Working from home seems like a dream for most people. Imagine waking up for a coffee and being able to start your workday straight away rather than have to get ready and then commute 50 minutes from York to Leeds like I currently have to do,
Just like most people, I look with envy at those who have the luxury of a working at home and the benefits that that may bring. Being able to create your own schedule, being able go to the gym mid-morning so you can miss the gym rush hour, not having to sit in 8 a.m. traffic or even worse 5:30 p.m. traffic. Think of all the extra time you will get in each week.
But is it really all it’s cracked up to be? You have to be one motivated and determined person to be able to be productive with your time when you have all day to do as you please. I have had days spent at home blogging where I have been able to churn out 14 pieces of content throughout the day. But on the flip side, I’ve also had times when I’ve gotten up late, had two coffee, wasted time messing around on social media, had a late breakfast and spent 45 minutes willing myself to get my gym kit on. By the time I’ve worked out drove home and showered its lunchtime. Then after making lunch and cleaning up it can be past 2 p.m. before I’ve even sat down to do any work at all. I’m sure this is a routine but I could get stuck in if I was lucky enough to work from home every day.
So how do you combat this? There are several ways you can get yourself to be more productive so you can get your work done early in the day, leaving yourself time in to do other things such as read, watch TV, spend time with friends and family. Here’s how.
A strict schedule
The most effective way I have found to keep myself on track during the day is to have a strict schedule. I do this by breaking my time down into 30 minute blocks. I will then fill in the time slots with tasks I need to do, including time for lunch. I found this works well because if I wanted to finish a task before the 30 minutes is over I allow myself that time to do as I please which usually means spending some time on Instagram or Twitter.
Coworking space
It may seem a bit silly that after working hard so you’re able to work for yourself or work from home you, may then find yourself looking into some shared working space. Sometimes being in an office environment with no distractions is the best way to be productive. Places like Signature Works in Liverpool offer desk space, offices, conference rooms and even the fitness centre. Meaning you can still be your most productive. Places like signature works are becoming more and more popular in cities. shared work space is also a great way to network as working from home can be a little bit lonely at times.
Have rocks in your diary
I really hate this phrase. It’s used at my workplace quite often! I do see how it can be beneficial. Having rocks in your diary basically means that you have set things to do at set times during the week. These things are non-negotiable and must be done. It’s a great way of giving yourself a routine. Rocks in your diary may include things like: by 8:30 a.m. every morning you spend 30 minutes reading and replying to emails. Your lunch time would be a rock in your diary or even a fitness class.
Know when to stop working.
I’m not sure about other careers where you may work from home but I know that in regards to blogging it can be really difficult to switch off and end the day. There’s always something else you can be doing and if you are in a productive frame of mind, it’s tempting to carry on working late into the night. While sometimes high workload or having plans later in the week might mean that you don’t need to spend a bit more time working – it’s important to realise that there is more to life than just work don’t forget to spend some time doing the things you enjoy if the people that you care about.
Do you work from home?
Yes! I work from home often too. It’s funny, I wrote a post about the cons of working from home (and possible solutions) recently too. I think the best thing is to treat your at-home work like you would the one at the office. As in, create a proper schedule and set boundaries – like I’m only working during these hours, then it’s relaxation time etc. It’s so much more productive, for me at least, then working whenever without a proper schedule. Co-working spaces are great (but they also give you the traffic problem back). I’ve discovered some nice co-working groups online that have helped me stay motivated and on track with my work.
I wish I could work from home haha
Candice | Natalya Amour
These are great tips! I work from home once a week and I definitely find that it’s easy to get distracted – in the office I have no issues ignoring my computer to have a conversation with a colleague nearby, but working from home I feel I alway have to respond to emails and messages that come in right away,and before I know it my planned tasks are pushed to the end of the day – I like the idea of setting up ‘rocks’ or immovable time for different tasks.
I hope that you are having a nice start to your week so far! It’s a little colder here after a warm weekend but the rain is welcome 🙂
Away From The Blue Blog
YouTube is evil, I am SO easily distracted. The only place I seem to be productive is work.. I suck. lol
Erin || MakeErinOver
I get so distracted by everything, that I find it almost impossible sometimes! I’m trying to get my room in order, so it’s a better working space… 🙂 Tania Michele xx