Working from home requires a slightly different mindset than going into the office every day. This is true when it comes to thinking about how to achieve everything we need to get done.
Productivity is often talked about in terms of making sure you’re simply doing more. Yet, being productive is often a by-product of having healthy foundations that enable you to prioritise, perform to a high standard, and deliver the output required.
Being a freelancer often means balancing a handful of clients while also managing home chores, child care, and other personal matters. While some freelancers stick to the typical 9-5 routine, many others might have sporadic schedules with multiple looming deadlines and priorities.
By having healthy routines and establishing certain habits, you can start doing more and producing more without sacrificing your overall wellbeing and happiness.
The night before
A good day starts the night before, and when working from home, a productive habit is to start preparing ahead of the next working day. It means you are less likely to get caught up in the daily routines of home life or thrown off track by other decisions or demands for your attention.
Simple routines include:
- Checking over your tasks for the next day.
- Getting out your clothes for the morning.
- Packing any bags or gym kit ready to go.
- Clearing your desk ready to start work the next day.
- Ensuring you have all the items, notebooks and equipment ready for the morning.
These small rituals mean you can go to sleep feeling less stressed about what you need to get done and wake up with things already organised. This saves a lot of time on small decisions such as what to wear, that could give you scope to be distracted.
In an interview with The Homeworker magazine, Simon Alexander Ong, life coach and author of Energize, said: “By the time you add up all those trivial decisions, that’s a lot of time gone. Imagine if you could use that capacity more productively.”
Rethink the to-do list
Ticking off items on a to-do list feels good, but it is not necessarily the best way to ensure you stay productive.
When you look down your list, do you know if they are the right things to focus on? Do you know if you’ll be able to do them all and by when? Have you scheduled everything on that list into your calendar so you know it will be done?
Rather than working down a never-ending to-do list of items, think about planning your tasks into blocks of time so that you are focused on that one thing.
Getting into the habit of time blocking means you know when you will get to do things and can be realistic about how much you take on. You will have a better understanding of when you can fit in other people’s demands on your time for meetings and project work. This is especially important for freelancers who have multiple projects at the same time!
Scheduling in dedicated time to check emails and social media, and make phone calls avoids them impacting other jobs. It means you are less tempted by the notifications, knowing you have boxed out time to address those tasks and queries later in your day.
Time management expert Philippe Masson explains in this article: “The to-do list tells you what you have to do, that is it… It doesn’t tell you how long it’s going to take and it doesn't tell you when you are going to do it. The longer your list, the more disorganised you are.”
Prioritise how you spend your time
Working from home can see you easily strapped into your chair and sitting at your desk for most of the day. While doing the work is important, there are other ways to spend time that can ultimately improve your productivity in the long term. These include making sure you schedule time for professional development and activities such as networking that can help you achieve goals faster and offer new perspectives on your work.
When you work from home, it can be harder to remember to keep up with professional development. When you don’t have reminders in the office or cues from colleagues, it can be something that falls by the wayside. Constantly updating your skills keeps you relevant and a valuable freelancer to potential clients.
Equally, getting out to social events and networking meet-ups alleviates some of the loneliness of working from home and also helps you make valuable connections that can lead to new clients and business growth.
Take regular, purposeful breaks
It is a habit that many homeworkers are guilty of: the trap of never leaving the desk and not taking a break. We may feel we are being more productive by powering through, but our brains need rest and time to process and recharge.
In the long term, ensuring you schedule time away from the screen, such as a proper lunch break away from the desk and walks outside in fresh air, will help you return to your work more invigorated and alert.
Without giving yourself that time, you easily become more fatigued. Studies show that taking purposeful breaks improves not only your mood but also your creative and cognitive abilities.
It is also important that your breaks are moments when you switch off from work. Checking social media does not allow your brain to rest. Breaks that can aid your productivity include walking, stretching, a power nap, meditation, tidying or cooking a meal.
However, some freelancers enjoy the freedom of working from anywhere and even embark on the journey of becoming digital nomads! We asked different homeworkers how they enjoyed switching off from work for a complete recharge. Their answers varied greatly. You can read them all in volume 4 of The Homeworker magazine, along with more inspiration for your self-care.
Water on your desk
One of the simplest habits to adopt when working from home is keeping water on your desk. Whether you refill a glass or keep a bottle or flask on your desk, staying hydrated is a habit that helps you feel better and improves your productivity.
Your level of hydration affects your attention span and ability to focus. Staying hydrated helps combat fatigue and improve mental performance.
It is thought that just a 1% drop in hydration levels leads to a 12% drop in productivity. At the same time, a 3 or 4% drop in hydration can lead to a 25-50% drop in productivity.
When you start establishing good habits like these, you create a solid framework to allow your creativity and productivity to flourish.