How to be Productive AF when working from home

The days of sitting in cubicles from 9-5 are getting close to being over. Instead, employers are now offering their employees more flexible options to entice them to join their company. From digital marketing to consulting, working remote is becoming the new industry norm. With it comes pros and cons. I work from home Fridays most weeks and sometimes the whole week depending on my project. I can truly say that it’s a love / hate relationship. It’s definitely a privilege but at times, it leads to lower productivity. I never want to leave my bed and if it’s a busy morning, I won’t be able to eat breakfast until lunch time. But on the bright side, I get to stay in my pajamas all day. Pros and cons, people! Here are my surefire methods on how to keep your productivity high when working from home.

GET OUT OF BED AND PROP YOURSELF UP ON A CHAIR

I learned this lesson in college – don’t associate your bed with work. You won’t be able to do the work and you also won’t be able to sleep properly at night. That’s a lose-lose situation. Your bed is meant for reading and watching movies and of course, sleeping. If you associate work with it, that translates to anxiety which leads to a fretful sleep. If you want to be productive, move to a desk. Basically, move anywhere where you have to sit up straight. When I was in college, I would move to the library or even to a coffee shop and my work would get done 10x faster and the quality would be way better (especially when it came to writing essays). 

BREAKFAST IS STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY

Don’t skip out on meals! I am 100% guilty of this on my WFH days. A solution I’ve found is leftovers and pre-made meals. For breakfast, if I don’t have time to eat something hearty, I’ll eat a granola bar, yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I’ll warm up leftovers or take a walk and grab a salad. It’s difficult to eat on time so I literally started putting a block on my calendar that says “BREAKFAST / LUNCH TIME.” Otherwise, I’ll forget about it. It’s very easy to get caught up in work and forget normal tasks like brushing your teeth, taking your medicine, etc. If you need to, set aside time on your calendar and list out what you have to do. It really helps, trust me.

GET DRESSED FOR THE DAY

Ok, staying in your pajamas all day is amazing. I’m all for it. BUT, pajamas lead to being overly cozy which leads to feeling tired and wanting to take a nap. That’s a big no no when it comes to work. So, the solution is to get dressed. Whether you take a shower in the morning or during lunch, make sure to dress up after in everyday clothes. I’m not saying put on a professional suit (unless you’re into that) but wear jeans and a nice top while you do work. My professors used to tell us to dress up before a test to perform better. It surprisingly works and it helps when working from home too. Dressing nice = higher productivity. In the words of Barney Stinson, suit up!

TAKE A WALK DURING LUNCH TIME AND BREAK UP THE DAY

This is a big one – take a walk outside. When you work from home, you’re trapped indoors in front of your computer. It’s important to break up the day. Whether it’s your lunch break or a coffee break in the late afternoon, take a walk outside. Or, go work in a coffee shop and get a change of environment. It’s easy to go stir crazy sitting at home (been there). It changes your mood significantly and allows you to keep up the productivity. A coffee or a smoothie also helps!

Pin Me!

---

Finding your flow zone while working at home is harder than when you’re in the office. You have to create that productivity and the factors that contribute to it are your environment and your priorities. I hope you found these tips helpful. If you have any more tips, feel free to leave them in the comments below!