Are you looking for some practical tips so you can be more productive working from home?
Many people from around the world are required to work from home now for the next few weeks or possibly months due to the COVID-19 virus.
Hopefully, you are one of the lucky ones who did not lose their jobs and have the ability to work remotely.
*This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy for further details.
I have had a lot of questions lately regarding tips to work from home successfully since I’ve done it for so long (since 2002 to be exact).
Several people I know who are working from home right now are having a hard time being productive. They are faced with a whole new set of challenges that they never experienced before.
It is especially difficult for those who have children, a spouse/significant other, or additional family members stuck at home with them as well.
Some of you may be hating it, but personally I love working from home. It’s an introvert’s dream! I wouldn’t have it any other way! So, I want to share with you 9 of my best tips to work from home successfully.
Pin it to save for later!
How To Be More Productive Working From Home
1. Set Your Alarm
This is very important! You don’t want to be tempted to sleep in or hit the snooze button for that matter.
I feel when you get up early you are able to get more done in your day.
I know most of us can’t jump out of bed immediately when the alarm sounds, so I wait for about 5-10 minutes before I actually get up.
In that time span, I like to go on YouTube and listen to a quick morning meditation on my Bluetooth eye mask.
2. Don’t Check Emails From Your Bed
Stop delaying the inevitable and get your ass out of bed! Checking your emails from your bed is only going to keep you in lazy mode.
You don’t want to associate work with the one room in the house that is made for resting.
3. Shower And Get Dressed
And you thought working from home meant working in your comfy pants, guess again! It’s ok to be comfortable, but not too comfortable.
A shower will wake you up if you’re moving slow and putting on clean comfortable clothes will help you feel refreshed.
4. Preset Your Coffee Maker
I am not a coffee drinker (I like my tea – caffeine and I don’t get along) but I’ve heard some people can’t function without that first cup of coffee in the morning.
By presetting your coffee maker will have that fresh cup of joe all ready to go when you finish showering. Now you are ready to start your workday!
5. Have A Schedule
This is very important! You were on a schedule went you left your house to go to work so none of that should change.
Working from home doesn’t mean doing what you want whenever you want. You still need to work and accomplish things.
This means creating a schedule of what you need to get done that day and when it should be done by. It also means, having a start and end time along with much-needed breaks to eat and exercise.
6. Have A Dedicated Workspace
Hopefully, you have a dedicated workspace in your home. If you have a separate room with your office, even better. This will allow you to shut the door when needed. This is so important especially if others are with you at home when you are trying to work.
I’m lucky enough to have a home office with a desktop computer that I work from for the majority of the time.
Sometimes I need a change of scenery so I grab my MacBook and work somewhere else for a while. Whether it be at my dining room table or if it’s a nice day I will go outside.
I find this necessary or I start to feel trapped in my office and I lose focus.
7. Get Up And Move
When working from home, it is so easy to sit in one place for too long. Sometimes I get in the zone and forget what time it is and before I know it it’s lunchtime. This is not good or healthy!
Pay attention to the clock (set alarms if you have to) and take a break. Go for a walk or exercise inside. This will help clear your mind and also relieve stress and anxiety.
8. Set Boundaries
Sometimes it is hard for other people to understand what working from home means. They often think that working from home means you don’t work LOL!
You will find that your family and friends won’t respect the fact that you are working during the day. They will think that you can talk and text at any time and even question why you can’t.
Tell them firmly the rules and it may get to a point where you just have to ignore those phone calls and texts. Call them back at night when you are done working. Hopefully, they will eventually get the point.
9. Cut Out Distractions
Working from home means you are on your own. You don’t have bosses or co-workers looking over your shoulder and watching your every move.
It is so easy to get distracted when you are alone. Do not turn on the T.V. or be tempted to look at social media. It does take some discipline but it is possible.
Keeping your phone away from you is important when you are trying to work because the temptation to look at social media is right there at your fingertips.
I personally hate social media and really only use it for business purposes. Social media is like a dumpster fire that just keeps on burning. It can make you anxious, aggravated, and angry. Not only that, but it is a time-waster and does not serve any purpose.
Your time is very valuable. You should be spending it on doing things that matter and that have a purpose.
I leave my phone in the other room and just wear my apple watch to see who is calling or texting. That way I just look at my wrist really quickly to see if there is an emergency. 99.999% of the time it is not.
Final Thoughts
Well, I hope these 9 tips help you become more productive working from home. Let me know in the comments below if you have any more tips or tricks.
Tell me how your work from home experience has been going. And if it is something you could see yourself doing long-term. Thanks for reading!
✨If you are new to my blog, my main focus here is to help you make and save more money. One of the best ways I have found to make extra money online is by starting a blog. You can sign up for my free course at the top of this page.
I love helping other people with tips and tricks on how to build a blog. Be sure to check out my Resources page for a complete list of my favorite products and services!✨