Tirzah Magazine author Sharon Stark previously discussed what working from home looks like for her. Join us today as another one of our wonderful women discuss what it looks like to work in this season. Whether working from home is part of your normal life or part of your new normal during this time of quarantine, you may be looking to find some tips on how to be productive working from home. It can be challenging to stay focused, get work done, and not get distracted with Netflix or undone tasks waiting to be completed while stuck at home. In today’s article, I am going to share my favorite tips for working from home that hopefully can help you out!

Dress For Work 

Yes, I know that sweatpants are a great God-given invention, and many of us want to waste our days at home snuggled up in blankets and comfy clothing, however, wearing pajamas or sweatpants might actually be holding us back from doing our work. Our brains associate certain outfits with certain activities, so if you are wearing your pajamas and trying to work, your brain is going to be confused because you are normally lounging around or sleeping in your pajamas.  I am not saying that you need to wear a three-piece suit when you are working, but wear something you would normally wear to your office. This week instead of hopping into that pair of sweatpants for the umpteenth time, try to wear a real outfit you would wear to work and see if it improves your work productivity. 

Take Breaks

At the office, it is much easier to take breaks throughout the day. Whether it be chatting with a co-worker for a couple of minutes, going to get a cup of coffee from the break room, or taking a company-wide walk, many of us take breaks more frequently throughout our workday than we realize. In our attempt to hurry through the work of the day to get to our latest Netflix binge, we often forget about taking breaks or standing up. The first day I worked from home, I forgot to stand up for three hours and was so so sore. Make sure that you are taking breaks to stretch or just look away from your screen. Take a walk outside, a longer lunch break, or time to fix yourself a cup of tea. Don’t be afraid to make a schedule for your workday that has plenty of breaks built into it. 

90 Minutes of Focus 

Many researchers noticed that our brains could only focus on tasks for so long before we need to take a break. Their reasoning is that if we go hard on our work for 90 minutes, by setting the alarm to alert us when that time is over, we will be more productive during the day than if we just worked consecutively for 8 hours. So try setting a timer this week for 90 minutes and then taking a break for 10 to 15 minutes after that timer goes off. See how much more productive your time is when you give yourself ample time to focus and then reward yourself with a break. 

Keep a Smart Posture

It can be easy for those of us that don’t have home offices to work on our couches or other comfy spaces in our homes. Those aren’t bad for a time, but after a while, we find ourselves snuggling in and getting tired and lazy. One of my co-workers suggested leaning forward while working. This helps to keep you focused and engaged in your work. Try to find a workspace in your home that mimics the feel of your regular office cubicle or station and see if that can help to increase your overall productivity. 

Try To Maintain A Normal Schedule

As tempting as it might be to wake up and go to bed late like you aren’t working, try to maintain as normal to office hours as possible. This will help your body to stay in your office routine, and when you do go back to your office job after quarantine, it won’t be as big a shock to your system. Waking up near your normal time to go into the office will also alert your body that it is time to get to work. Try allowing yourself to sleep in the time that you would normally spend commuting to work. This will give your body and brain the idea that you are resting more, but in reality, you won’t be completely exhausted when you have to go back to normal working life. 

Interact With Co-Workers

It can be lonely working from home and make you feel like you are less a part of a team or isolated, so be intentional with communicating with your co-workers virtually. Many offices and companies have chat options for their companies like slack that can enable you to talk to groups and separate people. Be smart when talking to co-workers on company property, but don’t be afraid to reach out and ask people how they are doing working from home or how their day is going. They might be able to share some tips with you and encourage you as you are working from home. As more and more people feel isolated working from home, it is a great idea to reach out to co-workers and have conversations that can help to sustain some sense of normalcy. 

I hope that these tips can help you as you are trying to cultivate a working from home routine, and be productive while doing it. Share any other tips you have acquired that work for you in the comments below!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel resides in Lancaster, Pa where she is a Digital Marketing Specialist. A recent graduate from Grove City College, Rachel hopes that her articles can help girls through hard times in college and also as they transition into the real world. In her spare time, you can find Rachel reading, hanging with her small group, exploring cute cafes, and longing for the ocean. You can find more of her writing at christiangirlcode.org