Time Management & Productivity At Work From Home

Working from home is awesome. You wake up and you’re already at work. You don’t have to commute, and you can wear whatever you want. 

Well, sort of. I mean, working in your pajamas seems like a good idea until you have to get on a video call with the whole team, and then it gets a little awkward.

That said, there are some real benefits to working from home including the ability to create your own schedule and find what works best for you.

The key here is finding out what works best for you, because everyone is different! I found that waking up early (like around 6 am) worked best for me because my brain tends to be sharper in the earlier hours of the day. 

If this doesn’t work for you though I know some people who need 10+ hours of sleep then that’s cool too; just make sure it doesn’t eat into your productive time later on in the day when your brain does start functioning at peak levels again!

Key Takeaways
1. Establish a dedicated workspace at home.
2. Create a structured daily schedule.
3. Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency.
4. Use time-tracking tools to monitor productivity.
5. Minimize distractions to stay focused.
6. Take regular breaks to avoid burnout.
7. Set clear boundaries between work and personal life.
8. Utilize technology for effective communication.
9. Embrace flexibility while maintaining discipline.
10. Continuously evaluate and adjust your time management strategies.

Wake Up Early And Get To Work

The most important thing you can do is to wake up early and get to work. This means waking up at least an hour before you need to start working.

I know it’s tempting to roll out of bed, shuffle over to your computer, and try to get a few hours in before the rest of your family wakes up. 

But doing that will just result in a half-hearted effort that won’t produce much (if anything). Instead, set an alarm for 5:30 am each morning so that when the rest of your household starts moving around at 7:00 am, you already have some time on task!

Looking to succeed on Upwork and land clients consistently? Follow these 5 crucial steps to boost your freelancing career and stand out from the competition.

Take Breaks (And Have A Life)

Take Breaks

If you’re working from home, it’s important to remember that you can’t just work all the time. You also need to take breaks and have some fun with your family or friends. 

This is where I think my productivity rises above most people who work in an office I make sure that I go out of the house every day because otherwise, I’ll just stick around here all day. Just like your body needs food and water, it needs breaks too!

Have A Life Outside Of Work (And Sleep)

When you’re working from home, there are so many things that can distract you from being productive like watching TV shows online or playing video games on Twitch (my guilty pleasure). 

It’s also easy for me to stay up late at night because I’m right next to my bed (with no one else around). If this sounds like something that could happen to you too then try setting yourself some limits: maybe only watch one episode per night instead of binge-watching an entire series; 

Maybe turn off notifications on your computer so they won’t keep popping up while gaming; maybe try keeping an earlier bedtime than normal so getting up early isn’t as difficult in the morning; etcetera…

Creating a dedicated workspace is vital for freelancers to maximize productivity. Learn how to set up your own efficient workspace in our comprehensive guide: Setting up a dedicated workspace for freelancing.

Have An End Of Day Routine

There are a whole lot of advantages to working from home, but one disadvantage is that you’re likely in the house when you work. This means that once you get into your zone and start cranking out emails, things can easily slip through the cracks.

If it’s going to be an all-nighter, I recommend having an end-of-day routine. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; just something that signals to yourself (and those who live with you) that it’s time for bed! 

My go-to is watching a show on Netflix I’ll usually pick something lighthearted like Friends or The Office (or lately Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). Or if I’m feeling particularly motivated and want more than just a break from work, I’ll read for 30 minutes or meditate for 20 minutes. 

Whatever works! In addition to helping me get ready for sleep, it helps me feel like my day wasn’t completely wasted by sitting at my desk watching cat videos on YouTube.

Make A List Of What You Do Daily

Make a list of what you do daily. I like to make a list of the tasks or activities that I do daily, like doing the dishes and prepping dinner. This way, it’s much easier for me to see how much time I spend on these things during my day (and whether or not it’s too much).

This might seem like an obvious step, but it’s important! You want to make sure that everything is in one place so that if you’re ever looking back on your productivity over time (which can be helpful), then all of your data is compiled into one spot.

