Tips for staying productive while working from home

Tips for staying productive while working from home was originally published on College Recruiter.

Working from home has its many, many benefits. More flexible scheduling, the opportunity to work in a comfortable environment, and not having to commute to an office every day are some of the many reasons it’s an excellent route for those with the option and why it has become more prominent since the pandemic.

But along with the upsides come a few downsides, not least of all being that it requires some serious self-discipline to stay productive every day. Not only is it sometimes easier to be distracted when you work at home, but it’s also easy to lose motivation. Productivity is relative, depending on what you’re doing, but there are ways you can stay productive while working remotely.

One of the best things you can do to stay productive is to make working from home feel like a typical in-office workday. But what does that mean? Something as simple as getting dressed for the day can go a long way. It’s easy to stay in your pajamas all day long because you technically can, but getting yourself dressed for work can be vital because it helps keep your brain in work mode.

The same goes for waking up at a reasonable time and giving yourself some time in the morning before you start work, rather than waking up right when your workday starts. Give yourself an hour or two to rise, eat a good breakfast, drink some coffee if you’re a coffee drinker, and maybe even put on some music. Giving your body and mind the chance to start up and build up some energy will make it much easier to focus and ultimately be productive from the start.

Another significant thing you can do is give yourself small breaks. If you’ve got a lot to do on a given day, break up your work into tasks and take 10-20 minute breaks in between them. Jumping from one thing to another can be overstimulating and cause burnout, so pace yourself and make sure to take a breather every now and then. Drink some water, grab a snack, or watch some videos to cleanse your mind before getting back to it.

You’ll also want to make sure nothing is distracting you during your work time. It’s tempting to scroll through social media while working on a weekly report, but try not to toggle back and forth. Instead, close the Facebook browser and focus on the task at hand, and then take five minutes to check your socials.

Being productive while working remotely also means having a dedicated space for getting things done. Like staying in pajamas, it’s easy to want to sit in your bed and work. But really, that works against you in multiple ways. Primarily it’s not an environment that is conducive to focus and productivity because you associate it with sleep. You may also find it more difficult to sleep at night if your bed is also your workspace. Separation of your work environment from your non-work environment is crucial in maintaining both a good level of productivity and an excellent work-life balance.

Remote work is still highly sought after – especially for college graduates entering the job market for the first time. A recent Joblist study found that 30% of 2022 college graduates would prefer to work from home than in-office. The remote work trend doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.

Working remotely can be extremely rewarding if you’re able to practice discipline when it comes to managing your work hours. Put the thought and effort into preparing for your day in the most effective way and pace yourself when it comes to your workload—you’ll be so glad you did.

If you are still searching for a remote position, utilize College Recruiter’s job search engine and find thousands of virtual working jobs at your fingertips.

— Article by Sean Kelly. In addition to being an analyst researching the latest industry trends for College Recruiter, Sean Kelly also co-founded a nonprofit local news publication in Savannah, GA called The Savannahian.

By College Recruiter
College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career.