5 Productivity Tips for Working from Home

For most of us, it can be challenging to stay productive while working from home—especially when we’re thrown out of our element. It’s important to take it easy on yourself. Adjusting to a work from home mindset is not a one-size-fits-all experience! 

Here are 5 tips to help you keep productive while you work from home. 

1. Turn off your notifications (or put your phone away) 

Alright, maybe not your work or class notifications. But your personal devices can be distracting, especially when you’re trying to focus on bigger tasks at hand. Turning your phone on “Do Not Disturb” or tucking it away in another room is a surefire way to keep your head in the game. 

2. Meal prep

Meal prepping is always a good idea! Not only is this a great way to save time from making healthy lunches and snacks during the day, but it gives you more time to relax and take breaks between meetings, phone calls, etc. Carve out a half-hour on the weekends or on a week-night to throw together some salads, sandwiches, or rice bowls that only require a quick heat-up. Here’s some inspiration to kick off this new habit. 

3. Clean your workspace

Ahhhh – a clean desk. There really is nothing better. De-cluttering your physical workspace ensures that you are making more room for your mental workspace. Even if your desk isn’t covered in snack wrappers, having pens, papers, and knick-knacks hanging around can clutter your space and make you feel claustrophobic.

4. Try a time management trick – like the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique consists of working in 25-minute intervals with a 5 minute resting period. Then, after four intervals of 25 minutes, your rest period is increased to 15-20 minutes. Using this technique can significantly improve your overall productivity. Do as much as you can in 25 minutes and use the break time to refill your coffee, do the burpee challenge, call a friend or have a scroll through Instagram. If you’re interested in trying this technique, check out this pre-made timer to help keep you on track! 

5. Work your regular work hours 

Lastly, while you might be working from home, remember that you should try to maintain a “don’t bring work home with you” attitude. If you usually work 9-5, try to work those same hours in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Remember, working from home doesn’t always mean that you have more time. 

We hope these tips will help you out! If they do, give us a shout or share it on Twitter!