Find The Time In Your Day That Is Actual Productive Time And Make The Most Of It

Finding the best time of day to get things done is crucial to having a productive day. This may seem obvious, but it’s still easy to lose sight of your productivity patterns. 

You might be most productive in the morning, or maybe you’re more creative at night. Some people are great at focusing on one task at a time, while others multitask better than anyone else you know.

Regardless of what works best for you, knowing when your peak times are is essential if you want to maximize your productivity and meet deadlines without sacrificing the quality of work or worrying about burnout or stress levels getting too high.

Curious about freelancing as a full-time career? Discover the realities and benefits of taking up freelancing as a full-time job in our article: Is freelancing a full-time job?.

Do Your Most Dreaded Tasks First

I don’t know about you, but I dread doing the things that I have to do. When my list of tasks has a few unpleasant items on it, I find myself avoiding those things like they are contagious.

However, by managing your own time effectively and doing your most dreaded tasks first, you can get them out of the way so that you can focus on more enjoyable and often more productive things for the rest of your day.

Here’s why: when we procrastinate on our least favorite tasks, we are constantly thinking about them in the back of our minds as well as putting off being able to enjoy ourselves until later in the day or even next week. 

By getting these off my plate first thing every morning (or even after dinner), I feel so much better because it takes care of one big task for me! 

This allows me to relax and enjoy my time without feeling stressed about having something hanging over my head all day long or worrying about what else I have yet to do today before heading home at night.

Have A Morning Routine

For me, having a morning routine is all about getting my mind and body ready to work. I have found that if I don’t do this, I’m more likely to get distracted by everything else in life that needs doing which can lead to less productivity overall.

Here are some examples of what your morning routine could look like:

• Meditate or exercise
• Eat breakfast
• Drink coffee or tea (or both!)

Now, there are lots of ways you can make your morning routine more effective. Try these tips:

Set an alarm clock (and stick with it). If you’re anything like me, this will help keep you on track throughout the day. Having any sort of structure at all helps me stay focused and productive when working from home!

Start small and build up over time; everyone has different needs when it comes down to being able to start their days off well enough so they can go full throttle once work hours hit – so don’t feel bad if starting slow feels right just yet 🙂

Freelancing has evolved beyond just writing gigs. Explore the diverse opportunities and fields where freelancing is thriving: Why freelancing is not just for writers anymore.

Don’t Bring Your Phone In The Bathroom With You

First, let me tell you what we do in the bathroom at my house. We keep our phones in a basket on the floor and only bring them into the bathroom with us if they are plugged in and charging. 

Most of us live near our phone chargers so this is pretty easy to do; just pop it on top of the toilet when it’s not charging and go about your business. If not, leave it at home!

I know this sounds crazy but here’s why: first of all, there is no reason for anyone to be using their phone while sitting on their throne or giving birth… or doing anything else for that matter. 

It’s just gross. You don’t want to even think about what might be lurking on that thing! 

Secondly, if you’re spending any time looking at your device (no matter how brief) then chances are good that whatever task or activity you need to complete is going down the drain along with all those texts and emails coming through.

Be A Bum In The Mornings

“It’s really hard to be productive in the morning. It’s a lot easier if you just don’t try too hard. If you get up earlier and relax for a bit, you can use your time more efficiently later on. I try not to make any major decisions or set any big goals until at least 10 AM. 

Plus, there are very few distractions in the mornings so it makes sense that they would be better suited for introspection and brainstorming than anything else!

One of my favorite things about working from home is that I don’t have an office! When I’m feeling lazy (or am still adjusting to waking up), being able to stay warm under my blankets while listening to music or reading helps me find inner peace with myself before tackling work tasks.

Don’t Be Afraid To Say No

One of the biggest challenges of working from home is saying no to things you don’t want to do, but you need to do them. 

I’m talking about all of those things that people will constantly ask you to do with your spare time; like hang out for lunch, go on a run with them after work, or get drinks after dinner. 

Being a remote employee is great and it definitely has its perks but it also means that if you don’t have time management down then life can become chaotic quickly (even if your job isn’t).

The first step in managing your time as a remote employee is knowing where your priorities lie. What are they? How important are they? 

