours are in the evening.
Also, I know that most Mondays after a full weekend of socializing I feel drained and unmotivated.
I’m an introvert, and that’s okay!
Rather than straining my brain to write through the fog I made Monday’s my chore and food prep day. Chores, food prep and errands can be done mindlessly. This allows me to recharge for a full week of work!
2. Create a Schedule
An old boss used to tell me, “If it isn’t on your calendar, it doesn’t exist.” Take what you know about your optimal productivity hours and create a weekly schedule. Hold yourself accountable.
When will you workout? Take a lunch? Listen to that podcast or complete your online class? Add all of it into your calendar and set reminders.
Oh, and don’t be afraid to adjust that schedule over time. Seasons change. Nothing is written in stone.
3. Move Your Body
If you are working from home, you are likely working from a laptop or sitting for extended periods of time. Be sure to get up and take a walk about every hour or so. Workout on your lunch perhaps. Whatever gets your body moving is better for your overall productivity!
4. Get Out of the House
Once a week at least, it’s a good idea to socialize. Work from Barnes and Noble or a coffee shop. Grab lunch with a friend. Wander through Hobby Lobby and look at Christmas decorations. Just get yourself out into the world! For your sanity, it’s important. Trust me.
5. Prep the Night Before
Prepping your work the night before is key. Make sure your laptop is charged and your paperwork is organized. Clear away any clutter. Check and respond to any emails that could distract you.
Take just 15 minutes to get yourself ready for the next workday and it will save you hours of precious work time. Of all the tips for working from home, this one might be the most important.
6. No Netflix
As much as it pains me to write this, watching TV or movies while you work is not a good idea. Yup, that includes Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and all the various streaming services as well as good old fashioned cable and the DVD player. I know, it’s sad but watching The Office while I work does not benefit my productivity.
(Actually, full disclosure I can get anything done watching the Golden Girls… that show is deeply embedded in my soul.)
If you are like me and can’t work at home in eerie silence all day, I encourage you to curate an epic playlist on Pandora or Spotify. Movie soundtracks, ABBA, country music… whatever blends into your background best!
7. Get Dressed
Working from home means you can live in your pajamas, right? Well… I mean you can. There’s no law against it, but in my experience I am far more effective when I am wearing actual clothes… and a bra… to be real.
If you are dressed for bed, your body will think it’s time to relax. Now, I’m not saying you have to dress in a suit to walk to the next room and sit in your home office. Certainly not. However, it’s important to go through your morning routine. Change clothes and get ready to slay today!
8. Go Outside
My fourth suggestion in my list of tips for working from home is to go outside. In a separate post, How to Find Peace When You Feel Overwhelmed, I discuss the importance of being in nature. A study completed by Harvard University concluded that being in nature has therapeutic benefits. Work can be stressful, but going outside can help relieve that stress.
9. Ask for Accountability
Every Thursday my dear friend Jordan and I spend half an hour exchanging highs and lows from the week as well as any prayer requests we may have. I can’t tell you how assuring and beneficial it has been to have her accountability. Not only could I never lie to Jordan, but I know I can trust her to simultaneously support me while calling me out on my bad habits.
Whether or not you are working from home, an accountability partner is an excellent way to keep honest, remind yourself about your goals and gain encouragement. Find someone in your life who can be your Jordan.
10. Take Time to Dream
Somewhere in the midst of these past several years of my life I forgot how to dream. Dwelling on an idea that may not come to fruition seemed… illogical to me. The sad thing is, creativity is a part of my essential self.
When I decided to work from home I had to learn how to dream again. I had to allow myself to speculate and imagine. It was during this season of rediscovering that essential self that I was given a card with these words:
“You know those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should do them.”
So simple, but a light bulb went off inside my head. I felt vindicated. Affirmed. All those crazy dreams rattling around inside my brain… I could not only chase them, but I could achieve them.
Allow me to give you the permission you crave but would never indulge: It is okay to dream. More than that, it is okay to believe in your dream.
Thanks for reading! I hope The Most Productive Tips for Working From Home will help you in your self-employment journey. If you are currently feeling overwhelmed with work, or with life in general, check out the following:
How to Find Peace When You Feel Overwhelmed
10 New Practices That Will Revolutionize 2020
Hygge Home Tips: 5 Reasons You Should Make Your Bed
As always, if you have any questions feel free to send me an email or message me on Instagram or follow @bestillandwrite on Pinterest for new content daily.
Love Always,
