8 Tips to Boost Productivity While Working From Home

8 Easy Work From Home Tips to Apply

Prior to the pandemic, thousands of Americans, myself included, adopted a nomadic career in industries where location flexibility is possible. According to CNBC, employees have increasingly sought remote work positions, to achieve a better work/life balance, says a poll of more than 1,500 working adults conducted in 2021 by Unum.

I’ve had the ability to work from home for an integrated PR, marketing and advertising firm that I have been with for several years. After some time working in office, my company allowed me to retain my full-time position on a remote basis. I’m lucky to be able to call my home my office, but it comes with its perks and challenges. From working in trains, planes, limousines and automobiles, I’ve learned how to remain adaptable yet consistent, regardless of my environment. Should a client ask me to jump, I’ll be able to respond with “how high?” — from just about any time zone in the world.

Through this lifestyle, I’ve learned that change is inevitable and comes when you’re least expecting. The saying “when it rains, it pours,” certainly rings true and we have to be able to think quickly in our stilettos (or for now, house slippers — I like to wear stuffed unicorn ones these days). I’ve learned that in times of uncertainty, it’s vital to focus on the aspects of life that we can control and how we can grow and build on these. 

The flexibility of working independently allows you to define your own structure on your own terms – key word being structure! You MUST create a routine that simultaneously fulfills and drives you, allowing you to tap into your most productive self.

I wanted to share some of my work from home best practices, discovered through trial and error of my remote experiences. From living an unattached lifestyle out of a suitcase, to now working in an established home office, here are some tried and true tips that have made a difference in my day-to-day and hopefully can for you too.

Schedule Your Day Based on Energy Levels

Working for a large integrated agency requires me to schedule a workday as I would in office, from 8:45am to 5:30pm. I take an hour lunch break and mini-brain and snack breaks throughout the day, but I am on-call and available for clients and my team throughout the day (and during off-hours as needed).

For those individuals who aren’t required to a set work time frame, I highly recommend scheduling out your day in a way that aligns your levels of energy. Regardless of where you’re working from, it’s vital to maximize time and practice strategic time management. It’s not about how many hours of work you can stuff into your day, but rather figuring out how to prioritize your items and function more effectively. 

When possible, I like to schedule my to-do list based on my levels of energy throughout the day. It only makes sense that the amount of work that you get done correlates to the times during the day when you’re most energetic. Determine the time frames during the day when you feel your highest levels energy and aim to focus on your larger tasks during this time, when your brain power is at its optimal level.

I have my highest levels of energy after 9:30am and around 3:30pm, so I make sure to schedule larger, more involved projects around these times, while leaving more menial tasks to the middle of the day (i.e. responding to smaller emails, conducting follow-ups, scheduling my calendar, completing expense reports, etc.). Of course, be sure to remain flexible and keep an adaptable itinerary.

Consistency is Key

Maintain a degree of consistency. Whether it’s in your surroundings, starting your day with a cup of coffee, laying out your to-do list, skimming your favorite newsletter, or instant messaging your favorite co-worker to say “hello!”, be sure to keep an aspect of sameness before diving into your daily workload.

Start Your Day with Intent

In place of an office commute, use your extra time to begin your day in a way that provides intent for productivity. This may mean a morning walk, exercise, personal reading, or meditation, but find a morning activity that sets your day with purpose and motivation.

Take Brain Breaks

Don’t forget to take mini brain breaks every few hours to help ease your mind and eyes. It’s easy to fall into the routine of overworking and even skipping lunch breaks to prove a point when working from home. Take your hour lunch and if possible [AWAY from your desk or workspace] and take time to get outside and take a walk, stretch your body, or call your mom for a quick chat. It’s okay, actually necessary to maintain focus and productivity.

Set Milestones

Set daily and weekly milestones that will push you to continue progressing on your own. You may not have a boss physically reiterating your goals, so be sure to hold yourself accountable and to surpass your own accomplishments.

Sip Your Nutrients
Call it oral fixation but I constantly find myself reaching for a beverage when I’m in full-focus mode. I’m a coffee lover so it got to the point where I was chugging cold brews like it was no one’s business and in turn making myself more anxious and dehydrated with excess caffeine. I’m trying to drink more tea and plain ole’ H20 with added flavor boosters like lemon, mint, and brain tinctures. My favorites are the Beauty Water and Detox Water drops from Sakara Life, which provide added minerals and nutrients to elevate your regular tap water to a superfood level libation. The beauty drops are extra hydrating, while the detox drops allow you to cleanse out all those toxins with a few droplets in your water. Get 20% off your order of water drops by using discount code XOGALALIFE at check-out.

Be Adaptable

You may be on a conference call with the CEO when UPS knocks on the door, so make sure to be flexible, on your toes and be ready for anything.

Don’t Be Afraid to Over-Communicate

Over-communication is critical for clients and teams at this time. Be resourceful, but don’t be afraid to ask questions! Check in with your people and make sure everyone is sane and aligned. Not to mention, when working from home, out of sight out of mind. Proactively make an effort to engage through check-up messages, phone calls or texts, so that your co-workers and clients feel as though you’re an asset and support system.

Don’t Forge…Even When No One is Watching, Confidence is a Must

Even if no one is looking, don’t forget to get out of your PJ’s and put on some decent clothes (or at least decent PJ’s)! Now get up, brush your teeth, comb or straighten your hair and get to work! Even if it doesn’t feel like it, the world needs you today!

Even if we should be staying home these days, remember to always keep Galavanting!

xoxo, Alexia