Working from home is a dream for many people. You’re your own boss, there are no commute times or awkward water cooler moments. Instead of spending your day in an office, you can stay in your pajamas or sweats all day long and get more things done. Who wouldn’t want that?
But the same great things about working from home come with some not-so-great downsides. You might feel like there’s no one keeping an eye on you, which could lead to procrastination and slacking off. You also have no one to impress, which can make it easy to feel unmotivated at times. When you work from home, it’s easy to hide behind the comfort of your own space and let responsibilities fall by the wayside. If you want to keep yourself motivated while working from home, read on for some helpful advice:
The Real Life of a Woman Who Works From Home
Working from home can be isolating. You don’t have coworkers to chat with during break time or after work, and you don’t have an official wardrobe to come home to every day. In fact, staying at home as your primary place of work is likely a big leap from anything you’ve done before.
Working from home can also be challenging. You may feel lonely and isolated all day long, which makes it more difficult to stay focused on your tasks. At the same time that being alone all day can be extremely difficult, it can also be rewarding in its own right; you get to spend more time with your family and save money on commuting costs every day! Working from home doesn’t have to just mean working at a desk in your pajamas.
Check out these tips for making working from home as productive as possible:
Have a dedicated workspace.
Even if you’re staying at home, it can be helpful to have a dedicated space for your work. You can separate your work from the rest of your day and also bring some organization to your day-to-day. It can also help if you have an area where you can store all of your equipment, whether it’s something like a laptop, a printer, or an extra internet connection.
Get up and move around.
Even if you are sitting at a desk all day, it’s important to get up and move around. Take breaks at least every couple of hours and go for a nice walk, or even just stand up and stretch. Having a regular break from your work and getting some fresh air can help you come back to it feeling rejuvenated and ready to get back to work.
If you have young kids at home, it’s especially important to get up and move around. Being around young children all day long can be tiring; it can be exhausting! If you have the ability, try to take breaks and do something different every couple of hours. And if you don’t have children at home, try to give yourself a break every couple of hours and do something else, too.
Keep your environment well-lit.
Even though you’re at home, turn on the lights! Working in the dark can be tiring and stressful. Being in a well-lit environment can help you focus and can reduce eye strain that can come with working in the dark. If you find yourself struggling to focus, try turning on some lights around your house.
Try out different productivity tools.
There are a lot of different productivity tools out there that can help you stay on top of your work and be more productive, even when you’re working from home. Some of the most common tools are online calendars, productivity apps, and task managers.
If you have an online calendar, you can easily keep track of your meetings, appointments, and other things that happen throughout the day. You can organize your tasks and break them down into smaller, more manageable pieces. You can also use productivity apps to organize your tasks and keep track of your schedule.
Don’t forget to plan workouts in advance.
Even if you work from home, it’s important to maintain a regular exercise routine. And it’s important to plan your workouts in advance so you don’t forget about them or feel too tired to make it out the door.
You can easily plan workouts in advance by signing up for a class or scheduling time at the gym in your online calendar. You can also download a few apps to your phone to make it easier to stay on track with your workouts.
Take advantage of your commute time.
If you are lucky enough to have a commute to work, use your drive time to make progress on work tasks. You can easily use apps like Audible or podcasts to make it easier to focus during your commute. You can also use navigation apps to help you prepare for meetings or take notes on things you want to follow up on when you’re driving.
This can be a great way to make progress on work tasks without getting too overwhelmed. Use the time to help you stay productive and focus on your work.
Conclusion
Working from home can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding and help you save money and spend more time with your family.
Make sure to have a dedicated workspace, get up and move around occasionally, keep your environment well-lit, and try out different productivity tools to stay on top of your work and be more productive while working from home. And don’t forget to take advantage of your commute time so you can make progress on work tasks during your drive to and from work!
