5 ways to be productive when working from home
“Hey, although you don’t work for me, I’d be paying you every month” said no one ever. Okay, maybe someone has said that to their mom, that’s fine (we love you, moms!). Or maybe a man has said that to a woman because of you-know-what.
Still, I’m guessing no one has said that to you. (Roasting you is roasting me, no one has ever said that to me either). This means that you need to work, but work is so much…work.
Yet, the god of comfort has so graciously bestowed working remotely upon us, and it is the sweetest thing ever. One thing though — comfort can quickly become the enemy of productivity.
Here are 5 tips to get work done from the comfort of your home.
- Create a schedule (and stick to it) — It’s probably impossible for you to walk out of a meeting with your boss because you forgot to take out the trash (but if you’ve done this before, respect!).
It’s different when working from home — you’re literally at home, so you notice the slightest things, like how the pink nails are not as cute as they should be by 6 am in the morning, or how the kitchen looks better with the fan to the left, not to the right.
Voila, you’ve done everything else but work.
What works is creating a schedule, and letting everyone — kids, spouse, pets — know that there is a plan: What are your work hours? When do you take Jesse, the dog, out for a walk? When is your break and what activity would you do then?
2. Designate your own workspace — I love the idea of working from my bed, but even with all the willpower in the world, it soon becomes snooze o-clock. Working from the comfort of your home doesn’t mean you should be too comfortable.
Also, the goal is to be productive, so it wouldn’t help to get up now to get your laptop, and then get up later to pick up a book you need from the shelf. It just makes more sense to have all your work stuff at the same place.
For ideas on how to setup a workspace at home, see the video below.
3. Get rid of every form of digital distractions — At work, your boss can easily see you giggle when you’re watching a TikTok video, but nobody will tell you off at home (not even Jesse, the dog).
And you know the drill — 1 TikTok video becomes 15 videos, and you’ve lost hours you can’t recover. If it’s possible to work offline, then do so. You don’t want to be where the TV is, either.
4. Be consistent — There’s just something about showing up every day, at the same time, and the same place. If you’ve ever worked at a company before, you almost automatically remember to prepare for work without actually remembering it. It’s just a routine your brain knows — wake up-> clean up and look pretty -> go to work. And this happens every day without reminding your brain.
This would work for you at home too. Show up every day for work at that time, the one your brain is at it best, and it soon becomes a part of you.
5. Know when it’s time to stop — When you get the hang of it, working from home is da best. Unlike an office space where you get excited once it’s 5pm, at home, you could lose track of time, especially if you’re getting so much done.
Just don’t forget you’re working from home, which means there is a home you need to attend to. Spouse, kids, parents, Jesse — the overtly referenced dog in this article — have been waiting for you to be done with work. Spend time with them, wouldya?
