3 Tips for Maximizing Time While You WFH

By: Jada Linton, RDN, LD 

The pandemic has truly uprooted many different daily routines. We are officially seven months into the WFH (work from home) routine at National Peanut Board. It has been a needed but starkly different change from what I am used to when I think of a regular day at work! During this time, I’ve accomplished a lot, but I am still feeling the heaviness of being home during a pandemic, for such an extended period of time. Today I decided to pull together a list that’s worked for me and may also help you maximize your time while you continue to WFH!

1.     Create a daily “task” list - Now that I have been working from home for a little over 7 months, creating and sticking to a routine as much as possible has helped me tremendously. At first I didn’t see the importance in it because I thought the WFH experience would only last for a month or so. Creating a routine and sticking to completing a task list for each day has helped me stay focused on what is most important for that day. Usually, I create an extensive list of everything I need to accomplish for the week. Then, I narrow it down to the most important tasks for the day and break out the daily list for my workday. This helps me prioritize what is absolutely time sensitive and what can wait.

2.     Build in brain breaks- It’s so easy to get into a slump of working through the entire day without coming up for air. Make sure you build in time for breaks throughout the day. I like to take breaks to have a quick snack- my go to right now is a pink lady apple (sliced) with a granola bar and peanut butter. The snack break helps me stay focused because I’m not worried about being hungry and the peanut butter keeps me satisfied for a longer period of time because of the delicious protein! I also love to take my puppy Jax for walks during the day to get out and take in some fresh air! 

3.     Stick to the agenda- Communication is so important even on a regular business day. Now that many of us WFH, we have to get creative on how we find ways to connect for planning different conferences and projects. At NPB, we are able to stay in touch by scheduling zoom calls with team members. Creating an agenda to maximize time is so helpful.  We are able to create a list of topics and stay the course during calls. I’ve heard most people mention they have “zoom” fatigue. Another great way to maximize time is to schedule a meeting when necessary, stick to the agenda, and pay attention to time constraints.

With all the virtual conferences, meetings, and projects, maximizing WFH time is very important. Try these three things to save time and you’ll see your life transform. You may even have a little extra time to bake a new recipe, like this one here. Create a task list, build in mental breaks, and stick to the agenda and you’ll see the difference in your daily WFH routine. In the meantime, remember to take care of yourself. Adapting to the pandemic life is very hard and finding ways to cope can make it just a bit easier. Checkout out how to stay mindful despite the chaos here. Have a great week!