How to work from home productively

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?