Working remotely is a lifestyle more and more people are choosing as there more freelancers than ever before. Additionally, many companies are encouraging their employees to work from home because of Coronavirus. Whether you are a new remote worker or have been for many years, most people struggle with some aspects of it. Staying focused can be tricky when there are so many possibilities for distractions! As freelancers working remotely for 6 years, we compiled a list of 9 tips for being more productive and creating boundaries when working from home.
- Have a Morning Routine
- Get Dressed
- Plan your Day
- Set Clear Priorities
- Leave your Phone
- Eat Nourishing Food
- Listen to Music
- Separate Work and Personal Time
- Avoid Distractions
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Have a Morning Routine
The simple fact of not grabbing your phone first thing in the morning will change everything! Having a morning routine is the best way to make changes in your daily life and will undoubtedly make you more productive. You will have a calm mindset for the whole day and will feel more focused!
Get Dressed
One of the advantages of working from home is that you do not need to ‘get ready’, or wear specific clothes. However, if you feel that your energy is low, try getting ready as if you were going to actually leave your house! Choose an outfit that you like and you will instantly feel more energized and ready to work.
Plan Your Day
Being organized and following a type of schedule is the key to not waste time. Whether you prefer agendas, to-do lists, whiteboards, or journals, all these tools will help you tremendously.
I personally use the Self-Journal for about a year now. It has a goal-setting system with measurable objectives as well as monthly/weekly/daily planners, and habits trackers. I absolutely love this journal and I think it helped me accomplish a lot. I also think having a whiteboard to write daily to-do list and new ideas is very practical.
Set Clear Priorities
Every single day you are giving a limited amount of energy. If the first thing you do when waking up is answering emails and organizing your desk, you’ve already spent a lot of energy on these simple tasks.
The best thing to do (after your morning routine) is to start by your most important and difficult task of the day. Once it’s out of the way you will feel accomplished and motivated to continue working on other tasks, making it a successful day.
TIP: Do not start doing chores (such as cleaning the house) in the middle of your workday. This is a bad distribution of your energy as it will interrupt your focus.
Leave your Phone
It’s too easy to quickly unlock your phone and scroll down Instagram for ‘5 minutes’. A good way to avoid that is to simply put your phone out of reach from your desk. You are less likely to get up if it’s not absolutely necessary.
- Stay Focusd can help by blocking the use of specific applications (social media) between some times of the day. It may sound extreme but it’s actually perfect for people who struggle with concentration.
- For your computer, the Plugin AdBlock (on Chrome) will block the publicities. It works on various websites and on Youtube which will make sure you don’t get distracted.
- The app Pomodoro will give a timer of 10-15 or 30 minutes. It is a known method that can help people who have difficulty concentrating.
Eat Nourishing Food
Eating food that nourishes your body is essential to have good energy to work. Do not get tempted by low vibrations snacks and take the time to cook a nice meal instead. Sit at the kitchen table rather than in front of your laptop and enjoy this well deserved pause. Make sure to add some fun to your daily routine. It can be as simple as drinking your morning coffee on the porch or taking a walk after lunch. These little things will remind you daily why working from home is amazing.
Listen to Music
Listening to music while working helps improve your mood! If I’m writing a blog or answering emails I will put anything instrumental to be concentrated on my task and not waste time. On the other hand, if I’m doing a creative task like editing pictures, I will put on some music that I love which will give me energy.
Separate Work and Personal Time
It is crucial to make a separation between your work hours, and your own personal time. When you start working from home, you may feel like you’re always working. A good idea is to have a designated workspace in a separate office rather than in a common area of the house. You also need to know when to stop working, leave these thoughts behind and stick to the hours you predetermined.
Avoid Distractions
It can be so easy to get distracted! People seem to think that working from home means you can take a break whenever you want. While that might be true, it won’t help you have productive days.
If you are in the middle of a task, you can ask the person to wait before showing you the new funniest cat video. Setting boundaries will make you more efficient, hence giving you more time at the end of the day to spend with your loved ones.
While working from home is not for everybody, most people love the flexibility and the fact they can make their own schedule. The challenges will be different for everybody depending on your habits and personalities. It might take some time but once you find the balance, you will be able to appreciate the remote working life fully.
READ: Best Coworking Space in Bali for Digital Nomads!
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