Working from home can be a great thing – you have no boss looking over your shoulder and no noisy offices or coworkers to destroy your focus. In many ways, it can be easier to work from home because you don't have co-workers constantly bothering you, or a lot of the additional noise a traditional office environment creates. But it can also be harder to work from home because of the other distractions you have at home, and the more casual home atmosphere. In this article we'll discuss a few life hacks people who work from home can use to be more productive.
Keep your desk organized.
Photo by Mia Baker on Unsplash
One of the most important things people who work from home can do is keep their desk organized. Keeping your desk organized helps your productivity because you're not wasting time looking for things you need.
Create a mental dump space
Whether you use your computer or a real notebook, create a mental dump space for all the nagging thoughts that come into your head about things that need to happen in the future. Recording them somewhere will help get them out of your mind so you can focus on them later when you're not working.
List the three most important tasks you need to accomplish the night before
Writing down your three most important tasks the night before helps lock them into your mind the next day, so you have a better chance of accomplishing all three of them. If you finish them all before the end of the day, you can use whatever time you have leftover to work on other less-important tasks.
Take a regular lunch break, and decide what you're going to eat for lunch ahead of time.
Eating a regular lunch is important for your body. In addition, eating lunch in an area separate from your home office, like your kitchen, helps define the lines between business and personal time. Unless you're working on a project that's got a tight deadline, or working for a company that only allows a set amount of time for lunch, take a little time during your lunch break to let your brain unwind by watching a little TV or getting outside for a few minutes. Also, deciding what you're going to eat the night before eliminates that lunchtime “What am I going to eat?” decision.
Eat power food.
Eat nutritious foods that provide you with energy, like yogurt and nuts, an omelet, or fruit. Drinking something with a little caffeine is OK too – green tea is a good choice because it also has L-Theanine, which helps your brain relax and slows down the rate at which the caffeine is released.
Dress up a little.
You don't have to dress in a full business suit, but even dressing in semi-casual business clothing can affect your productivity and how you approach the work you do.
These are just a few hacks you can use to be more productive when you work from home. Incorporating these hacks into your routine will help increase your productivity and improve your mood, which will have a positive effect on your work.
