How To Stay Productive When You Work From Home | 10 Easy Steps To Be More Productive
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If you’re wondering how to stay productive when you work from home, you’ve definitely come to the right place. As someone who has been working from home since 2013, I’ve learned a lot about what keeps me motivated and productive during my workdays.
Today, we’re sharing 10 ideas on how to stay productive when you work from home.
1. Plan Your Day the Night Before
Productivity starts with planning. By planning for the next day the night before, it will help with limiting overwhelm first thing in the morning because you have a game plan already in place. I love making lists, so planning my day the night before is one way to stay productive as a work-from-home wife that I heavily rely on.
Whether you’re a pen-to-paper person like me, or enjoy making your to-do lists on your phone, implementing this strategy will be a useful tool for just about anyone. Each night, I brain dump all the things, and then I arrange each task in order of importance. Making a to-do list the night before also helps me in turning off my brain, helping me to sleep better knowing that I am waking up to a structured plan of attack for the coming day.
2. Move Your Body for 30 Minutes
Part of developing productivity as a work-from-home wife or mom is making our physical health a priority. Starting your day with at least 30 minutes of exercise is also vitally important for hormone balance, energy levels, lowering cortisol (which is a stress hormone), helps with insulin resistance and also maintaining healthy blood pressure. If you’re wondering how to stay productive when you work from home, try making exercise part of your routine 3-5 days a week.
We recently bought a small indoor treadmill to use on days when the weather isn’t working in our favor. We live in north Idaho, so our winters are very long and exercise can become difficult if you’re the type that like enjoys getting outside and walking or running. So far, we are both loving the treadmill. Jon, who is 6’2″ and around 200 pounds can even enjoy jogging. It’s small but mighty!
3. Grab a Warm Drink
I don’t know what it is about having a warm drink in-hand first thing in the morning, but it literally feels like it warms my soul. Healthy habits aren’t always complicated. For me, it’s coffee. Always coffee. But even if you’re not a coffee drinker, grab yourself a warm herbal tea or even just a warm mug of water (yes, I do actually know people who drink just warm water). Whatever your drink of choice, having a warm drink in-hand as you start the day warms your soul and awakens your senses. And for me, that’s an excellent way to boost my productivity game when working from home.
4. Say “No” to Social Media (especially in the AM)
I talked about this topic in my post about healthy habits as a Christian wife. But it’s such an important topic, that I needed to add it here as well. To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever stop preaching about the downfalls of social media and the negative effects it can have on our overall health.
The dangers of spending too much time on social media platforms aren’t much of a secret these days. Developing the discipline to say, “no” to it is a crucial to staying productive when you work from home. More specifically, social media is certainly not something we should be starting our days with. Choosing to fill our mind with Jesus, his Word, and prayer will have a far great impact on your mental health than beginning your day with idolatry, comparison, vanity, and consumerism.
5. Fuel Your Body
When you work from home, whether or not we stay productive has a lot to do with what we are putting in our bodies. As Christian wives, we cannot serve our husbands and families well if we first do not fuel ourselves. Focus on eating fresh, whole foods. Establish a meal prepping routine if that helps you stay on track. I personally love making large dinners for my husband and me so that we can use the leftovers as our lunches throughout the week.
6. Get Outside Once A Day
Is the work-from-home life starting to bring you down? Often, we just need a change of scenery to boost our productivity. Studies have shown that getting outside (even if the sun isn’t out) can boost your Vitamin D, lessen anxiety, improve sleep and focus, boost your immunity and creativity, and so much more.
No need for fancy gym equipment. Just go on a 10-15 minute walk on your lunch break to help boost your productivity, energy and creativity during that mid-day slump. Even in the wintertime, getting outside and exposing your lungs to the cold air for 5-10 minutes has amazing benefits for your brain.
Research also shows that walking outside barefoot, otherwise known as “grounding,” can also greatly improve anxiety and depression symptoms, sleep disorders, chronic pain and fatigue, and cardiovascular disease. Although this topic has limited research, I suggest just trying it for yourself and see how it makes you feel after consistent practice.
7. Have a Designated Workspace
I often get asked how to stay productive at home. One of my first answers is creating a designated workspace. My husband and I used to live the full-time RV life and traveled the country in our home on wheels. During those 7 years, I noticed myself feeling uninspired while working. At the time, I didn’t quite understand where that feeling was stemming from. What I dissatisfied with my work? What I tired and not getting good sleep? It wasn’t until we moved into an actual house again when I realized that my lack of productivity had a lot to do with the fact that I didn’t have a designated workspace.
Having a small room for an office helps my brain to “turn off” and “turn on.” When I’m in the office, it’s go time. I’m way more productive and my to-do list gets tackled faster. When I’m outside the office, it helps me to shift my focus to the household chores as I settle into my role as a homemaker.
8. Use Timers for Accomplishing Tasks
Let’s face it, our days as homemakers and work-from-home moms can be overwhelming at times. Caring for a home well means staying productive. To stay on task, I find it really helpful to set timers for myself. Timers help to boost motivation when you know you only have a certain amount of time to get something accomplished. This simple change as a work-from-home wife will instantly boost your productivity. You’ll be tackling your to-do lists and getting more done in a day…guaranteed.
9. Close the Kitchen
This is 100% therapy for me. I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult to stay productive as a work-from-home wife when I have a cluttered house. The kitchen is one area of the home that is constantly being used as both my husband and myself work from home. We eat three meals a day in our kitchen. Because of this, I make a point to “close the kitchen” every night before bed.
How does closing the kitchen help me stay productive? By having the countertops completely cleared off and cleaned, the sink empty, and the dishwasher running, it ensures that my morning routine will go way more smoothly. Waking up to a tidy kitchen is a really great way to start the day. After all, the kitchen is where most people start their day. I’m way more productive when I can make my morning coffee with the peace of mind that absolutely nothing else needs cleaned up or put away beforehand.
The kitchen is just my particular space that I need to “close” every single night. What area or room in the house do you need to “close” in order for your workdays to be more productive?
10. No Phone Before Bed
Although technology has a number of benefits, it can also have a negative effect on our level of productivity. Spending too much time on your phone, or in front of a TV, before bed can really impact our quality of sleep. Getting lost in the scroll before bed is actually stimulating our brains, which is the complete opposite goal we’re trying to achieve as we prepare for our nightly slumber.
Instead of spending time on your phone tonight, try reading a book or listening to a podcast, instead.
