A short while again I put out a query field in my Instagram Tales for the Q&A episode of my podcast. This episode goes out on the finish of each season and I’m at all times intrigued to see which questions come by means of! One of many questions requested was about my high productiveness ideas for working from house. Particularly, how I don’t fall into the entice of ‘working on a regular basis’. Plus how I stability issues out throughout the three pillars of my enterprise.
Y’know me, I looooove to speak all issues productiveness ideas! Particularly productiveness ideas for working from house now since peoples’ working lives have shifted a lot since 2020. 99% of my pals who had been beforehand in completely office-based jobs now work not less than a few of the time from house. And while that comes with its advantages—hiii no commute, cozy garments and saving £££ on lunches out—it additionally comes with its personal challenges.
By now, I form of really feel like a veteran work from home-er. I’ve labored completely for myself for the previous 9 years, from house. In that point I’ve honed my habits for productiveness and hitting that candy spot of WFH life in concord with life life.
Under I’m sharing my high 10 productiveness ideas for working from house, in case you have any questions or wish to add your two cents into the combination, drop me a remark!
My High 10 Productiveness Suggestions
For Working From House
1. Set working hours, however enable for some flexibility
One in every of my favorite issues about working from house is the flexibleness it affords me. Given, I additionally work for myself, so technically I’ve full freedom with my time. However basically I like to stay to roughly the identical working hours. Right here’s why . . .
In my worst and least-productive seasons of working from house, I’ve had very blurred working hours. In my expertise, the hours you retain when working from house have a direct affect not solely on productiveness, however on how you’re feeling too.
There have been seasons, primarily in my early WFH life, once I partook in the entire WFH clichés: waking up at 10, working sporadically, staying in my PJs . . . it felt novel and enjoyable for a bit. However professionally and personally I wasn’t as productive as I needed to be.
I shortly got here to study that being productive when working from house, means working inside set-ish hours. And—sure—permitting for some flexibility.
‘Set-ish’ working hours permits me maximise the time of the day once I really feel most energised. It additionally helps me to align my schedule with different folks I work with. If I can e mail backwards and forwards with somebody inside (roughly) the identical working hours, I can get rather a lot achieved.
Most days I begin my work day between 8.30 – 10am and end someplace between 5 – 7pm. The pliability I give myself permits me to fit non-work issues into my life which assist me to maintain on high of my life admin, and do issues I take pleasure in.
2. Get out of the home earlier than you begin your working day
I can’t overstate how impactful this behavior is to my productiveness when working from house. And to my total wellbeing.
It’s really easy once you work at home to sleep in, snooze, and roll over in your mattress, choose up your laptop computer and get to work. For me, that isn’t conducive to a productive working day. Or to feeling good inside myself.
After I used to commute (wayyy again when) to a style internship in London, I might have a 2.5 hour journey to the studio and again. Although the commute may very well be taxing (on reflection, it was gruelling), it allowed me time pre-work and post-work to gear up for—and wind-down from—the day.
My time pre-work is treasured. A very good morning routine units me up for a very good working day.
As a part of that, I wish to get out of the home for a morning stroll. When you observe me on Instagram you’ll have seen my many many morning walks. There’s science to again the constructive affect of this: a morning stroll may also help to control your circadian rhythm—making certain that your power peaks within the morning and wanes as you head to mattress. For me, taking a morning stroll is meditative. It provides me headspace I wouldn’t in any other case get if I began working with out it.
Getting exterior earlier than your working day additionally helps to stave off any ‘stagnant’ feeling that may happen when WFH. If I don’t get out within the day I get severe cabin fever!
3. Outline your working area
As I write this put up I’m at the moment typing away at my kitchen desk. You don’t want a house workplace to outline your working area, however you do want a zone which is resolutely yours to work from. Even when that adjustments day after day.
Having an outlined WFH area permits me to differentiate between ‘work’ and ‘house’. After I’m at ‘work’ that’s my focus. I talk this to my husband Oli, in order that he is aware of the place I’m working from on any given day. He respects that area if he’s house within the day too.
In our final condo I had a house workplace, and in our new house I’ll probably arrange an area in one of many spare bedrooms. However even with an outlined area on the kitchen desk, I can get into ‘work mode’ extra simply, which makes me really feel extra centered and productive.
Necessities of an outlined WFH area inc:
- snug chair
- good-height desk/desk
- good web connection
In my expertise, that’s mainly it!
I’ll say that protecting the area you WFH from away from litter and clear can go an extended technique to serving to you ‘get within the zone’. Or not less than that’s the case for me. I wrestle to pay attention if I can see home duties which want my consideration. With that in thoughts, if I want to maneuver a pile of laundry to a different room simply in order that it’s out of my eye line, I’ll. Out of web site, out of . . .
4. Have strict boundaries with know-how
This goes hand in hand with having set work hours and an outlined working area. Know-how permits us to be contactable 24/7. However with the intention to be productive, I discover that I have to have boundaries round my use of know-how.
I energy up and energy down my laptop computer inside my working hours. The identical goes for social media (see under).
Know-how, and blue mild particularly, can mess with our circadian rhythm—tricking our our bodies into pondering it’s ‘daytime’ when it’s time to begin winding down for mattress. I circumnavigate this problem partially by limiting my display time as soon as my working day is finished. And partially by utilizing blue mild filtering glasses. I often put on these from round 8pm onwards (two hours earlier than I am going to mattress).
By having strict boundaries with know-how, I discover that I’m actually ‘in’ my working day once I’m working. And it’s virtually like I ‘depart the workplace’ once I shut down my tech.
