How To Work From Home Productively

Many companies have allowed employees to work from home to ensure employee safety and practice social isolation.

When working from home, you have to create a boundary between work and personal life. Here are my ten tips on how to work from home effectively.

1. Have a schedule

You need to set a specific plan and strictly follow that schedule.

When there is a clear plan, what time to work or when to rest will help remote workers balance work and life. If you work without a specific time, it can be challenging to create a habit of maintaining.

For example, you can start writing down easy tasks such as:

• 7:30 am: Wake up
• 8 am: Breakfast

You can also install a few applications to help you manage your time and work effectively. I love using Google Calendar and Time Rescue.

2. Clean your workspace

Having a tidy workspace helps! 

There is evidence that a neat environment helps us to think more clearly.

For example, Navarra University (Spain) researchers found that volunteers who entered data were more likely to get it wrong in a cluttered environment than when working in a tidy place.

3. Set rules with everyone in your space

When working from a distance, especially at home, you cannot avoid sharing space with your loved ones. Therefore, you need to set rules with people when you are working.

For example, you can let your partner know that you work from 9 am to 11:30 pm so they will not disturb your procedure.

4. Rest between working hours

You should follow your company’s policies and apply them to your work schedule. Typically, companies will allow an hour of lunch break and about 10-15 minutes of rest in the afternoon so you can regain your focus.

If you are a freelancer, allow yourself to have free time to get up and walk around in the house or leave your workplace for a few minutes to relax. 

Allow your body to rest during lunch break. Do not be a workaholic (unless it is urgent and important)!

You can allow yourself to take a nap for about 15-20 minutes. According to research, a lunch break is a valuable time for you to recover energy before entering the afternoon working hours.

5. Don’t push yourself too harsh

I understand that sometimes we lose focus, especially when working remotely.

You can work for about half an hour and start checking other stuff. That is not good at all!

However, you need time to adjust to those habits. So don’t be too hard on yourself in the early stages when working from home.

6. Set a morning routine

Creating a habit in the morning and repeating that before you start working will help you be more ready.

What part of your morning routine will help to tell you that you have started to work seriously?

It could be sipping a cup of tea or a coffee before you start, taking a morning shower, or finishing breakfast.

Create your morning routine to work productively! 

7. Work in your way

Working from home allows you to decide how you want to conduct your job.

For example, you can wear comfortable clothes when sitting at work or play a song without fear of affecting others. Enjoy it as a favorite part of your job.

8. Be clear between personal tasks and company jobs

In an ideal working environment at home, you will need two computers, one for work and personal use.

In the minimum case, you only have one computer to use. Therefore, you should specify which period you work for the company and focus on that to ensure productivity.

For other personal tasks, do it after you have reached a sufficient number of working hours for the company. Only then can you ensure your work productivity.

9. Communicate with colleagues

Loneliness, disconnection, and feeling isolated are common problems of remote workers, especially extroverted ones.

Technology has many ways to help employees connect.

For example, you can set up chat channels that connect remote employees with similar interests to a group, such as a reading club, gaming, etc., so you all can share and chat together.

Even if you’re introverted and don’t like socializing, try interacting with colleagues to get to know them.

10. End your day with a routine

Like creating a habit to start your workday, you also need to create a routine or a sign to end your day. It can be a timeline that you set to indicate that you’re done with the company.

You should return to your daily life, such as cooking dinner or listening to a podcast. Finishing your work with a repeated routine helps you balance real life and work at home.