How To Work From Home and Actually Get -Ish Done

Are you wondering how to be more productive when you’re working at home?

Working from home is often considered the holy grail of income production. It’s perfect in that it allows you to be at home for your children or spouse when they need you. Some are even fortunate enough to be able to make their own schedules.

As much as being able to work from your home office is a blessing, it can easily be a curse to your daily productivity! How do you manage to work from home and be productive, when there are a thousand things demanding your attention: vacuuming that needs to get done, piles of dirty clothes, bills that need to be paid, and crying babies? Not to mention the easy access to your television, email, and cell phone!

I have been working from home in some capacity for 7 years. My friends and family are constantly wondering how I manage to get anything done while I’m at home because I’m just so distractable.

How do I do it? How do I manage to ignore the dirty dishes staring at me? The laundry calling to be cleaned? The television itching to be watched?

Simple.

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I’ve set up a system. And now, I’m going to share with you the habits that have contributed to my success and tips that will maximize your productivity. I manage to have a productive day nearly every day, regardless of what needs to be done.

So if you are struggling to stay on task and being productive on even the occasional day you have the opportunity to work from home, or you are thinking of making the transition to entrepreneur, you will be able to set yourself up for success.

You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll be able to accomplish.

Maybe even more than when you went into an office!

Wake Up Like It’s Any Other Day:

Working from home does not mean that you get to sleep all day. Sure, you may be able to get a little more sleep because you no longer have a long commute, but as a rule, you should get up at approximately the same time every day. If you get up to go to the gym at 6 am and then head to the office, you should continue to get up at 6 am to go to the gym. The key to having a productive day at home is to stick to a daily routine. This wakes up your brain and the rest of your body, gets it going and preparing for a day of performing.

2. Get Up, Shower, and Get Dressed:

Working from your home office does not mean that you get to stay in your PJs all day. Similar to #1, you need your brain to wake up, get going, and to know that you are about to work, not watch Netflix and chill. You should have a uniform. It most likely won’t be a suit, or even slacks and a button-down, but whatever it is, it should be different than what you wore to bed.

3. Separate Your Work Space From the Rest of the House:

I have enough room that I am able to have a small office that I use specifically for work. If you are able to do this, ideally, it should have a door, so when you are done with work, you leave the office and close the door. If your space is more limited, designate a workspace. When you are ready to work, go to this space, and when you are done with work, leave the space and don’t go back. No matter what. If you happen to have to conduct business outside of your set hours, you should do it in this space. Being more productive at home requires that you learn how to mentally and physically separate your work from your home life.

4. Have a Work Schedule and Stick to It:

Depending on your line of work, you may or may not be able to determine when you start, but if you do, make it a firm start time and stick to it. Of course, things come up but stick to your schedule as closely as possible. Decide when you are going to stop for lunch, and decide when you will be done for the day.

5. Remember to Take Breaks:

This is one productivity tip that took me a while to get used to. Being productive doesn’t mean doing work constantly. You have to give yourself mini rest periods during the day – you need to rest your eyes and your brain. If you’re constantly working, you are more likely to wear yourself down, which will actually adversely affect your productivity.

6. Minimize Distractions as Much as Possible:

Minimizing distractions is probably an obvious tip for promoting productivity when working from home, but it’s worth repeating. If your cell phone is too tempting, turn it on the “Do Not Disturb” setting, so only the most vital callers can get through. If that doesn’t work, turn it off, and check for messages at certain intervals.

7. Don’t Do Housework During Work:

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you’re at home. Working from home is not your chance to sort out the cable situation or complete the laundry for the entire house. When you are trying to be productive, daily chores should be done another time. If something must absolutely be completed, or an errand must be done, it should be scheduled during one of your breaks or lunch.

8. Work on Your Work Computer Only:

If you have a separate computer or device for working, you will have a much more productive day if you keep work on your work computer and play on your personal computer. If you don’t have a separate computer, during work hours, try only checking your email or Facebook only on your smartphone or tablet, and don’t allow yourself to check social media on your computer when you are working.

9. Listen to Music or Podcasts:

While some people need their environment to be completely quiet, I have personally found that too much quiet is distracting to me as well (why is it so quiet? Let me go see…). I often listen to either music or podcasts during the day, partly because it’s a method I use to keep on task. If I have gone through 2 or 3 songs and I’m still staring out the windows, I know I need to refocus and get it together. When I first started working from home, I literally had a digital clock sitting on the desk in front of me that served the same purpose.

10. Make Sure You Have a Comfy Chair:

When you are sitting for hours at a time, a good chair is non-negotiable. Make sure that you are equipped with a chair that is designed for sitting long periods of time, or you’ll find out very quickly why those chairs even exist. I’m not saying you need to spend thousands of dollars on a chair, because you don’t.

Final Thoughts On How To Be Productive While Working From Home:

The key to a successful at home career or even taking a few days to work from home is to have a system. Having a daily routine that promotes and supports your productivity is key. Once these routines become set as habit, your productivity will shoot through the roof. With these tips, working from home will be a breeze, and infinitely rewarding.

Cheers, Dears!