How To Stay Productive When Working From Home

Become a Pro at Working From Home

Whether you’re new to working from home, or you’ve done it for years, it can be difficult staying productive whilst maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Here are some useful tips you can try to make working from home a lot easier.

Wake Up The Right Way

Starting your day right is essential to working from home. It can be a struggle pulling yourself out of bed when you know that you don’t need to leave the house. And even then, it’s hard to get into a working frame of mind when you’re surrounded by comforts.

Our first tip is to start your day with natural light. Natural light stimulates the brain and makes the waking up process a lot easier. It tells our brains that its time to get up, without sounding any irritating alarms.

I know what you’re thinking… who sleeps with the curtains open? Our solution is to try automated blinds and curtains. You can schedule your curtains and blinds to open at a specific time, allowing natural light into the room in the mornings.

Another option is to try smart lighting. You can schedule your lights to turn on at your required time and tune the brightness to create a natural hue that’s similar to a sunrise.

By creating a more natural wake up routine, you’ll never start your day late or with a have to fight the snooze button on your alarm.

A Designated Workspace

This one may seem a little obvious but you’d be surprised at how good that couch looks!

Having a designated workspace is important as it separates work from home. It also allows you to organise your work and stay productive.

It’s easy to get distracted by the TV and other creature comforts when you don’t have a claimed workspace. Stay focused, organised and productive in an area that’s designed for working only.

Of course, some of you may already a space that you use, which is great but just make sure it’s clutter-free, organised and clean. A clear space creates a clear mind, which is ideal for those with a workload pending.

Move & Stretch

One of the many problems faced by those who work from home is that they do an awful lot of sitting down. This can affect your circulation, your fitness and your mood.

Sitting can also create strains and aches in muscles that are in awkward positions for long periods of time. Not to mention the strain that monitors can cause on the eyes.

By stretching and moving around we can relieve these issues, get the blood flowing and give our eyes a much-needed rest.

Whilst we’re on the topic of strain, it’s also important that the equipment you use gives your body sufficient support. Bad posture can also cause long term issues in our bodies so a comfortable chair is essential!

Take A Break

Studies show that taking regular breaks helps with concentration and productivity.

Maybe there’s a deadline causing you to stress or you’re stuck on an issue and can’t see the wood through the trees. Stepping away and taking a few minutes break and help relieve stress and give our brains more time to process complex solutions.

Taking breaks is also a great way to break up your working day into more digestible chunks. This makes routines easier to follow, allowing you to tackle tasks more effectively.

Taking breaks also means that when that zoom meeting comes around, you are refreshed and stress-free, you also won’t be needing the toilet!

Don’t Skip Lunch

When in the comfort of your own home, it’s easy to fall into the habit of eating lunch at your desk or taking lunch at different times each day.

As part of your routine, you should schedule a designated lunchtime, where you step away from work completely and think about something else… like food!

By doing this, you give your brain a rest and you ensure that your diet stays healthy. Don’t just grab a quick snack or leftovers, actually sit and enjoy a meal.

Food is our fuel and by taking the time to eat healthily, we can ensure our brain has everything it needs to deliver good work.

Use Video & Stay Connected

One of the biggest issues that come from working from home is the feeling of loneliness. Separation from colleagues can leave you feeling isolated and have a negative impact on a teams effectiveness to work together.

Make sure you schedule regular meetings with your team via video call and via phone to ensure that you don’t feel alone. It’s also a great way for you to keep working together in a way that’s effective for business.

Perhaps you’re struggling and need help with a project, or maybe you’re worried about a colleague. Keeping in touch on a regular basis will make working from home more fun, social and productive.

Keep a Routine

Routine and planning is everything. Mapping out your days ahead of time, will improve your organisation and take the pressure off because you’ll know exactly what the day holds.

Meet deadlines on time and stay on top of your workload. By planning ahead, you can prioritise tasks and makes sure that nothing is forgotten.

Having a schedule is also a great way of avoiding distractions and will make your days seem less daunting. It also enables you to share with your employers what work has been completed and what’s ongoing.

Separating work and life is the key to working from home, and by having a work schedule, you can do this more effectively.

Work With Good Lighting

Nothing beats the cosiness of home. However, when you’re trying to be productive and work on projects with deadlines, feeling cosy is the last thing you want.

Good lighting can prevent you from feeling lazy or tired and help increase your productivity. As well as this, good lighting also prevents our eyes from being strained whilst working on a computer or on paper.

One of the many issues faced by those who work from home is eye strain. We need good lighting in order for our eyes to be able to read comfortably and focus on monitors.

If you’re looking to improve your office lighting, a good choice is to invest in smart lighting. You can adjust the brightness, tune to meet your exact requirements and place the lights in areas that will be most effective in your workspace.

Get Some Fresh Air

Working from home may be great for avoiding cold weather, but its important that we get sufficient fresh air while working. It’s no secret that we need oxygen, so why not open a window or take a walk to fill those lungs with glorious O2.

Even stepping out into the garden for a few minutes can help us stay refreshed and feeling awake. When we stay inside for too long we can start to feel anxious and cooped up so make sure you take the time to step outside.

In summer months maybe you can even enjoy working outside in your garden. Studies show that a change of scenery can help us keep focus and help keep our mood more positive.

Sign Off, Relax & Unwind

Without the separation of home and office, it can be increasingly difficult to switch off. It’s late at night and you’re trying to sleep but all you can think about it work.

For this reason, it’s important that when your workday is done, you switch everything off and spend time to unwind.

Maybe take a shower, go for a walk, or just sit in silence. However you choose to do it is up to you, but its important to do something to signify the end of your working day.

As well as evenings, it’s also important that you make the most of days off. If it is not a workday, then make sure you spend the time doing something you love.

Catch up with friends and family, or play or favourite video game. Just don’t think about work!

By switching off, we prevent ourselves from burning out. We need to rest and recharge in order to give our working days 100%.