How to be Productive While Working from Home
Tips For Staying Focused While Working From Home? We got you.
I’ve (Stephanie DeLacy, Contributing Editor) been working from home at least part-time, for close to a decade, and I can tell you that it can be the biggest blessing. I love saving time by not having a commute. It gives me so much flexibility to make doctor’s appointments or do errands. And of course, I love my dress code of yoga pants and a messy bun every day.
But it’s not always the easiest getting used to this adjustment. When you’re working from your own home, a lot of distractions can pop up, taking you away from your work. Over the years, I’ve noticed a few things that have helped me stay on task while working from home.
Create a workspace you love
I am willing to bet that 99.99% of those of you reading this right now, have at one time or another, sat in your bed working on your laptop. Girl, same. It seems like a convenient workplace, until my back hurts and I don’t have my charger nearby.
Once I noticed that a bed-desk would lead to long term posture problems, I decided to create an office space that I loved to work in. Not just a desk I could work on, but a place that I genuinely enjoyed spending time in. Of course, this looks different for everyone. So here are my suggestions on how to design your dream home office:
Keep as little on your desk as possible. I know frames and plants look cute, but I promise, no matter the size of the desk, it will feel cluttered soon. I only keep three things permanently on my desk, my lamp, pen cup, and my laptop, and even that floats around (and out of) my house. Get rid of junk paper and put everything else in your drawers and shelves.
Take a few days to work in your freshly organized spot. As you work, jot down what you like and don’t like about your office. What’s convenient? What’s hard to do? What stresses you out?
Do some research. Look at home offices on Pinterest and read different articles about office design, taking note of what you like and what looks like could solve some of the issues you’re having right now.
Buy a computer and a phone charger just for your desk and never, ever move them. You will be so thankful later.
For some of you, your dream office will come to you like a vision, falling instantly in love. But if you’re like me, and you’re not sure what the end goal looks like right now, that’s okay. Just start making small updates to your office. Start with playing around with the art or getting a new bulletin board. Then invest in a new piece of furniture. And build your office slowly. Rearranging things as you go. It will eventually work itself out and you will find a solution that works for you. The goal is not to have the most Instagram worthy workspace right away, but to find the setting that you love hanging out in and allows you to work efficiently.
Bando Playhouse c/o Boho Beach Bungalow
If you have things to do around the house, set a time frame to do them, and stick to it.
I always find myself in this trap. I get up for the day and start by doing my dishes, then I notice all the dog hair on the floor and start sweeping my floors, and before I know it, it’s 2:00pm and I have not done any work yet.
I found that creating a housekeeping schedule helps. I start my day by doing some house chores, while drinking my coffee, slowing waking up for the day (I’m not a morning person) but I set a strict time limit. If I start my housekeeping at 8:00am, I tell myself that I have to start working by 9:00am. And I force myself to stop for the day. If more chores are needed, I wait until I am done with my work for the day, or the chores wait until tomorrow. The beautiful/infuriating thing about housework is that they will always be there. It will never be done. Same for errands.
Those life responsibilities are seemingly never ending, and if you don’t set a time frame to start and stop, you will find yourself losing a lot of precious work time.
Take breaks, but stick to a schedule.
The best part about working from home is the freedom to do what you need, when you need. Going for a walk or making a yoga class midday can be really invigorating. But when you don’t have a physical space you are leaving to mark the end of your work day, it can be easy to take breaks throughout the day, promising yourself you will catch up later, which you totally can but you don’t want to work on and off until 11pm every day.
Set a time that you want to end your workday, with a list of tasks or projects that you want to complete by then. Lastly, schedule your day with self-care breaks and enough time for you to complete that goal.
