5 Tips to Maximize Work From Home Productivity

We are in unprecedented times. To be witnessing how the COVID-19 virus pandemic has escalated and the impact that it has had on the global economy and the health of people in real time, has been nothing short of surreal to watch. With the current situation we are facing and in order to combat the spread of the virus, many businesses have been forced to adopt a remote work strategy for the majority, if not their entire team, when able to. If you are like me, then you find yourself currently working from a home office indefinitely. If you’re anything like me, you also find that your best days are the days in which you are most productive. I take the use of my time very seriously and want to make the most of it and days in which I flounder and don’t accomplish what I feel I need to or end a day saying something to the extent of “I was really busy, but I’m not sure exactly what I accomplished” (ever been there?) are days that I want to avoid. Now I won’t bore you with my whole morning routine that I employ to ensure that I get my days off to a proper start (I’ll save that for a future post) but at the end of the day, I want to be able to say that I moved the needle, that I accomplished some important objectives, and that above all, I used my time productively. 

All that to say that what I have found is that working from home can prove much more challenging to meet that productive day objective. Some background for you; I also have three kids (twin daughters who are 8 and a son who is 7) who are homeschooled (not just because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but by choice) whose main “classroom” is right outside my office doors, which makes my goal of being productive while working from home even that much more challenging. But whether you have children in the home or not, there are some tips and hacks that I have found in working from home regularly for about a year now (my work-at-home journey started before the current situation we are in) that I believe can help aid you in your quest for productivity when working at home. Here we go. 

