Things have changed a lot during the COVID-19 Pandemic when a lot of people had to work from home. Even if there are plenty of people working from home as freelancers in normal times, the pandemic forced a new lifestyle on many of us.
Sure, people have different tastes and needs. For some, being able to work from the comfort of the home without annoying noises to distract them or just the simple fact that they don’t need to stay stuck in traffic in the first hours of the morning greatly increased productivity. However, for others, working from home, far from other people, socialization and constant motivation greatly decreased the productivity levels.
If you are having trouble finding motivation and staying productive throughout the day, read the article below for some quick tips. Surely with so many things to do like spending 500 loyalty points betway in some quick gaming session may seem more fun but tasks will quickly pile up. Read this article and find out more about how you can get your work done so you can have plenty of time left for things you enjoy.
Write down your goals
Think of this as creating a “to do” list. Basically, you write down everything you want to achieve throughout the day and keep the note near. As you do the tasks, you cut them. Besides helping you keep a good track of what it’s already done and what’s left to be done it will also give you an incredible feeling of fulfilment as you complete the tasks.
An alternative is to write down long team monthly goals. If you are not working a normal job and you are a freelancer, it’s easy to slack and cut down on the work. Writing down long term goals is a good idea to keep you motivated and remind you where your goals are.
Do the hardest things first
If you are having troubles prioritizing which tasks to do first, a good rule of thumb is to start with the hardest ones and end up with the easier ones. The idea behind this advice is that inevitably I get progressively tired as the day goes by. If you start off with the easier tasks first and let the hardest ones to the end of the day, as you get tired you will lose both your focus and your motivation.
Get the hard things done first while your motivation and focus are at their pick and the easier ones will seem just a piece of cake.
No screen time before breakfast
Nowadays we use smartphones for almost everything and it has become a habit of checking our phones periodically. If you are used to eating while watching a screen, either your phone or the TV you should get rid of this habit if you want to stay productive from home.
Even if you start off with the idea “I’ll just watch it for a couple of minutes until I finish eating and then I will get back to work” you probably already find out that it’s never like this. It’s easy to get distracted and tell yourself, “just one more clip, just a couple of more scrolls, just 5 more minutes of your favourite TV show”. When you are done with the screen you will be in no mood to do the tasks waiting.
Take breaks
This advice is especially important if you spend a lot of time in front of the computer. It’s easy to get lost in what you are doing and before you know it you’ll find yourself in front of a screen for 5 hours straight. Try to get up every hour or two hours and have a 15 min break.
If you are not living in a house and you don’t have a backyard to get out to, try at least to spend some time on the balcony, scratch your back, get your eyes accustomed back to natural lighting and relax for a moment to disconnect from all the thoughts. Sure, you have a lot of work to do and projects are quickly piling up, but you will be more productive if you manage to disconnect your mind for just a couple of minutes.
Exercise
A healthy mind in a healthy body as the ancient Romans used to say it’s not actually a cliche. Exercise is very important not only for the body but for the mind also. When you exercise your body releases chemicals like dopamine and endorphins which act as a natural drug. This will help you relax and focus more easily on tasks.
If you can’t find enough time to go outside for a short walk, at least try to exercise for a couple of minutes a day in the morning and in the evening. You will wake up fast and sleep better at night. This way, you will be able to get to work faster and also keep a good night’s sleep to rest.
Exercise also helps us reconnect with our bodies and take our minds off things. It’s one of the best ways to remain productive even when the days don’t seem to end.
Final Words
It doesn’t matter if you have a normal job or you are a freelancer. Working from home should not be a daunting task if you get used to some simple rituals. Pick one or more from the above and see which one works best for you.
You start your day with a couple of minutes of exercise and then enjoy a nice breakfast while watching the window. Right down your goals for the day and start cutting down as you finish them. You will notice that the tasks will seem to be done in half of the time.
Also, don’t forget to take breaks. You will not help yourself if your mind is stressed and you just try to make it go away by sheer will only.
