Rachel Smith — May 26, 2020 Working from home poses some challenges no matter who you are. From having the right equipment to working with distractions – this new reality we’re living in has been an adjustment for the world but what can you do to ensure your wellbeing and priorities are taken care of throughout this unprecedented time?
Working from home or running a business from home can be challenging with many distractions. Making a daily to-do list is a great way to start the day off. You’re thinking about what needs to be done for work, what needs to be done in your home and you should also be prioritising family time or self-care time.
Here are a few ways you can set yourself up for a productive day:
- Make a to-do list
- Time blocking for each task
- Take regular breaks
Bullet Journalling is a proven method used all around the world for productivity and can help you separate the tasks that need to be done and those that can be left until later but in a simple way.
Set up a workspace
If you haven’t done so already, set up a dedicated workspace within your home, either your kitchen table or home office for example and ensure you treat this area as your workspace, as you would in an office. Come and go to your workspace as you would normally, taking lunch and at the end of the day, leave that space.
There are many benefits to having a dedicated workspace, mainly to help you separate work from home life while being home pretty much 24/7. It can also help you to leave your work at work (well your workspace) so that you give yourself time to spend with family, cook dinner, watch your favourite shows etc and generally just unwind from the day.
The main benefit of a dedicated workspace is to help you to manage your work/life balance even while being at home.
Set boundaries
Some of you may be working from home with children or other family members in your household. While this can be a distraction during your workday there are a few things you can do to help prevent this.
- Make it clear that when you’re in your workspace that you’re not to be disturbed. If you have young children perhaps try leaving a sign on the door or desk to indicate when it’s ok to interrupt and when it’s not.
- Help keep them distracted with a day of activities – here is a great list of ideas you can try
- Let them help you when it’s possible for them too. If you’re packing orders, let them close the packages or include your business card for example.
Switch off
Sometimes it can be hard to switch off your brain at the end of a workday and some of us definitely take our work home with us. Part of being able to manage your priorities is to be able to switch off at the end of the day – whether you’re working in an office or at home.
Part of being able to switch off is having a separate workspace as I mentioned earlier. There are other activities that can help you to switch off if you’re having trouble such as reading, exercising or doing your favourite thing. The key to this is to ensure that you’re taking time out for yourself.
Another thing that may help is by leaving your laptop or work in your workspace and not ‘taking it home’ with you. Once you’re done for the day, don’t pick it back up until the next day.
And finally, make some time to do something just for yourself once a day. Even if it’s just having a relaxing bath, working out or journaling. These activities can have a great impact and benefit to your mental wellbeing and get you ready and relaxed to take on tomorrow’s tasks.
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