How to Stay Productive While Working From Home

Our schedules and daily routines have changed overnight and continue to change daily with new updates coming in frequently regarding Covid-19. Caring for little humans, fur kids, and your partners, while still managing to get work done from home is no easy task, who’s with me?

Well … there’s no denying that I’ve personally had to get a little creative lately while trying to stay on top of things and working from home. So, whether you need to lock yourself in the bathroom for 5 minutes or you need to go sit in the car, I feel you. Today I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favourite tips with you to help you stay productive while working from home.

Set an Alarm

It’s so important to set your alarm and try to get up at the same time every day. If you happen to roll over and hit snooze (like me LOL!), put your phone somewhere that you will have to get up to shut the alarm off. Once you are up, don’t go back to bed! 

Get Ready

Once you’re up it’s important to get ready for your day! You don’t need to slather on a full face make-up routine, but try to shower and get yourself dressed and out of your pj’s. 

Set the Mood

Before you hunker down and start working, open up the curtains and let some light in, crack the windows open for some fresh air and turn on your favourite tunes. Setting the mood and creating a fun and inspiring environment to work in will have you flying through your to-do list!

Stay Hydrated

As much as I love multiple cups of coffee, I always find I am much more productive when I limit myself to just one cup in the morning! Along with that, it is important to stay as hydrated as you can. Since I started using my Starbucks cup to drink water out of I am so much more hydrated! 

Have a Workspace

Have you ever tried to work from your cozy bed? Ya, me too and it just doesn’t work! You’d rather have a nice nap than respond to those 137 emails in your inbox. Designate a specific space where you can work! It doesn’t have to be a room if you don’t have a spare one. It can simply be your dining room table or a small desk in a hallway. 

Clutter-Free

Make sure you tidy up your house and your workspace the night before. If I see a pile of laundry that needs to be folded or dishes that need to be washed it’s lingering in the back of my mind until I get it done. If you prepare and get everything done the night before you can start fresh in the morning with no distractions! 

Schedule in Breaks

This is SO important! While you may just want to get through your task list as fast as you can and you eat your lunch from your desk, it’s so important to take breaks. Whether that’s getting up to have a quick stretch, taking your pup out for a quick walk or having a little cuddle with your kids make sure to schedule it in like you would any other task! 

Time Block

Make sure to time block your day in either iCal, Monday.com, or any other platform that you like to use. I like to use iCal but Team Jilly has been LOVING Monday.com. When you are making your schedule make sure that you are setting realistic goals for yourself so you don’t get too overwhelmed or anxious! 

Prepare Healthy Meals

Eat those fruits and veggies like to tell your kids to do … LOL! Healthy meals can give you tons of energy and help you be productive and to stay focused. Bonus point, if you prepare healthy meals in advance you won’t have to spend an hour in the kitchen making a meal and cleaning up! 

Set an End Time

Just like you would leave the office at 5 pm, you should be setting a time to end your day. No more emails, not just one more thing, it will still be there tomorrow. Then go and grab yourself a drink, you deserve it!! 

Having said that, if you have little ones at home you are likely going to be less productive (like Justin and I) and that’s fine. It’s important to figure out what your work schedule is going to be like with your partner the day prior and treat their shift like you have childcare!

If you don’t have childcare and you are working from home solo, be kind to yourself. Even if you are only able to get an hour of work done while your kids are glued to their devices, don’t let it stress you out because you are not in this alone! This is also a great opportunity to try out a different routine. Maybe get up an hour or two before the rest of your family wakes or get in a few hours of work after they got to bed. The most important thing is to lower your expectations and be realistic as to when you can squeeze some work in! Be kind to yourself during this time!!

There you have it, my best kept secrets to staying productive while working from home. I hope you found those tips and tricks helpful. These next couple of weeks won’t be easy, you might not be as productive as you usually are, but that is ok and it’s completely normal!! 

Sending you all lots of LOVE! 

xo 

Jilly