New to Working From Home? Here Are 10 Tips to Help You Stay Productive

Most of the folks working in the online realm are working from home these days, as the world grapples with the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of us have been doing it for a while, but for those who are new to working from home, it can take some adjusting. If you’re naturally an extrovert who enjoys lots of people around, it can be an even tougher transition. So, given that most of us here at SRD Media & markethink are work-from-home veterans, we thought we’d try to help out a bit, by offering some useful tips and tricks for work-from-home newbies. 

1. Set a clear schedule - and stick to it!

We can’t stress how crucial it is to follow the same schedule every day, just as you would if you were going to the office. To make the transition as smooth as possible, try to keep the same schedule as you did before. Wake up at the same time and start work at the same hour. 

Your body and mind will adjust much easier if you don’t disrupt your daily rhythm, so keep setting that alarm even if you are tempted to sleep in. Go to sleep and wake up at the same hour every day, otherwise your productivity will suffer, not to mention your physical and mental health. 

2. Set up a home office and keep it tidy

You know how important it is to have your own workspace or desk at work. The same goes for your home office. If you want to be productive and focused, you need a space dedicated to this activity, whether it’s a separate room, a desk, or just a little corner somewhere around the house.

Set your work-from-home office to increase productivity, and make sure you have everything you need on hand, like notebooks, monitors, chargers, headphones, and so on. Don’t use this space for any other purpose, if you can; that way you’ll keep work separate from your other household activities. Make sure to keep your office tidy and clean, because clutter can really disrupt your focus and stress you out. 

3. Don’t overdo it - say no to overtime

Besides respecting the same work schedule as you had before, as much as possible, you also need to remember that the workday has the same length. A lot of people who are new to working from home tend to work longer hours and try to cram in as much work as possible in a day, just to prove to their employers that they’re working and not watching Netflix all day. 

Do not fall into this trap; your workday is still 8 hours, no matter where you’re working from. If you ignore this advice, you’ll soon become overwhelmed and your work-life balance will be thrown - remember that burnout can still happen, even if you are at home. 

4. Don’t forget to take breaks

Like we’ve said before, it’s crucial to try to maintain a similar schedule to what you had in the office. This includes breaks - just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you don’t need breaks. Get up from your desk every hour and walk around, go outside for some fresh air, make some coffee, call a friend, just take breaks away from the desk to rest your eyes and mind. 

Don’t skip lunch, and make sure you dedicate at least half an hour to an hour to enjoy your food. Also, you might be tempted to eat at your desk, because hey, who’s going to know? Don’t give in to this temptation and eat a proper lunch away from your computer. Your eyes will thank us later. 

5. Put available technologies to good use

The situation in the world right now is troubling, yes, but it’s important to try to look at the (slightly) brighter side, too. We’re lucky enough to have a myriad of different tools and technologies at our disposal, tools that allow us to get our work done wherever we are. Make the best of the technologies available out there, because they are incredibly useful. 

The list is basically endless, but our favorites are:

For communication

• Slack
• Skype
• Google Hangouts
• Microsoft Teams

For task organization and management

• Trello
• Toggl
• Asana
• Google Suite (Drive, Docs, Spreadsheets, Calendar, and so on)

For meetings and video conferencing

• GoToMeeting
• Zoom
• UberConference

6. Keep track of your own work

The tools mentioned above are useful if your employer needs to keep track of your work, or if you manage a team and need to keep up-to-date with what everyone is working on. However, although teamwork is still important when you all work from home, keeping your own tasks organized is just as important. 

We like to use Trello both for keeping track of everyone’s activities, but also for personal purposes. You can set up a private Trello board where you only add your own tasks, keep track of your to-do list for each day, week or month. We like to set up separate lists containing to-do items, items that are in progress, and items that are done. 

Trello is just one option; you can also use your basic Notes or Notepad apps, fill in virtual notebooks and folders with apps like Goodnotes or Notability, or just write down stuff on a regular notebook. Whatever floats your productivity boat. 

7. Avoid distractions and temptations

We’ve mentioned that it’s important to keep your workspace tidy and clean for better focus and productivity. But that’s not all that you need to keep track of, because for some, working from home is much more distracting than the office. Keep the TV turned off, ignore that pile of books or magazines you’ve been planning to read, stop making trips to the fridge every 5 minutes for snacks, and for God’s sake, don’t get lost browsing social media. If you’re unable to do this, set up app limits on your devices, or restrict access to certain apps during work hours, so you won’t be tempted. 

You can still do all these things, but do them mindfully. Take short breaks every hour or so, and use this time to do whatever makes you disconnect. We’re big fans of coffee breaks, playing-with-pets breaks, reading a news article or just taking a short walk around the block to get some fresh air. 

8. Set up boundaries with other household members

If you live alone, working from home can be either very liberating or very isolating, depending on each person’s character and preference. If, however, you live in a household with a big family, it can be difficult to stay focused on your work, especially if there are children in the house. This is the hard part: setting up boundaries and getting everyone else in the house to respect your work schedule. 

If you have a spouse, talk them through your work hours and try to work out a system where you won’t be interrupted. It might be challenging, as chances are you’ll both be working from home these days, and your schedules might overlap. You can adjust your work hours a bit so you can take breaks in turn, and take these breaks regularly to check on other family members and spend time with them. 

9. Distance yourself physically, not digitally

The guidelines for avoiding the spread of COVID-19 call for ‘social distancing’ and self-isolation, which is why so many employers are encouraging their staff to work from home. However, this isolation can have a negative impact on your mental health, as well as on your physical health, if you let it. 

You might live in a different city or even a different country than the rest of your family, and you might not be able to hang out with your close friends for a while. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still communicate or keep track of each other. Here’s where technology comes to our rescue again; there are plenty of ways to keep in touch with loved ones even if you’re stuck at home. Send them a text or give them a call, use FaceTime, Skype, Facebook Messenger, or whatever other tools you want to keep communicating with your friends and family. 

10. Keep work and off-work separated

Last but not least, even if it seems like chasing a myth, do try to reach that elusive work-life balance everyone is always talking about. It can be hard, especially when you’re not encouraged to wander far from home, to keep life and work separated, and you might even be tempted to fill your downtime with more work. Don’t give into this temptation, because soon enough you will end up associating your home with your job, and that can lead to all kinds of trouble. 

Like we’ve already said, take regular breaks, get outside for fresh air, try at-home workouts, try catching up with that pile of books you’ve been meaning to read or take on home improvement projects in your time off. Don’t fill this time with more work; end your day after 8 hours and don’t check emails or communication channels in your free time. 

These are just a few tips that we’ve tried and tested, that we think can help you adjust to working from home. If you’re new to this and are feeling stressed out about it, going through this list of tips can help smooth out the transition. Of course, the list is not exhaustive, and each person is different, so if you have any other ideas or tips, reach out to us and we’ll extend the list.

Credit goes to Ioana Neamt for writing this article. I'm just here to share and help out our new digital nomads.

Stay safe, healthy and productive!