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I consider working from home, a luxury in my life at the moment. Staying home to work, especially in Canadian winters, allows me to stay productive, and comfortable at the same time!
When working in the corporate world, I used to look forward to days I could work from home. I found that I stayed productive when working from home, unlike what many people say.
I often think about the hours I used to spend commuting during rush hour. Morning and evening, day in and day out, many hours spent on trains and buses. In many big cities, people often commute upwards of an hour each way to get into work. If you’re from Toronto, I’m sure you understand the frustration of commuting to work!
By the time I would get into work, I was already frazzled. The overcrowded trains, delays, and being confined to a small space took a toll on me.
Even when I lived within walking distance to work, I preferred working from home. I never enjoyed the routine of getting dressed in business casual outfits and putting on makeup every morning.
Most days, I’m grateful to be able to work from home. But there are days I find it difficult to focus on work. Other days I find it difficult to turn off from work or create a distinction between work and home!
Those are the days that I find I need these tips the most! They help me stay on track with my schedule, and stay productive when working from home!
Tips to stay productive when working from home
ONE: Set Physical Boundaries
This one is the most important tip I have. Setting aside space to work is vital in being productive. For me, my space in the house is the dining table we never use, unless we have company. I have all my notebooks, pens, camera, and whatever else I use to get work done!
For my husband, it’s the desk we’ve set up in the living room. He has his monitors and a space for his books in reach.
Setting aside this space for us also means that we know when the other person is working. We often break for lunch or might take a coffee break in the afternoon together. But that also means that we are often working past 8 pm in our designated workspaces.
The physical boundaries ensure we know when we are working, and when we are not.
Whatever your space looks like, make sure it’s where you do work. At the beginning of my work from home days, I used to love working from the bed, or the couch with the TV on in the background. Now I know that is not
TWO: Get into a routine to stay productive at home
Apart from physical boundaries, creating a routine creates time boundaries. Often it’s easy for me to roll out of bed, make a coffee, and settle into my desk and forgetting to eat or even drink water. Other days, I’m distracted and find myself doing housework at 11 am.
Over time, I have created a better routine for myself when I am working from home to get things done. This is especially important where I’m working on projects that I’m building myself. You know you’ll get the client work done by the deadline, but often what slips through the cracks are your own projects.
THREE: Schedule your day
I am a calendar fanatic. I schedule in every coffee I’m grabbing with a friend down to the day and hour I expect myself to do laundry this week. That is the only way I can stay on top of things, and make sure I get things done. But also that I am not overstretching to the point of overcommitting to things!
I’m often working on multiple projects on the go, so I find that I need to give myself a few minutes at the beginning of the day to schedule in the tasks that are most important for each project, so I don’t drop the ball on any projects.
Part of the scheduling exercise every day is also taking breaks. Breaks are important to physically stretch, as well as, to give yourself a mental break! The nice thing about using a calendar is that you can schedule breaks, so you don’t feel guilty about taking a break from work! The time is already scheduled on your calendar, you’re supposed to do it!
FOUR: Declutter and Tidy Daily
I wouldn’t say I’m a neat freak, but I definitely thrive when my work environment is neat. I feel at peace, and am able to focus better, without distractions.
The biggest game-changer routine has been setting aside time daily to tidy up around me. Every evening before dinner, I put away things, clean up the sink and kitchen, as well as my workspace. This ensures that when I sit back down to work I’m ready to get things done!
FIVE: Set up a space you love
Create a space that inspires you! We’re lucky to have large windows in our condo that allows sunlight to come in daily. I work better when I’m not facing a wall; I feel less restricted!
On my desk, I also keep my daily essentials on my desk, like hand lotion, lip balm, a plant, and other desk essentials to make me feel like this is a place I’ve carved for myself!
Your Turn
These little changes, make sure that I am able to be effective and stay productive when I am working from home.
I challenge you to look at your routine and pick out the distractions that you encounter that keep you from staying productive when working from home!
How do you stay productive when you’re working from home?
Cheers,
