How To Stay Productive When Working From Home

Whilst some of us are furloughed, and others are still going to work as usual, there are quite a number of people who have suddenly found themselves working from home for the first time ever.

Now, besides studying for what feels like a lifetime, I only really have 3 months' experience of officially working from home. Last summer, I interned for my supervisor at University, working on one of his research projects. This internship was full-time - Monday- Friday - paid, and based from home.

During these three months we actually picked up Murph, so I was always trying to juggle being productive and getting things done, with having puppy cuddles, not being distracted by the beautiful weather and going to the beach, and scrolling on my phone for hours on end. Over the course of the three months, I picked up some tips and tricks that made staying on task that little bit easier so I thought I'd share them with you today in light of the current situation...

How To Stay Productive When Working From Home 

Write To-Do Lists 

It's no secret I'm an absolute list-lover. I'm always making lists upon lists at work and, since lockdown, have even made an Instagram Story template for daily to-do lists. Whilst they don't help with actually getting the work done, they're great for setting up smaller tasks and working out what the fook you need to do each day and being a visual reminder of how much you do/don't have left to do. 

Take More Frequent Breaks 

These aren't normal times. We're in the middle of a pandemic for goodness sake. Working straight through from 9 til 5 with minimal human interaction and the same wall to stare at is hardly going to help with the ol' motivation levels. Get up, wander around, scroll your phone, get some fresh air! Doing this regularly, and working solidly in between, is a far more efficient use of your time. The Pomodoro Technique is a great one to check out if you've never worked like this before.

Set Up A Work Station 

We don't all have ergonomic chairs, multiple screens, and open-plan offices at home, but having a designated workspace definitely helps separate work from play, especially if you use your laptop for fun too. Clear a sideboard, your dressing table, a corner of the dining table and just set it up as your workspace. Do all of your work here and try and keep it as clutter-free as possible! 

Stick to Normal Working Hours

Now that a commute is out of the question it's often tempting to change up your working hours or spread your time unevenly throughout the week, and change it when you feel like it. Not only is a routine good for keeping you on track but it also means that your colleagues are also working at the same time as you, making it far easier to collaborate on projects, share ideas and ask questions. 

I can't say I massively thrive on working from home, I really enjoy having colleagues and people to chat to all day, but, in this weird time, I hope these four tips are helpful! 

How do you stay productive when working from home?