I recently transitioned from working in an office full time with a team to working from home by myself. When I was working in the office all the time and I had the chance to work from home, my days at home were by far my most productive. I naturally assumed that meant that when I started working from home full time, I'd be just as productive all the time. I was SO wrong! I was lacking motivation and getting distracted by everything humanly possible. I'm finally getting into the swing of things and thought I'd share my 5 tips for staying productive.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. I initially found it was easy to get off of my schedule when I wasn't expected to be anywhere in the morning. I found myself staying up way too late working instead of cutting it off for the night and going to bed at my normal time. Keeping a regular schedule is so important to productivity.
- Make a to-do list. I don't mean a list that has every single thing you want to conquer for the year. Or even the week. I mean writing down the 3-5 things you want to accomplish that day. I usually write mine out at the end of the day for the following day. Crossing things off of that list every day is the best feeling in the world!
- Get dressed...in adult clothes! This sounds crazy. I used to think it was acceptable to wear my pjs all day when I worked from home if I wasn't leaving the house, but there's something that clicks in your brain when you get ready for the day. It makes you feel good and ready to take on the day.
- Designate a space for work. I have an office in my house, but it doesn't have to be a different room. It could be a desk in a room or even your kitchen table. A place that when you sit down there, you know it means you're going to get work done.
- Leave your house at least once every day. So many of the people I know that work from home won't leave their house for days. That is so unhealthy. Get out of the house, join in on the outside world. Even if it's just going for a walk around your neighborhood to get some fresh air, it'll help you feel revived.
Hopefully you'll find these tips helpful. I'm sure this is just the beginning of my lessons in working from home.
xoxo,
Sarah
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