More and more people are working from home these days. Companies have become more flexible with remote work options, and there are more opportunities for creative and entrepreneurial work. However, if you work from home, you know that it can be challenging to stay motivated and organized at times. Here are my 7 tips for staying motivated and organized when working from home.
Working from home may seem ideal — carefree, do-what-you-want — but it’s important to add some structure back to your day to help you stay motivated.
Set Your Hours
It’s so important for me to have a routine and a set time for when I work. Working from home gives you the flexibility to choose the hours that work best for you. If you know you are most productive early in the morning, then you can set your hours to be earlier. If the evenings are better for you, then set your office hours a little bit later. Whatever time work for you, make sure that you stick to it each day. Train yourself to get into that work mindset during that specific time each day, but do what feels best for you. Working from home gives you the opportunity to be flexible so you can be the most productive. If you need to have a long break between your work times, take it — set your hours for whenever you perform your best.
Get Ready for the Day
It can be so easy to just stay in your pajamas or sweats all day long, but those comfy clothes can keep you in a relaxed/chill mindset. If you put some effort into getting ready for the day, then it will shift your perspective from chill/watch-movies-on-the-sofa to ready-to-work. I like to take some time in the morning to use my jade roller and maybe a face mask to just help me wake up and prepare for the day. I will change into some comfortable clothes and shoes to put me in the working mood. Create a distinct boundary between sleep/relaxing and working/being productive.
A huge benefit to working from home is not having a commute. I recently read that having an additional 20 minutes of commute time is like getting a 19% pay cut in terms of job satisfaction. Yikes! Working from home allows you to take that commute time and repurpose it to something that energizes you and prepares you for the day.
Make a List for Your Day
I like to plan out my week and my days in my Erin Condren Life Planner. For me, it’s better to physically write out what I need to accomplish and what my deadlines are — it helps me to really connect with my plan and stay focused throughout the day. Since I am on my phone and computer so much throughout the day, a written plan lets me get a break from technology and be more intentional with my plan.
Working from home can be challenging since it’s up to you to prioritize your workload and stay organized. I refer to my planner and my list throughout the day to keep me focused on what my goals are. It can be easy to get distracted by something, but my planner helps remind me what my priorities are. Get $10 off your first Erin Condren Purchase through my link.
Time for Everything
It can become overwhelming to complete so many tasks while working from home. I like to break my day up into smaller chunks of time to help keep me organized and not stressed. I’ll set a timer on my Fitbit for 45 minutes or one hour where I’ll just work on one thing. Working on something for a smaller chunk of time makes it easier to stay focused on that one thing. You know that after 45 minutes, you can move on to something else, but it’s still enough time to be productive and accomplish a task. Whatever you decide to focus your time on, be intentional with that time. Concentrating on your one task will help you to be more productive.
No Distractions
There can be so many distractions at home — family, tv, internet, video games — it may be hard to focus on what you need to work on. If possible, find a separate space to work in so you can change your mindset into “work” time. For example: try not to work in your bed/bedroom since that is your sleep space, and you are likely to be in a more chill/sleep mindset. I have an office area where I do my work and it helps me to not be distracted by other things. If you work from a laptop, maybe working on the sofa in front of the tv isn’t the best idea. Find what works best for you. I found that I would be easily distracted by my phone and end up watching youtube or on reddit for way too long. Now, I keep my phone away from me (unless I need to use it for work), and I only check notifications through my Fitbit Versa. It’s a small change that helps me to stay organized and not fall into distractions.
Breaks Are Ok
If you need to step away from your work, do it! You aren’t being productive by forcing yourself to do something you are burnt out on. If you are working so hard at something and are stressed out or don’t want to be doing, you are just hurting yourself and the quality of your work will suffer. Get up and walk away for 15 minutes, and when you come back you’ll have new perspective. I like to take some time to exercise in the middle of the day; it helps me to recharge and I like to know I am doing something good for my body. Whatever you need to do can wait while you take a small break and take care of yourself.
Wind Down Each Day
Just like it’s important to gear up for work, it’s important to wind down and disconnect. If you use your phone and computer for work, make a point to put them away. It’ll all be there tomorrow, so don’t take work with you into your non-work hours. Try and get into a routine so your body knows that work is over — hang out with friends/family, go somewhere out of the house, or just do things that can help you differentiate work time from non-work time. The iPhone now shows you how much screen time you use and I was not happy with how much I was on my phone. I set timer blocks to keep me from using certain apps too much and it’s really helped me to disconnect from my tech.
Hopefully these tips were helpful for you! Let me know if you have any tips for working from home that you find helpful.
