Dress – Forever 21 (old, similar here) // Cardigan – Primark // Espadrilles – Silk Fred // Earrings – New Look
Finding the trick to being productive whilst working from home truly is the key to working successfully as someone who is self employed or working as a freelancer. I’m not going to lie to you, I am such a ‘do-er’ person; I find it so hard to sit still and do nothing, and this personality trait has been very beneficial to me when working for myself. However, whether you’re naturally someone who feels compelled to be working, like me, or you struggle to get motivated, I’m hoping that my top tips will help you out.
My top tips…
WAKE UP EARLY
Waking up early, especially in the summer, is my favourite way to start the day. There’s something so lovely and exciting about the sun streaming in through my bedroom window, and the promise of a fabulous new day ahead. I’m lucky, as my mom and sister both have to be up at a certain time, in order to go to work and school, so I usually get up with them. This means that there is always someone there to nag at me if I am tempted to stay in bed, which I must say has been very, very helpful on days where my bed seems so inviting. On an average day I will be up and showered by 7:30am, and by waking up early it allows me to get ready and have breakfast slowly and calmly so I’m ready for the day ahead.
FIND YOUR PEAK TIME
This may end up contradicting my previous tip, but finding your peak time, which is the time you’re most productive, is key. For me, this is the morning. My mom is at work until 12 so I have the house to myself to get on with work. I find that once I’ve sat down and had lunch I’m a lot less productive, in comparison to the morning, so I try to do the majority of my work between the hours of 9 and 12. However, if you find that you’re more productive in the afternoon and evening then there may be no benefits for you from waking up early, and in that case I’d actually recommend catching up on some sleep so that you’re more productive later on in the day.
SET YOURSELF A TIMETABLE
This may be because I have only really been out of school for a short while, but a timetabled day makes me so much more efficient. I begin my working day at 9am, when my mom leaves the house, and I break for lunch around 12:15pm for around an hour. I also often take a break between 10:45am and 11am, as I find that sitting down and forcing myself to be productive can actually result in the opposite. Without a break I find my mind wandering, and I’m much more likely to procrastinate, whereas a short break where I grab a snack and have a scroll through social media gets me right back on track.
DITCH YOUR PHONE
Leaving my phone upstairs, completely out of reach, has been the biggest help to me being more productive. Without my phone sat next to me I’m not tempted to pick it up and start mindlessly scrolling, so I get on with work instead. You weren’t allowed phones in class at school, so why keep it with you in your office/study area? Instead of having my phone playing my playlists I use my laptop to play music and have YouTube videos on for a little background noise, which I have found to be so much more helpful.
CHOOSE A PLACE TO WORK AND STICK TO IT
This is another tip that revolutionised my work ethic. Prior to permanently working from home I would often do things like blogging and school work from the comfort of my bed or the sofa, but I found this led to me finding it incredibly hard to switch off. I now work at my dining table, which has two benefits; I am sat out in our conservatory, meaning that I am surrounded by natural light, and it also means that I have to clear away and stop working in time for dinner, which is usually around 6pm, so that my family can eat. This creates a definite end to my day, meaning that I will find it harder to over-work and tire myself out.
WRITE TO-DO LISTS
This is a major tip I have, not only for working from home, but for life in general. I write a to-do list in my bullet journal every single day, and it helps me get everything I want to accomplish done so much more efficiently, and helps me sort and untangle the mess of thoughts in my head. Without a to-do list I find myself spending too much time on one activity, forgetting to do something and struggling to find something to spend my time on as there’s such a colossal mass of things to do in my head that I can’t focus on one.
INCORPORATE EXERCISE INTO YOUR SCHEDULE
One downfall to spending all day everyday at home is the major lack of exercise; as a result of this I gained a bit of weight when I first started working from home for the majority of the week. A simple way of introducing exercise into your routine is to go walking, schedule a casual evening walk into your day that you can do after finishing work. Or if a morning walk would be better for you, why not head off out round the block before starting the day to get your head in the game and find some inspiration.
LEARN HOW TO SWITCH OFF
I actually struggle much more to switch off, than I do to switch on; it’s not abnormal to find me sat in bed at midnight hurriedly writing out a blog post or scribbling down plans for YouTube videos. As much as this helps my blog, it isn’t very healthy for me, and switching off is a crucial part of working for yourself. As I mentioned before, working at the dining room table, at a place that must be cleared, is very helpful as it provides a definite cut off point, but if this isn’t available for you I’d suggest setting a timer on your phone to signal the end of the day (think of it like a school bell!) and then turn off your laptop.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CHANCES TO LEAVE THE HOUSE
Being stuck inside all day, potentially alone, is one of the biggest disadvantages of working on your own. You can end up with a bit of cabin fever after a short while if you spend the days holed up inside, so if there’s a chance to spice up your routine and leave the house I’d recommend taking it. For me, the opportunities usually consist of helping my mom with the grocery shopping or picking my sister up from school; which although they don’t necessarily aid my work, they do give me a little time away from a computer screen and a chance to get out of the house. If you’re working for your own business these opportunities may include having a lunch meeting in a local cafe, or meeting a potential client or colleague in town, and I’d definitely recommend going. Obviously, disrupting your routine on a regular basis isn’t a good idea, but if it’s only once in a while it shouldn’t do any harm.
BE REALISTIC
Being realistic, and not being too hard on yourself, is another important part of working for yourself. If you know that you’re somebody who is never going to be self-motivated enough to work a 9-5 day everyday, don’t get mad at yourself for not doing it. Push yourself to work at the best of your ability, but don’t over-stress yourself to do something that you ultimately won’t work best at. Over-working yourself will only result in stress for yourself and remember, four hours of solid, passionate work is so much better than eight hours of half-hearted work.
What is your best tip for being productive? Tell me in the comments below!
Love Chloe x
