Is working from home all that you ever imagined? You know, all the influencers show their beautiful work spaces, working in their cute tie dye loungewear, with Netflix in the background. Raise your hand if your working from home looks like this? I'm going to guess not many of you.
It can be hard to master the distractions and time management. You can sleep in, get your work done whenever and then all of a sudden you slept in until 10 and showing up to work in your smoothie stained sweatshirt from three days ago. Can I get an AMEN!
I have had to master these skills of working from home over the last two years. Here are the TOP 7 tips that made the list of how to be productive when working from home.
1. Designate your work space: I never realized how important this was until I was bringing my work with me everywhere in the house, getting sucked into it all times during the day, and my mind was constantly in work mode every second of the day. And obviously I was not very productive when I was in the middle of dinner thinking about things I had to get done. Finding a space in your home that will consistently be where you work will help you mind associate work with that spot. You can turn work mode on, and off for that matter, when you only work in one spot in the house!
2. Have a to do list: Okay, so you know you have things to do in a short amount of time but they are all flowing in your head. Sometimes I get so stressed when I come into my office, ready to work, and then so scatterbrained not knowing where to start. Having your list of things to do BEFORE you get into work mode will help you stay on track.
3. Pick your big 3: Has your list ever been so long you have nowhere to start? This tip helps you find what needs to get done immediately. Do a little brain dump (write down everything you need to get down in the day) and highlight the tasks that are most important. Work on those three things and everything else can wait until you are finished.
4. Check your email later: This can be a TIME SUCKER! We think we are “working” when we are checking emails but in reality, it's not making us money. Give yourself 15-30 minutes a day after everything is done to check your email.
5. Get that phone gone: Oh BOY! This might be the biggest one… How many times have you been working on something and hear your phone ding? You pick it up and bam, checking all the platforms and 15, 20 minutes, an hour has gone just like that. Your phone is actually addictive and we need to be careful to control that craving. Put it in a different room, or if you have to keep it by you, put it on Do Not Disturb.
6. Schedule your day: It's easy to push off your work when you work from home but find the time during the day you are most focused and productive and schedule your day around that. Have a daily routine and work at the same time each day. Make sure to schedule your breaks too so your brain has time to recharge!
7. Use your timer: For some reason we work so much faster when we are on a timer. So why couldn't we use it when we are working too? Set a timer for each task. We can cram hours of work into minutes when we are focused, in the flow, and racing the clock.
For more resources to set your day up for success, check out How to Create Daily Affirmations!
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