5 Ways To Be Productive While Working From Home
You finally have the freedom to work from home and it’s everything you dreamed of, right? Or do you find yourself a bit distracted by all the things you could be doing rather than working? While working from home is a dream come true for many of us (no commute, flexible hours, creative freedom with designing your surroundings…the list goes on), it still has its fair share of challenges. One of the biggest challenges: motivation to sit down and get it all done. If you love the freedom of your home office, but you just can’t seem to buckle down, here’s a look at 5 ways to be productive while working from home.
Get dressed. This one is pretty simple. While it’s super tempting to stay in those comfy pj’s all day long, come 1 or 2pm, you’ll start feeling pretty lethargic and even sleepy. You know what they say, you have to look good to feel good – and that goes the same for your home office. You may not see a soul all day long, but getting dressed will give you the confidence you need to get the job done.
Skip the couch and opt to sit at a desk or table. Part of getting lots of work done at the office involves being at a desk, sitting up straight and having a dedicated area to work. The beauty of working from home is that you can kiss the cubicle goodbye and decorate your home office however you please. Create an area that inspires and motivates you, but also makes it easy to forgo working from the sofa (as tempting as that may be).
Separate work from home. If you have the space, defining a work zone will help give you a similar feeling to heading into the office each day. And, at the end of the day – you can leave work at work and focus on your life at home. Same goes for phone lines and email – separate everything. Creating boundaries will help stop blurring the lines.
Define a schedule. Seems a bit rudimentary, but setting a schedule for yourself will help give you some of the same parameters you’d experience if you were back in the corporate office. The expectation that you’re available during a set time frame will help set boundaries for making the work day separate from your home life.
Allow yourself the time to take breaks. At the office you spend quite a bit of time in meetings and socializing with coworkers – while at home, it can be pretty solitary. Taking breaks – stepping outside for some fresh air, taking a walk around the block, grabbing a coffee at the local coffee shop and taking an actual lunch hour will help break up the monotony of the day.
Do you work from home? How do you stay productive all day long?
