6 Work From Home Productivity Hacks to Boost Productivity

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Knowing a few work-from-home productivity hacks will help you easily transition from office life.

2020 will go down in history as a crazy, unforgettable year, indeed. And we’re only getting started. (That’s a scary thought.)

If you’re anything like me, you wouldn’t exactly give yourself a gold star for the last three weeks of your work. Understandably, the whole world is suffering from a pandemic, and everyone is affected—some more than others.

I want to take a moment and pray for the businesses and employees who have been directly affected by COVID-19. Just a short five months ago, on October 1, 2019, I took the plunge, quit my job, and moved out of NYC to build this blog full-time. I was a server and most definitely counted on my paycheck while living in the big city. I feel like I escaped a bullet big time, and I know many people are hurting financially. My thoughts are with you.

And for the rest of us who have been minimally affected (if we can consider this affected). Those of us whose most considerable challenge is now to work from home. Boohoo, poor us! Getting to work from home probably gave half of nine-to-five America a little joy, though. Don’t lie.

Chances are your carefully-curated-work-routine has been derailed, and you’ve fallen into the COVID-19 rabbit hole:

Obsessively checking the news, researching the origins of the virus, watching funny YouTube and celebrity Instagram videos, passing along cryptic-distressing-chain-COVID-19-warning-text-messages with your friends and family (wondering if it’s true), and monitoring the number of cases worldwide.

You haven’t been on your best behavior, and some work duties fell through the cracks. And without your boss on you, why brush your teeth if you aren’t going to see anyone?

Amidst all your panic and fear, you’ve readjusted to your new working conditions, accepted the new norm of our times, done your prayers, and now it’s time to return to work.

As the folks in show business say, the show must go on.

Here are my 6 simple productivity hacks for people working from home.

Work From Home Productivity Hack #1: Turn off Cell Phones

Your cell phone is the biggest distraction and a gateway drug: one thing leads to another. You probably have noticed how quickly one text message from a friend turns into a group text messaging party. Before you know it, you are off in obscure research on COVID-19 land.

Turn your cell phone on silent or off, or put it in a separate room. If you receive text message alerts on your laptop, turn off your notifications unless you need your phone for work. Otherwise, only allow cell phone use during break times, when you’re off, and during emergencies. Be ruthless about this.

Work From Home Productivity Hack #2: Limit News Consumption

Watching the news in large amounts affects my spirit. Generally, I skim the news daily to stay current and move on with my day. This practice works for me. But during this whole COVID-19 frenzy, I’ve been glued to the news, and I notice a dip in my well-being.

I stopped reading the news and only checked it once a day. Right now, if you are in a distressing time, make sure to take care of your well-being and look for solutions in your life that are within your control. Reading the news six hours a day only ingests fear and panic.

Work From Home Productivity Hack #3: Have a Dedicated Workspace

Another fun thing to fantasize about when you work in an office or service-oriented environment is the freedom to work in bed. Who doesn’t love their bed even if they struggle with insomnia? But this could hinder your work performance, give you back pain, and cause sleep problems.

Most sleep experts agree that your bed should only be for sleep and sex—nothing else. When you invite other activities into your bed, such as eating or working in bed, you send your brain signals that your bed is not only for rest.

Find a space in your home and make it your dedicated workspace. Communicate with your housemates and let them know about your dedicated area. If you are in the area, that means you are working. Clean up your area as you would in an office at the end of the day.

Work From Home Productivity Hack #4: Time Block Your Work Day

Another excellent productivity hack is time blocking. This time management strategy applies to work-from-home scenarios as well as any work setting. Cal Newport, the author of Deep Work (Audible), sets aside time for deep-focused work (high priority) and separates time for shallow work (low priority).

My favorite method is coordinating a block of work time with a block of rest time. For example, I’ll block out three hours to write and two hours for my workout and lunch. Then I do another three hours and then work on a hobby for an hour. Then I’ll do another three hours of work to a block of dinner and then finally rest. My schedule changes, but this is a typical day right now. Experiment and find what works for you.

Work From Home Productivity Hack #5: Get Dressed as You Would Normally to Feel Energized

Work-From-Bed-Dressedin-in-bed-with-laptop

Before working from home, I used to fantasize frequently about not having to get dressed for work. I used to think what a luxury that would be. It’s fun for a week or two until you notice how unmotivated you feel to be in your pajamas or workout gear all day.

Underdressing leaves you in a cozy snuggling mindset instead of a take-action-I m ‘m-at-work mindset. At least for me. The clothes I wear have a significant effect on my mood. Studies show that what you wear to work affects your performance. It mostly depends on your intention, though. If you wear pajamas to be lazy, most likely, you will feel sluggish.

Work From Home Productivity Hack #6: Work During Off-Peak Hours

This hack correlates with hack number four: time blocking. As I write this post, my mom seriously sings her lungs out on karaoke in the living room. Hey, it’s her house. She’s retired, so she can spend her time however she wants to.

But living with others can be uber-distracting when it comes to work, especially during national self-isolation when everyone is indoors. A great way to escape the distraction is by waking up much earlier than everyone else. This way, you get your high-priority tasks—deep work—before anyone can bother you.

Closing Thoughts on Work-From-Home Productivity Hacks

Phew, if you made it through this post, I will take a wild guess and say that you are safe amidst this world catastrophe.

Recapping the six work-from-home productivity hacks, we covered:

Don’t forget to put your cell phones away
Get dressed for work, as usual
Find a dedicated workspace
Time block your day
Minimize news consumption
Work during off-peak hours

I hope these six productivity hacks help you adjust to working from home like a pro.

Best of luck to ya! Remember to wash your hands and don’t hoard too much toilet paper. I wish you well and pray for your safety and the safety of your loved ones during this world upheaval. See you on the other side.