- Make a Morning Routine
First and foremost, you need to create a morning routine that works well for you. This will change depending on your roommate’s situation.
If you live alone, congrats! You can wake up at your leisure, take a shower, make some coffee, and do whatever you need to get started for the day.
Sadly, not all of us are in the same boat.
If your partner is now working from home, you’ve got a new coworker to take into account. And if you need tips for working from home with a toddler, then a calming morning routine is especially important.
So regardless of your situation, you need to find a way to create a morning routine that puts in you a good workspace. If you’re working from home with a family, that may involve getting up extra early to get some much-needed quiet time.
It’s not uncommon for people to wake up as early as 5:00 AM to get a headstart on the day.
2. Reward Yourself With Breaks
No matter what we’d like to believe, it’s simply impossible to be productive 100% of the time, 24/7. And yes, that is even true for working hours.
People need breaks throughout the day to stay productive. And this is equally important while you’re at home.
However, it’s how you spend those breaks that matters.
For remote workers, it can be easy to take 5–10 minutes at the end of the hour to do a few basic chores to try and keep up with housework. Running a “quick” load of laundry, picking up the living room, or even organizing that messy closet can be tempting.
After all, the more you get done today means less to do tomorrow, right? Sadly, it’s not that easy.
That’s because when it comes to your house, there’s always a project to be found. This means the time you should be taking a break to re-energize yourself is getting spent on a different type of work.
And that will simply exhaust you.
Instead, create a system in which you can take actual breaks like you would at the office. Go for a short walk around your block or read a few pages of the book you’re working on.
By taking 5–10 minutes at the end of each hour to recharge, you’ll be doing yourself (and your productivity) a favor. That’s right… this is one of our tips for successfully working that encourages you to stop working for a bit.
And here’s a pro tip for working from home with a dog: use your furry little friend to help you take breaks. Go for a walk, play a quick game of catch, or even just sit down for a 5-minute belly rub (for your dog, of course).
Spending a few minutes with pets at the end of the hour is a great way to recharge and stave off loneliness.
3. Stay Connected With Your Colleagues
Research shows that people who are more social at work tend to be happier and more fulfilled. So does that mean you need to sacrifice those good things because you’re now working from home?
Not.
And this is one of the most important tips on how to make the transition from work to home:
Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you need to shun your former relationships.
With all the cool telecommuting software now available, it is easier than ever to stay connected. Shoot your colleagues a quick “hello” on your company’s messaging platform or start a “watercooler chat” with Skype or Zoom.
Our colleagues are people that we spend a large chunk of our weeks with, sometimes even more than we do with our own families. Don’t let those relationships slip as you slide into your new work-from-home role.
4. Eat Healthy and Exercise
Eating healthy and exercising may not be one of your professional duties, but you’ll do yourself a huge favor by incorporating both habits into your daily work-from-home routine.
When 10:00 AM rolls around, it can be so easy to hit the cupboard and look for a quick snack. And since no one’s looking, you may be tempted to reach for a bag of Doritos instead of your typical carrots and humus at the office.
And hey, no judgment here. We’ve all done it.
But just like not wearing pajamas every day, you should be disciplined with what kinds of foods you’re eating throughout the workday. Pre-preparing healthy snacks and stocking your fridge with veggies is a great way of making sure you’re fueling yourself for working productively.
The same goes for exercise.
Try taking small breaks throughout the day or schedule an online exercise class during your lunch hour. For couples alternating shifts with the kids, you can turn workouts into a family activity (as a side note, “baby yoga” is a killer work from home mom tip… just saying).
The point is that both eating right and exercise have loads of benefits on your concentration, focus, and energy. Plus, they have zero downsides.
So if you want to be as productive as possible while working from home, save the junk food for the weekends.
For more tips on this topic, check out Toptal’s article on staying healthy while working remotely.
5. Block Online Distractions
This is probably the hardest of our work from home tips: time management. But it’s also the most important to master.
At the start of this post, we discussed the problem with distractions when it comes to working from home. And the research makes this pretty clear.
The average American spends nearly 2.5 hours per day on social media. Plus, the amount of time they watch TV is roughly 4 hours.
Now imagine if all of those average Americans worked from home. It wouldn’t be hard to see those numbers skyrocketing.
But the fact is, the same amount of work needs to get done whether you’re at the office or in your home. So how do you keep from getting distracted? It’s like they say, you need to fight fire with fire.
Or, in this case, fight tech with tech.
Using some cool productivity software can help you stay on task. Here are 3 tools you can start using right now:
These tools can definitely help you stay accountable while you’re working from home. And the best part? The last two mentioned are free. 😉
And there you have it!
5 of the best tips to work from home will help you stay as productive as possible.
But here’s the thing…
With all the energy you spend trying to make remote work as productive as possible, don’t fall into another common trap:
Procrastination through planning.
Remember not to take your eyes off the prize. Your goal is to grow your business, no matter where you’re working. And for that, Omofis is here to help.