1. Have a morning routine before you start your official work day:  As I said earlier, I am not going to go into detail about what my personal routine is, but you need to have something in place. Start by having a set time that you wake up in the morning. Don’t allow it to be random. Allow your days to begin at a certain time, whatever that needs to be. It just helps put your mind in a space that says, “it’s time to get up and start this day.” From there, it all depends on exactly how much time you have before work and what gets you going, but have it planned beforehand. Don’t get up without a plan. It may be as simple as waking up, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, and just getting ready for the day, or it may involve exercise or some reading with your breakfast, but whatever it is, have something in place. Don’t just wake up at a random time, throw some comfortable clothes on and head to your workspace. Set the time that you wake up at, know what you plan to do with your morning, execute on that plan, and then start your work day. A proper pregame warm-up allows for a better performance during actual gametime. 
2. Actually get dressed for work!: I heard this hack about two years ago and have been employing it since I began working at home. Now, I don’t know what you wear into the office regularly, but I personally have a business casual dress attire. No jeans, collared shirt that is tucked in, appropriate shoes (no sneakers), etc. Now, when working from home, do I do all that? No. But, I definitely don’t throw on a Nike tee and some boardshorts either! Generally, I am going to wear a pair of jeans, a button down or polo, and a nice pair of boots or shoes. No hats. I do my hair. I dress in a way that puts me in a state of mind that says, “it is time to go to work”, and that is really the point--it is more psychological than anything else. Maybe you’re different, but if I have a pair of boardshorts and sandals on, I am not in a frame-of-mind that tells me “it’s time to have a productive work day.” I’m in a frame-of-mind that says, “it must be Friday at 5pm.” I recognize that more and more companies are using video conferencing to conduct business, so in the least, some sort of presentable shirt is necessary, but don’t do the “business on top, party on the bottom” routine. Again, if your dress code is similar to mine, do you need to wear that exact style of dress at home? No. However, put yourself together in a way that puts you in a frame-of-mind that says, “it is time to work and time to be productive.” I promise you there is a positive psychological effect that will boost your ability to be productive while working from home. 
3. Have an actual dedicated workspace (if possible): I want to premise this point obviously by saying that I recognize that not everyone will have the ability to put this practice into place in the same fashion. However, if and when possible, this is just another hack that provides a psychological advantage that aids in your productivity. For all the same reasons that we have desks and offices at our actual places of work, that when we go to and sit down (or stand up) at, puts us in a mindframe that says, “time to work!”, we need to replicate that to the best of our ability at home as well. I’m fortunate enough to have a dedicated home office. I have a desk that I am typing at right now and have worked to make it a place that aids in my productivity and bolsters my creativity. I’ve added lighting, am working on putting different art pieces up on the wall, have filled my shelves with books, and have done many other things, all in an attempt to give myself a psychological advantage that allows me to be focused, creative, and productive when I step into this space. Now, this can be as elaborate or as simple as you want to make it, but if you can create a set place where you put yourself when it is time to work, before long, your mind will automatically come to know that when you sit down in this place (just like your office at work) it is time to be productive and get some things done. Once you have your spot picked out and depending on where it is, you can begin to create an ideal workspace as I am in the process of doing or keep it as simple as is necessary, but again, have a place that acts as your “official” home office. 
4. Know what you want and need to get done for the day: Okay, time to be honest with you all…..one of my biggest struggles with working from home is being distracted--usually with my phone or jumping onto a website that is non-work related. It is just too simple to be in the middle of a task and pick my phone up and jump on Instagram to see what everyone else is doing and then look up and 20 minutes have passed and any grove or momentum that I had in carrying out the work that I was, is completely gone. Not cool. What can I say? I’m working on it. That all being said however, what I have recognized is that when I am at my best is when I have a schedule for the day. That means that I know what I need and want to get done and my entire workday is planned out and scheduled. I think that oftentimes we all get too lax when working from home and if it is 10:15 A.M. and our next meeting is not until 11:30, it becomes too easy to fall into some of the traps that I shared, when we don’t have a plan. However, if we have that time before our next meeting blocked out to finish that report before the 11:30 meeting because we know that after the meeting and lunch, we have our next report to get done before we can officially end our work day, we are more apt to focus our attention at the task-at-hand instead of letting our attention wonder and becoming distracted. Know what you want to get done and give yourself deadlines (timeframes) to get those things done and then execute on the plan. Now, I’m all for mental breaks and believe in them, however, can I just say that social media or website surfing is not a mental break that is optimal for productivity? So, instead, get up and take a walk around the house or if the weather allows it, just step outside for a little bit and get some fresh air. I live in California, so I am definitely trying to take advantage of our weather when working from home and instead of mindlessly scrolling, I am getting some fresh air, some water or coffee, and then getting right back into executing what I planned for the day. How focused you can remain during the day will have direct correlation to how productive you will be during the day and having a plan will propel you in the direction of productivity. 
5. Have an end-time to your day: I am a big fan of schedules (can you tell?). I believe the more intentional with a day you can be, the more productive you can be and the better you can use your time. I am also a huge proponent of winning not just at work, but also at life. For me personally, that means that there is a “shut down” time each day, especially when working from home. It seems to me to be a little too easy to leave my computer and email open, along with my office door, and find myself in the evening just randomly walking into my office to check my email (and respond if I did in fact receive an email). This blurs lines that are already somewhat blurred when working from home. I want to do everything that I can to have clear boundaries around what is time to be focused on work and what is time to be focused on family. That means having an end-time in place for each workday. This is a habit that I try to practice even during a normal workday when at the office. Now, obviously there will be times when I have to work longer due to a situation that can’t be put off until tomorrow or a project that has to get done, but I’m talking about the majority of my days, there will be a hard end to. For those of you who have children in the home, this is especially important when working from home. Let them know the time when you’re done working for the day. That means you put up the “off work” selection on your videoconferencing status, shut the computer down, and go pay attention to your family. I have a saying that has freed me in many instances when it comes to having these types of boundaries; “it will be there tomorrow.” That is not an excuse to procrastinate and be lazy with my work, that is a reason to be extremely focused during my workday so that I can be extremely focused during my time with my family. Just because you are working from home does not mean that you don’t need a hard end to your day. Schedule it and then abide by it.

 Well, there you have it. Five tips to maximize your productivity when working from home. Obviously there are many tips and hacks that could be added, so drop me a comment and let me know some of your best productivity enhancing work from home hacks. I can use all the help I can get! :) If you enjoyed this article, I’d be honored if you would let others know about it and connect with me here on LinkedIn (if we're not already). I’m passionate about winning at work and at life and plan on sharing my takes, insights, and experiences through my articles--not in a way that says I have the answers and am going to “teach” you--but in a way that says, “we are all trying to figure this thing called life out, so let’s do it together”. So, please, let me know what you think and I look forward to the chance to collaborate with you as we strive to win in work and in life. 

Be safe, stay healthy, wash your hands, and we’ll catch you again soon. 

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