How to work from home and actually get stuff done

Working from home has many benefits. It allows employees to be more flexible with their time, save money, and avoid lengthy commutes. Many companies offer work from home days, and they can be great, but some days you may feel your procrastination levels are at an all-time high. Procrastinating at home isn’t uncommon, but putting a system in place to raise your productivity is beneficial to both you and your company. 

How to work from home productively

Productive working is a must, especially if your job is fully remote or you’re a freelancer. Luckily, there are a few things you can implement in order to say goodbye to procrastination forever. Well, maybe not forever, but you get the jist. 

Designate a space to work

Find yourself working in your bedroom? This may impact your sleep and productivity. As the brain associates the bedroom with relaxation and sleep, mixing that with the stresses of work isn’t such a good idea. Even working from your kitchen or living room can help massively with separating work and relaxation time. Set up a desk and a chair anywhere except your bedroom, and don’t - under any circumstance - work from your bed, as tempting as it may be.

Put together a plan  

Listing what needs to be done for the day in the morning can really help you to focus. Some people find that working their way through a list of tasks can improve productivity. They know what they need to get done in the day, and can organise tasks accordingly. This doesn’t apply to everyone, and sometimes working on one task for a long period of time is too overwhelming. In that case, having short breaks or switching between tasks can help to maintain productivity. Coming back to something with a fresh pair of eyes later on in the day is really helpful. 

Eliminate distractions

If we had to pick one procrastination promoter, it would have to be distractions. The more distractions you have at home, the more likely you are to procrastinate. Whether that’s the temptation to always be on your phone, having pets, kids or partners bothering you, whatever distracts you, try your best to disconnect. Put your phone somewhere you can’t see it, tell your loved ones to leave you alone for an hour or feed your pets to keep them quiet, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you can get done.

Shift your mindset

A large part of conquering the work from home mentality is shifting your own mindset. Try to tell yourself that you’re not procrastinating, you just need to take a break or to switch off your phone. Ask yourself why you don’t want to do the task at hand, and maybe come back to it later instead of forcing it. Keeping positive is important when working at home, so remember to check in with your mental health regularly. 

Avoid creative blocks and feeling overwhelmed

We’ve all suffered from writer’s block, or not knowing how to tackle a task. Changing up where you’re working - even if that means heading to your local coffee shop - can really help to boost creativity and productivity. It might be a work from home day, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you are confined to those four walls. 

Finding that you become easily overwhelmed with work? This goes hand-in-hand with creative blocks and can be dealt with in a similar fashion. Take a step back from what you’re working on, make a coffee or get some fresh air, and then come back to the task. It doesn’t hurt to have some time away from the screen when you’re at home. If anything, it’s better for you in the long run. 

Have set hours

It’s easy to sleep in and not get up at your usual time when you’re working from home. Having set hours can separate personal time from work time, like being in the office from 9-5. A good routine will help your sleeping pattern, thus improving productivity as well. 

Reward yourself

Everyone loves rewards, and rewarding yourself can give you a well needed boost of serotonin during that midday slog. Treat yourself to a biscuit with your coffee after ticking off a task, or maybe you want to reward yourself with something bigger after completing a mammoth project. Creating these sorts of milestone rewards really help to get tedious or intricate work done - the thought of a biscuit at the end will really get you through, trust us.

Learn when you work best

Ask yourself, ‘when do I work best?’. Now, this answer can differ. Early birds find that their productivity is highest in the morning, whilst night owls prefer getting work done in the evening. However, studies have suggested that the optimum working time is in the few hours after waking up, so why not attempt to tackle those dreaded work activities as soon as you get up? Optimum work times are largely specific to the person, so spend some time figuring yours out for maximum productivity. 

Do you work remotely or find yourself working from home most days? Why not kit out your home with productivity boosting office furniture. If you’re unsure what to pick, contact our team today.