Productivity is something that we all struggle with at one point or another. It's often hard to sit down and properly focus on the task at hand whether it be due to distractions, lack of motivation or even lack of organisation. Now that I've freed up a lot of time for myself after dropping out of university in December, I'm trying to focus all of my time and energy on blogging. Whether your job allows you to work from home, you're a student or like me, you have a lot of spare time now, I hope that you find these 5 tips helpful.
1) Sit at a desk
One of the worst things that you can do for yourself at home is to lounge on your bed or sofa when working. I find it so much easier to make a little work station either at the desk in my room or on the dining room table downstairs. I like working somewhere quiet and bright as this makes me focus my attention on what I'm doing and also helps to make me feel more awake. More awake and focused = more productive.
2) Get out of your pyjamas
Some people prefer working in their pyjamas however I'm not one of those kinds of people. Wearing pyjamas and sometimes even baggy clothes tempt me into having a lazy day in bed. I'm not saying you have to wear an actual work suit, but oddly enough, jeans make me feel more focused and put together? Does that even make sense hahah? In the same sense, I like applying a light base of makeup to prevent me from feeling grotty and disgusting all day.
3) Plan each day
In my opinion, this is the most important point. Either write a to do list of all the things you want to get done in the morning or organise a time table for yourself and how much time you want to prioritise to each individual task. I'm personally enjoying writing daily to do lists in my Ohh Deer Daily Journal and ticking them off as I go. Or you could even use the calendar on your laptop or your phone - just use whatever works well for you. It's a lot easier to stick to something if you've written it down.
4) Take breaks
5) Limit distractions
A lot of people put too much pressure on themselves to get all of their work done and as a result, they try and cram as much stuff as they possibly can into a day. I don't know about you, but when I have too much stuff going on, I tend to loose motivation and gradually move my work station from my desk over to my bed until I'm under the covers watching youtube videos. Make sure you treat the day like a normal office day and give yourself an hour's lunch break to do whatever you want to do. I also like to schedule a couple of 20 minute breaks throughout the rest of the day. It's important for you to stay focused but your brain simply can't cope if it there's too much work time and not enough you time.
Distractions are the absolute worst. Make sure your work station is in a quiet place where you can focus. Personally I prefer focusing my whole attention on blogging and don't enjoy watching TV or listening to a podcast/music like I know a lot of other people enjoy. I find myself thinking about other things instead of what I'm meant to be doing. Similarly, social media can be a huge distraction (although for a lot of bloggers, it can technically be called work) so leave your phone in another room for a bit. It's fine to use social media to your hearts content in one of your breaks.
Obviously I'm no expert - you've just got to find what works for you. How do you stay productive when you work from home?
These are really great tips and I will be using some of these more often now haha. I really need to stop sitting in my pyjamas and put on some make-up, because as you said it makes you feel so disgusting and grotty.x
ReplyDeleteitslaurenvictoria.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you, I'm glad you find them useful! Yeah, me too! I would do this for ages and it made me feel so crap. I know it sounds a bit weird but has helped me loads :) x
DeleteThis is great advice when it comes to being a productive blogger! I do tend to spend too much time in bed procrastinating :D
ReplyDelete- Anne | annesmiles
Thank you, Anne! I still do in the early mornings actually, but I guess you've just got to develop a routine that suits you. Thanks for commenting x
Deletegreat post sophie! its very true, getting out of my pj's definitely makes me more productive!
ReplyDeleteHannah at HNNHVNBLS
Thanks Hannah!
DeleteThese are such great tips - particularly having a designated study space! I'm currently typing this on bed my and in my pjs but with a full face of makeup... baby steps I guess haha! x
ReplyDeletechloejanex.blogspot.co.uk
Thanks for commenting Chloe! Yeah, I find that helps me to focus so much. Exactly, and if that works for you, that's cool :) x
DeleteThese are such useful tips! These can definitely apply to anyone whether they work or not at home! I like to sit at a desk otherwise I get seriously bad pins and needles for getting to emersed in what I am doing hahah x
ReplyDeletehttp://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk
Thanks Nicole! Oh same, or a numb bum and a bad back if I'm lying in bed all day hahah!! x
DeleteThese are good tips, love the post! I agree with the jeans thing, can go from not wanting to do anything to cleaning my whole house and blogging like mad just from shoving on a pair of jeans - glad I'm not the only one :) Happy New Year! hadh0peamy.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's amazing, isn't it?! Jeans are the secret to productivity! Happy new year to you too, lovely x
DeleteI definitely need to follow the first tip of sitting a desk or table. I spend far too much time either slouched in bed or on the sofa when I'm working and it makes me feel rubbish sometimes too. I've found that the google extensions that let you block certain websites are so good for limiting distractions! So is leaving my phone on charge at the plug and not bringing it close to me, less chances to check it that way!
ReplyDeleteI've just followed you on Bloglovin, can't wait to read more of your blog :)
Becky; http://www.rebeccamarie.co.uk xxx
Yeah I used to do all my work from my bed but it just made me feel so lazy! Oh that's such a brilliant idea - I've never used one before, but perfect for blocking social media sites for a couple of hours! Yeah, I often leave my phone in another room. Thank you Rebecca :) x
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs well as not wearing PJs, you could also try and wear the same thing every day, as a kind of uniform. It tends to focus your mind and gives you one less thing to worry about in the morning, too! I have a great desk set up, including a stand that my laptop sits on so I'm not straining my neck by looking down all the time. And a trackpad never feels as a good as a mouse, imho.
ReplyDeletehttp://xleptodactylous.co.uk/
Saoirse Sterling at XLeptodactylous
That's a great idea! Yeah you're so true about the trackpad thing - my hand is always getting stiff from using it. Thanks for commenting x
DeleteI do a ton of work at home and sitting at my desk in my home office definitely helps. I also like to get my work done first thing in the morning- nothing worst than putting it off until last minute ;)
ReplyDeletePaula
Thirteen Thoughts
Same here, Paula! I'm also way more productive if I work in the mornings. And if you get up earlier, you have a lot more time to do stuff during the day - makes me feel as though I've accomplished more! Thank you for the comment x
Delete