How to Get More Done & Cut Stress While Working From Home

Working from home can be hugely flexible. In theory, you've got a ton of freedom to balance work and family life. In reality, t can throw up a lot of distractions. And before you know it, your productivity is pretty much non-existent.

When you're not productive, it can be super stressful. You feel a ton of anxiety since you're falling behind. And because your 'office' is also your home, there's a whole heap of temptation to work round the clock.

Staying productive is super important for a healthy work-life balance when you're working from home. Here's how to do it.

Have a Dedicated Workspace

Working from your couch or bed is super convenient but it's not always the smartest option.

When you're working from home, having a dedicated office space that's just for work is a huge must.

Being able to shut the door on work is a hugely underrated mental shift. It's super hard to do this when your workspace is also a leisure space.

Schedule Your Time

You're your own personal manager when you're working from home but this can quickly become a double-edged sword.

With no boss to keep you on track or tell you what to work on and when, it's all on you.

Scheduling blocks of time to work on specific projects is super smart.

Overestimating the block of time you'll need for each project gives you a whole heap of flexibility and means you're not scrambling to get things done if they take a while.

You can save a ton of time each morning by planning your schedule the night before. When you settle down to work, you can jump straight in.

Stick Close to an Office Routine

If you've been used to working in an office, you'll also be in a good routine for getting up and making it into work and how your working day is structured.

Since you don't need to commute and you have a lot of flexibility for meetings and projects, it's super easy for routine to go out the window.

Having breakfast and setting your alarm so you're ready to start work at a similar time to being in an office is key for getting a good routine up and running. Tempting as it is to work in your pajamas, getting dressed also helps ease into work mode.

Work Out When You're Most Productive

An office-esque routine won't work well for everyone and that's fine.

If you play around with different schedules, you may find you get more out of yourself if you start work earlier in the morning and finish earlier too.

Finding when you're naturally most productive and planning your schedule around it is a smart move.

You can save more complex tasks for your productive periods and schedule easier tasks for when your energy is naturally waning away.

Take Regular Breaks

It can be super tempting to power through your working day without taking breaks in the mistaken belief it'll make you more productive.

For most people, it has the opposite effect. Breaks are hugely important for recharging and refreshing your energy. The end result? It's a whole heap easier to get more done.

With no breaks, you can easily find yourself working for longer but not getting much done. Not the outcome you were anticipating!

How you spend your breaks matters too, especially if you immediately hop on social media.

Ditching social media can free up a ton of time. Scrolling social media for a quick break may seem harmless but it's a major time suck.

If you can't resist social media breaks, it's time to get ruthless. Look at tools that restrict or block your access to social media sites while you're working.

Prep Meals In Advance

On the surface, this one may not seem to go hand-in-hand with productivity but it's another secret weapon for giving it a boost.

Prepping and cooking meals and snacks can take a ton of time if you're doing them from scratch. It's a major culprit for eating into the time you have to work. And that can be seriously bad news for your productivity.

Preparing meals in advance can free up a whole heap of time. Batch cooking and freezing meals that you can just heat up later on means you're not spending half of your workday in the kitchen - and you can enjoy nutritious meals that help make you more productive.

Set Boundaries With Other People

When you work from home, it's super common for other people to see you as being freely available if they want company or need errands running.

Ask other people to respect that you're working and aren't available during your office hours.

This sets important boundaries and expectations, which can help avoid a major culprit for lack of productivity.

Improving your productivity when you're working from home is super important for reducing stress and striking a good work-life balance. Taking charge of your routine, time and energy is a huge part of this and helps make working from home a benefit, rather than a stressor. 

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About the Author:

Jennifer Darling is a revenue-generating machine and in-demand keynote speaker, she led her teams to record-breaking results in sales. During the recession, her team posted a +40% swing in the national average in advertising sales and made more money than ever before (she even helped her boss earn his bonus to buy a new Audi, yay him).

Jennifer knows what works to turn frigid calls into smokin’ hot prospects. She is loaded with ideas that break through the traditional molds and create innovative solutions to stand out.

Jennifer is one of the world’s foremost LinkedIn experts, and the ONLY one who has 20+ years of advertising and sales experience. Jennifer has trained thousands of salespeople and business professionals to optimize and maximize their LinkedIn results. She is the author of Increase Your Sales Leads with LinkedIn: 52 Tips for Sales Success.