As more of the world starts to transition to working from home, it seems there’s a lot of people that are struggling to stay productive. As someone who has been doing this for a few years I have quite a bit of experience in this area. So today I wanted to share some of my top tips on how to be productive when working from home.

For the first time in our history more people are being asked to work from home. For some this is super exciting. But for others this can bring about all sorts of pressure and anxiety.

And if you haven’t done it before it can be easy to fall into traps that not only zap your productivity, but damage your mental wellbeing.

It took me a lot of trial and error, but I finally learnt how to find a happy balance between work, life, and health. Which is why I want to share my experiences so I can help you navigate this new way of working.

How to Be Productive When Working From Home

1. Set boundaries

I’ve found, a great way to stay motivated and inspired when working from home is to create a dedicated space for work. And also set clear boundaries for how much time you’ll spend working.

It can be very tempting to work from your bed or your couch. But believe me when I say this forms all kinds of unhealthy habits and you want to avoid it as much as you can.

When I first started working from home it was while I was at the bank. I used to work from my bed or the couch a lot, stay up late, get up early and work all kinds of crazy hours. This started to blur the lines between business and personal time.

But I wanted to prove myself. And prove myself I did. I quickly won myself lots of awards for being the best BDM. But it came at a high cost. My health and wellbeing suffered and I ended up on 6 weeks stress leave.

Once I quit my job to start working on my own online business, I vowed to create more freedom for myself. And I did. I travelled, I worked from exotic locations and I had a ball.

But then, I came home and I fell back into that trap of working from my bed and couch. Not focusing on my physical or mental health. Because I just wanted to keep reaching higher levels. Pushing myself until you guessed it, I burnt out again.

When you work from home, it’s easy to fall into that trap of never stopping. Wanting to be the best and prove yourself to everyone. But if it’s at the expense of your own wellbeing then you can’t really serve anyone. So remember to set these boundaries and you and everyone around you will be much better off.

2. Set up an office space that inspires you

When you work in a corporate office environment it’s not uncommon to see people’s desks covered with personal items that make them feel good.

If you don’t have an office space set up at home. And you’re planning to be working from home for a while, this should be something you look into doing.

Creating a space that’s just for work not only helps you keep those boundaries I mentioned earlier, but it also helps to stay inspired.

I’ll do a separate post on how to create an uplifting workspace. But think of things that make you happy. Vision boards, crystals, flowers, candles, windows with lots of natural light etc. are all great mood boosters. Being in a positive space helps to keep your mind stimulated and focused.

3. Shower and get dressed

I can’t stress this one enough. It’s easy to think ‘ooh I’m working from home so I’ll just stay in my pj’s all day’. But this is where lines start to blur, and days start to roll into one.

It’s hard to stay productive when you feel lazy. And our clothes play a big role in how we feel. So you don’t have to dress like you’re going to the office. And if you really hate them, you can ditch that bra every now and then. But it definitely does help to get out of bed, shower, and put fresh clothes on each day.

This way you’re sticking to some kind of routine as well which helps your brain to keep that association. When you stay in pj’s your brain is focused on sleep, rest and cosy days. So it’s easy to fall into the habit of actually being lazy when you’re dressed that way.

4. Eliminate distractions

For most of us, the biggest distraction is our phones. I’m definitely guilty of this one. Especially since going into isolation mode. I’ve developed a slight TikTok addiction. But after week one of mindlessly watching videos for hours, I recognised what I was doing and I forced myself to eliminate that distraction.

Now, instead of recording daily videos. I batch my videos in one go and save them to drafts so I have the content ready for the week. Then, I go in and post my videos and get straight out of the app. At this stage TikTok is just a fun outlet for me so I’m not too focused on being heavily engaged. As my following grows I may spend more time on there, but for now I know this is not where my time is best spent.

Instagram is my primary social media platform so I dedicate more time to being on there. And when I don’t need to be on social media I put my phone in another room so I don’t mindlessly pick it up all the time.

If you’re not really sure what your biggest distractions are, try keeping a diary for a few days where you write down everything you do and how many minutes you spend doing it. You’ll be amazed how many times you pick up your phone without even consciously meaning to. So by getting rid of that distraction (even if it’s just for a few hours) you’ll be much more productive.

Other things you can do is something like the Newsfeed Eradicator extension on Google Chrome which allows you to remove your Facebook newsfeed while you’re on your laptop. This way if you do have Facebook open you’ll be greeted with a quote instead of everyone’s content so you won’t get lost scrolling.

5. Time block

If you’re someone that likes to procrastinate and does get easily distracted then it’s a good idea to review your tasks before getting stuck in for the day.

Decide what’s most important, what is important but not urgent, and what’s least important. Then note how long you think each task should take. And plan out your day based on getting the hardest, most important tasks first.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of ‘I’ll just get all the quick, easy stuff out of the way first’. It feels good ticking things off your to do list and it looks like you’ve accomplished a lot. But if you keep leaving the big tasks off it generally makes them become bigger and more urgent, and therefore more stressful. So do the hard stuff first, allocate the right amount of time. And if the little, less urgent things don’t get done, that’s ok.

Another great tool is the Momentum extension. Whenever you open a new tab it has a quote, your todo list, handy links etc. so it helps you to save time and stay on task.

6. Take regular food and drink breaks

I don’t mean get up and go to the fridge every 10 minutes because you’re home and bored.

But make sure you’re taking your regular breaks. Breakfast, lunch, dinner etc. And try to stick to a somewhat healthy routine. You don’t want to succumb to snacking all day long, or eating comfort food just because you’re home and it’s easier to cook etc.

By staying healthy and hydrated it keeps your mind focused.

And that’s my top tips on how to be productive when working from home.

Not much of a reader? If you prefer videos you can watch this quick one I made on TikTok.

I hope you enjoyed these tips. And if you’re new to working from home. Or if you’re considering starting an online business. I hope these tips will help you protect your mental health whilst still remaining productive. So you don’t fall into the same downward spiral I did when I first started working from home. And if you’re considering starting an online business of your own, why not take my free training which shows you the 3 key elements you need to get started.

As usual, thanks for reading. And if you enjoyed this post please feel free to like, comment and/or share. Your support means the world to me.

Jade xo