7 Routines That Will Improve Your Productivity while Working From Home

Productivity while working from home remains one of the biggest challenges now that companies have changed to working remotely.

For the past couple of months, numbers of people working from home has increased. Many of us have turned our dining areas, coffee tables, and living areas into workspaces since we work from home full time.   

And initially, there is the excitement of not having a daily commute to the office and working in your pajamas unless you have online meetings.

On the other hand, this new environment comes with many distractions, mainly because your home is still your comfortable space. And if you have children, it even gets more challenging as there is homeschooling to be done, cooking and cleaning after everyone.

Let’s not forget about the pandemic and the anxiety you might be feeling on top of all this.

But has the demand for you to stay productive changed? No!

You probably still have to do the same amount of work at home as you would have done in the office, if not more. It can be overwhelming. And it might seem impossible for you to focus on work, your year-end projects, or meet those deadlines you are supposed to.

Here is the good news!!

Studies show that productivity while working remotely from home is better than working in an office setting and has increased by 13% over the nine months.

If you are searching for ways to have a more productive workday at home, here are 7 effective routines that will motivate you.

7 Routines That Will Improve Your Productivity While Working From Home

Wake Up Early

Studies have shown that most successful people wake up at least 3 hours before their work begins. Most of them are up by 7 am.

I will not sit here and lie to you that I am an early riser because I am not, but I am learning to, and I MUST say it’s been a great experience.

Working from home has allowed me to set up a morning routine that fits my needs and reflect on what should be done throughout the day.

A 30 minute light exercise in the morning will give you more energy and give you more room to do other things as the day goes by.

If you prefer something more relaxing, you can read a verse from the bible, practice yoga, listen to a motivational podcast or take a short morning walk.

It has also been revealed that if you get exposed to natural light in the morning, you sleep better at night and experience less depression.

So waking up early as a routine has excellent benefits and will increase your productivity while working from home.

Make Sure There is a To-do List

” If you want a productive day, you need a to-do-list.” I’m sure you have heard this line a million times, but here I am talking about the same thing.

Why?

Because I want to highlight to you that To-do lists are useful only when you can hold yourself accountable. Otherwise, you are still procrastinating and wasting a lot of time.

A to-do list organizes your thoughts and your day, which is useful in increasing productivity.  One way to do this is to create a weekly schedule and daily tasks. 

Prioritize the essential tasks first and check them off as you complete tasks will help you feel good and push to complete other tasks ahead.

As a way of improving your productivity while working from home, stay committed to the weekly schedule and the list will help you create consistency and a routine. You will feel less stressed and anxious as you see yourself progressing and accomplishing what you set yourself up to do.

Define Your Safe Working Space

To increase your productivity while working from home, avoid moving your work area from one place of the house to another every other day. This will only create confusion and disorganization.

Instead, choose a stationary space that you find safe away from distraction.  

Dedicate a spare room, a corner in your living room, maybe a dining table. But choose a space that is safe and quiet, and let this be your work area.

If you have two computer screens, you need a bigger space than if you had one computer.

Does your work require a lot of paperwork? If so, then you need folders. 

Buy a comfortable desk chair that won’t hurt your back in the long run.  This space should be comfortable and efficient. 

And since you are home, you get to be creative as much as you want. Create a setting for yourself with things that make you happy, like plants, Scented candles for a calming atmosphere, photos of family and friends.

Also, avoid wearing pajamas all day just because you are at home. Change into nicer clothes before you start your workday. 

Regardless if you are going to the office or not, dressing up in presentable conformable clothes builds your confidence and triggers your mind to focus on work.

Schedule Your Breaks

According to this survey, North American workers who take a lunch break every day enjoy their job and are likely to continue working at the same company and recommend their employer to others.

It is harder to develop better ideas or solutions when looking at the same thing all day. It is why you need a break to get a new outlook on challenging projects.

A lunch break and a few 5-minute breaks in between your busy schedules can increase your productivity as you gain focus and energy after stepping away from your work area.

 One of the few perks you get from working at home is that you can use these break times to either meditate, engage in a self-care activity, cook a meal, or

Minimize distractions

It can be tempting to clean the house or do laundry before starting your workday, but that can end up consuming your time and diverting your thoughts to other unplanned things.

Rather than spending your morning doing chores instead of working, try keeping the same schedule you had when you were going to the office. If you had to be at work by 8 am, hold a similar plan, and stick to it.

Schedule your breakfast, lunch, and other breaks as you would have if you were at the office. Avoid watching TV shows or playing loud music.

Social media can also be distracting if you spend 30 minutes every hour, checking Facebook and Instagram.

This routine can help you stay focused and productive because it reproduces some of your previous typical working experience.

Include Self-Care  in Your Schedule

One of the biggest challenges I faced at the beginning of working from home was finding a healthy work-life balance. It felt as though there was no separation between work and Leisure time at home, and sometimes it felt like I was always working.

Some days I would spend extra hours answering emails outside the regular working hours or engaging in avoidable conversations that left me burned out and exhausted mentally.

If you are in the same boat as me, the best way to get out of this situation is to create boundaries.  Say you have a 9-5 pm job, make it a point to let your colleagues know early on in the day that you will be away from your laptop at 5 pm.

At 5 pm, Step away from your computer and think of ways to relax.  Create a 30-minute break before you get on and about doing other things around the house. 

Run a warm bath, take a walk, do some exercises, or anything that helps you take your mind off work.

Making this part of your self-care routine helps your brain reset itself so that you can be more productive the next day.

Find out more here on benefits of self-care and why its is necessary.

Go to Bed Early

If you wake up early, you will most likely to go to bed early.  And As humans, our daily schedules and productivity are dependent on how much sleep we get.

Getting enough recommended sleep of  7 -8 hours elevates your mood and helps you get more mentally focused and productive.

Get your seven hours of sleep time, and the brain enhancement that follows will leave you feeling focused, and ready to take care of business the next day.

I hope you find these routines effective as I have found them to be.  I promise ,they will make your day better and increase your productivity while working from home.

I would love to hear from you in the comments how your daily workdays at home are going.