5. Have strict boundaries with scrolling
If, like me, social media is part of your work, it’s straightforward to excuse scrolling as ‘analysis’ or ‘group constructing’. The reality? More often than not once I discover myself scrolling I’ve simply been sucked into the algorithm. It’s addictive.
On days once I’m energised and my thoughts is obvious, I could be out and in of my apps as wanted. However on days once I’m drained or I’m simply not feeling that centered, I can easilyyy lose myself to the scroll. This annoys me after which I really feel dangerous for having ‘wasted’ time.
It might sound excessive, however to create a boundary round scrolling, I set a timer to get out and in of the app.
6. Inventory your fridge
Howww a lot time is wasted shopping for last-minute substances for lunch?! Or stressing about what’s for lunch bc you’re not ready? Or lacking lunch after which getting hangry and drained at 3pm? Simply me?! 🤣
A well-stocked fridge makes assembling a tasty nutritious WFH lunch a lot simpler and environment friendly. And on that be aware! Do take a lunch break! Even once you’re at house. It’s so vital and also you’re entitled to it.
I love to do a giant meals store 1 x per week, and high up exterior of labor hours if wanted.
If I can, I wish to take a brief stroll after lunch too to assist with digestion and blood sugar ranges, each of which contribute to raised productiveness within the PM.
Go-to lunches of mine embody: avocado toast, soup, a ‘left-overs bowl’, pasta, salad . . . something straightforward to assemble, fast to make and nutritious.
7. Use the ‘Well being House Hustle’ to-do listing
Every single day I write a to-do listing utilizing three headings: ‘Well being’, ‘House’, and ‘Hustle’, in that order. (And sure, I actually do dwell and breathe this mantra, ha!)
This enables me to make sure that the issues I have to do for my well being are on the high of my listing, and are subsequently my high precedence. Objects which go underneath the ‘well being’ heading each day embody: stroll, sleep, nourish.
House issues come second, in order that I’ve a very good grip on my home duties and private commitments.
And Hustle comes third. The ‘Hustle’ heading is often the one with the longest listing, and I attempt to organise this by precedence utilizing Eisenhower’s Pressing/Vital Precept.
This to-do listing retains me on observe with my private {and professional} commitments.
8. Deal with your self
I 100% imagine in peppering your days with issues that make you’re feeling good, and issues that you just take pleasure in. Why save happiness-boosting issues for particular events? You deserve moments of pleasure each. single. day.
Issues I do to enhance my expertise of WFH:
~ purchase weekly flowers in order that I’ve one thing fairly in my eye line; as a Libra rising moon—I can really feel Oli rolling his eyes—my quick surroundings is so vital to me
NB: I purchase my flowers from wherever and in every single place: wholesalers, foraged, the grocery store, my native market . . . they’re all nice sources
~ make good espresso at house, I like the Starbucks Nespresso home mix espresso pods
~ slack off! Sure you learn that proper, in case your working schedule permits for it, slack off every now and then—it’s one of many advantages of being answerable for your individual time! Generally I am going in opposition to every thing I’ve written above and work from mattress, or take a time without work altogether, or go for lunch with a good friend. When you can outline your individual hours, and your supervisor/boss gained’t penalise you, typically THE best factor you are able to do in a day, is to present your self a break. Invariably I really feel extra productive when my very own batteries are topped up!
9. Prepare each. single. day.
I’m sure that just about each WFH productiveness article circa 2020 really helpful ‘getting dressed’ as a key tip. And while it might sound apparent and repetitive, it’s cited so usually for a purpose.
Preparing for my working day helps me to get into a piece mindset. And this helps me to be extra productive.
Even when I’m not seeing one other soul for my complete working day, I’ll make sure that I’m carrying an outfit I like, and which if I had been to be assembly with somebody, I’d be completely satisfied to be carrying.
Plus, you by no means know when an on-camera video name could also be dropped into your diary! Higher to be ready.
I like following Lydia Jane Tomlinson for outfit inspo, and preserve a ‘saved’ folder of appears on Instagram for straightforward reference.
10. Have a close-down ritual
And so right here we’re on the finish of your uberrr-productive WFH day !
Simply as a morning ritual is vital, so is a close-down one. This lets you reinforce your boundaries (see #3 – #5) and shift into ‘house time’.
For me, closing down my work day means packing away my laptop computer, pocket book and different know-how, and placing these items into one other location out of eyeshot.
Then I clear up any mugs, glasses and garbage from my working day. And transfer onto a job which is fully non-work associated. This may very well be a stroll, laundry, cooking . . . I strive to not head straight to the TV or scroll my telephone as I wish to create a break between ‘work display time’ and ‘house display time’.
A bathe, tub or skincare routine may also be a very nice means of making a definition between the working day and the night. I additionally are likely to get modified at this level into my pyjamas or some cozy garments.
Once more, having a transparent begin and cease time to my working day, permits me to be extra productive and centered in the course of the hours that I’m working from house.
What’s your take?
Truthfully, I didn’t know that I had 2k price of phrases to share on productiveness ideas for working from house
However I do know that I really feel an amazing sense of feat once I wrap my working day, realizing that I’ve given it my greatest, and ticked a good lot off of my to-do listing.
Working from house could be superb, I completely adore it. And I hope that for those who too are a fellow WFH-er seeking to make the most efficient use of your time, that the ideas above could be of assist!
Let me know in case you have any questions, ideas or feedback under! I’d love to listen to your take!
