How To Be More Productive When You Work From Home

It can be very difficult to work effectively and be productive when you work from home. Especially when you work for yourself. This is because you are your own boss and you have to answer to no one. So at the end of the day, you realize that you spent all day doing everything else except your work.

As someone who works from home, these are the 3 things I do that have changed my career life.

how to be more productive when you work from home
photo by @own_design_online

3 Habits to be more productive when you work from home

1. Get a work area/ an office

At first, I used to lay in bed with my laptop and work. Now sincerely speaking, how much work can you actually do when you are in bed?

You take too much time to complete one thing because you are so relaxed. And you don’t realize you need to sit up and work because you are in bed. You even end up napping when you should be working.

So get a work area. It can be a desk or a table and chair in one corner where you can sit up and concentrate on your work. If you have a spare room at home, you can convert that to a home office. That will give you a lot of privacy.

Setting up an office or a work area is the first step in being more productive. Once you are at your desk, you know it’s work time and you have to concentrate.

How to choose the right desk for your home office

When choosing a desk for your home workspace, there are a lot of things you need to take into consideration. You can’t just select a desk because it is beautiful, your desk has to be comfortable and practical.

Here are some factors to consider when buying a home office desk.

The size of the desk- You don’t want to purchase a desk that is too big for your work area. Take into consideration the space you have and get a desk that will fit perfectly.

Storage– Also take into consideration the drawer storage. If you are going to use a lot of office supplies that will need drawer storage, then get a desk with enough drawer storage.

There are certain desks on the market with little or no storage that look very sleek. But such a desk might not be practical for someone who needs storage space.

home office desk
@beliani_fr

Desk surface area

You also have to keep in mind everything you will want to keep on the desk when working. This includes your laptop, desktop or keyboard, pencil holders, files, printer, and every other thing. That way you don’t go for a desk that is too small to hold all your working materials.

The decor

Take into consideration the aesthetics of the room when choosing the desk, that way the desk will fit perfectly with the decor.

Comfort

You are going to sit at this desk for long hours daily, so make sure that it is comfortable enough for you. The desk should be the right height for you and you should also choose a comfortable office chair.

2. Look the part/ dress up

Because I work from home, I used to work in anything. You will see me sitting at my desk in my nightie early in the morning. Or anything comfortable I wear at home.

But when you do that, it is easy to get distracted with home chores. You find yourself cleaning the bathroom, doing the laundry or folding clothes when you should be working. If you weren’t working from home, would you leave work in the middle of the day to come and do these things?

Dressing up for work has done a lot of changes in my career life. The first time I did that, my husband asked where I’m going to? Yeah, it might sound odd to dress up just to stay at home. But once you are dressed for work, you don’t find yourself scrubbing the bathroom floor when you should be working. Or cooking in the kitchen when you should be working.

Also, I used to nap a lot but now when I’m all dressed up and have my makeup on, I don’t find myself in bed just because I’m home. I don’t like to sleep in makeup. It makes my sheets dirty. So I just sit at my desk and work till I’m done for the day, then I change into a more comfortable outfit for the house and do my house chores.

3. Have a schedule

When you work from home and you don’t have a schedule, you will find yourself working at odd hours. The time you should be getting dinner ready, you’ll be at your desk working. You’ll be working at night when you should be sleeping. And that isn’t helpful.

So have a schedule. So maybe 10 am to 4 pm, is your working hours. After that, you close for the day. Until the next day. Doing this has helped me a lot.

Now when I wake up in the morning, I get the kids ready for school and when they leave, I also get ready for work. I take my bath, dress up, do my makeup and then work starts at 9 am. I work from 9 am to 4 pm and I take a break from 12 pm to 1 pm to have lunch and rest a little. Then I’m back to work till 4 pm.

Once it is 4 pm, I’m done for the day. I turn off my computer, change into something more comfortable, and then I’m home. No going to sit at the desk for anything. Working hours are over. Doing this helps you stay organized. So you have time for your house chores and time to work.

Implementing these 3 things has changed my career life. So if you work from home and you want to be more productive, try doing these.

SEE ALSO:
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN WORKSPACE AS A MOMPRENEUR
10 INSPIRING UNDERSTAIRS OFFICES AT HOME
5 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A WALL COLOUR FOR YOUR OFFICE
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