And how much time should they get? My priorities include spending quality time with my family, exercising regularly, and having alone time so when someone asks me what I’m doing later tonight (because they saw me on Facebook).

I’ll tell them that I’m going home early because my kids have sports practice at 7 pm sharp! This may seem rude at first glance but stick with me here…

Create A Daily Schedule Template For Yourself That You Can Use When Planning Out Your Days

When I first started working from home and trying to manage my time, I found that the most helpful thing was to create a daily schedule template for myself. 

This helped me keep track of what I needed to get done each day and allowed me to plan out my weeks, months, and even years with ease.

I kept this template in Evernote so that it was easy for me to access wherever I was (whether it be on my laptop or phone). 

Every single day would have its section within the note where I could write down what needed to be done during each part of the day such as “Writing”, “Workout”, “Hangout with friends” etc., 

Followed by specific times written underneath so that there was no room for confusion about when something needed doing.

Unlock the potential of SEO writing as a lucrative career choice. Discover why SEO writing is in high demand and how you can excel in it: Why SEO writing is a profitable career.

Keep Your Devices Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

I work from home and tend to let the phone dictate my schedule, so this is a hard one for me. I’ve caught myself numerous times scrolling through Facebook or Instagram when I should be working.

The key to this one is making it easier to resist temptation by keeping your devices out of sight, out of mind. 

If you don’t need your phone for anything important, then put it in another room where you can’t hear or see what’s going on with it. 

If you have an iPad that people tend to use as a mini TV at home (guilty), keep it stashed away somewhere so that when people come over they won’t constantly ask if anyone wants to watch something on Netflix.

It’s also helpful if your phone has Do Not Disturb mode turned on that way no notifications will pop up while you’re trying not to look at them while they’re sitting right there being so tempting!

Set Goals & Reward Yourself For Accomplishing Them. (This Can Include Buying New Equipment If You Meet Your Goals.)

As you work toward completing your final goal, set smaller goals along the way to keep yourself motivated. I once read a book about goal setting, where the author suggested that you break down your big goals into three or four smaller ones. 

You can also create a reward system for yourself as you reach each of these smaller goals. As an example, if one of your main goals is expanding your business by selling more products online and having more people buy from you through your website rather than in person.

You might set a small goal of increasing sales by 20% this month and then reward yourself with something that lets you know that reaching this goal was worth it (like getting new equipment). 

By keeping track of how much time it takes to complete each task versus how much money it generates for all those hours put into working on it–you’ll better understand why certain tasks are worth doing while other tasks aren’t worth doing at all!

Conclusion

My best advice for managing those work-from-home days is to plan. Plan, and follow that plan. Be honest with yourself about your potential distractions, and do what you can to avoid them. 

Don’t let your phone become a time-suck! I hope some of these tips have helped you rearrange your schedule and office space so that you can make the most out of all those hours working from home.

Further Reading

Time Management Tips for Working from Home: Learn effective time management strategies and techniques to boost your productivity while working remotely.

Hone Your Time Management Skills: Discover how to sharpen and refine your time management skills to enhance your efficiency and work-life balance.

Easy Time Management Techniques for Remote Workers: Explore simple yet powerful time management techniques specifically tailored for remote workers to optimize their workday.

FAQs

What are some effective time management tips for remote workers?

Remote workers can improve time management by setting clear goals, creating daily schedules, minimizing distractions, and using time-tracking tools to stay focused and organized.

How can I prioritize tasks more effectively while working from home?

Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. Utilize techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks into four quadrants, helping you determine what to focus on first.

What are the benefits of honing time management skills?

Honing time management skills leads to increased productivity, reduced stress, better work-life balance, and the ability to accomplish more in less time.

How can I avoid procrastination and stay on track with my remote work?

To avoid procrastination, break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, set deadlines for each segment, and use time management techniques like the Pomodoro method to maintain focus.

Are there any time management tools specifically designed for remote workers?

Yes, several time management tools cater to remote workers, such as time tracking apps, project management software, and collaboration platforms to streamline communication and tasks.