Working & studying from home and want to increase your productivity quickly? This is what I do to improve my mindset and hack my time so I’m more productive during the work day.
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Over time I’ve learned that having the right schedule and routine is SO IMPORTANT when working from home and can seriously make or break our efficiency throughout the day.
I’ve struggled through many unproductive and time-wasted days to come up with this great routine that helps ensure that I’m at the top of my game on a work day, and ready to knock my tasks out of the park so that I can grow my businesses and get closer to the present and future that I want.
I’ve learned the hard way and I can now happily say that I have an excellent work at home routine combined with a bunch of mindset and time saving hacks, and hopefully you can try out these ideas for yourself and thrive while working and studying from home!
Prepare your schedule the night before
Plan which projects and tasks you are going to tackle in the morning. By having a plan already prepared that you don’t need to rethink the day of, you take the guess work out of having to decide what you should be spending your time on.
Make things easier for yourself and take care of it the day before. Doing this will save you SO much time and you’ll be able to jump right into your necessary tasks.
I like to write a short to-do list and I make sure that I stick to those tasks. If I achieve everything that I want to and I’m able to get more done after, than that’s great! But I don’t venture too far away from my decided tasks unless I know that I’ll have the time and energy to accomplish it all. The rest can wait until tomorrow.
I use a planner & colored pen system to keep my tasks and to-dos organized. I use this planner and these colored pens with one color assigned to each subject/topic – it works super well in keeping me organized easily!
Listen to music
On a whim a little while ago I started playing music on my phone through this portable speaker as soon as I rolled out of bed, and the effect this has on my early morning mood has been incredible. I find that I’m instantly happier, more awake, and in a positive mood because I have the music that I enjoy getting me in the right mindset. I mix it up with something softer like Taylor Swift’s new Folklore album, or something from Kendrick Lamar to get me energized
Eat breakfast
I always start my day with breakfast and coffee, and I find that the difference in my energy and mood is palpable when I have a healthy and nutritious breakfast. I grew up eating cereal for breakfast, and it’s what my heart usually wants in the morning.
However, I’ve found that when I have a healthier alternative, my body and brain are both working in overdrive and I’m infinitely more productive because of it. It takes will power, but the reward is huge
Drink water
Hydrate! Your brain and body need water to function. I always keep a tumbler full of water beside me
Read
I like to set aside a little bit of time in the mornings to read a few pages or a chapter of a book. I’m a huge fan of both fiction and non-fiction, but I like to start my day with a self motivating and brain powering read. A few of my favourite morning reads that have been incredibly helpful have been Atomic Habits, Unfu*k Yourself, and The 4-Hour Workweek
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Essential oils
I don’t subscribe to the big cult following of essential oils, but I definitely enjoy what they do to the air around me and how pleasant they make my atmosphere. The right scents can transform your mood immediately. I got this all-in-one kit from Amazon, and it’s the perfect little gadget to accompany my mornings
Move your body
Don’t worry I won’t tell you that you should be working out for an hour everyday at 5am, I definitely don’t and I probably never will. However, I have found that moving my body in some way and getting my muscles going has made a world of difference in the energy that I have, and more importantly in my mental health.
I’ve learned that the key to being consistent with exercise is to find something that you enjoy. I have a stationary exercise bike, but I don’t love using it. I actually sort of dread it, which ends with me rarely using it. But I’ve discovered that I LOVE using dumbbells and getting in my exercise that way, so that’s what I usually do most days of the week.
I sometimes workout right after breakfast before I start my work, and sometimes I fit my exercise in after lunch. Do whatever works best for you, and you’ll be much more likely to stick with it
I get dressed and put on makeup
I work from home full time, but I’ve found that the only way for me to be motivated to start working at a decent time is to put on my outside clothes, do my makeup, and get myself feeling like a real member of society. I hate pants as much as the next person, maybe even more, but if I keep my lounge clothing on and attempt to take care of business, it just doesn’t work.
I tried working in comfortable clothing for months and couldn’t figure out why I was so unmotivated to do my work and focus on the tasks that I needed to do. I love working for myself from home, so why wasn’t I able to jump at my tasks in the morning? Then I realized that my comfy clothing was completely messing with my mindset and made me want to lay around reading or waste time on my phone for much longer than I should.
Once I started dressing like I was going out into the world, I instantly became more productive and stopped wasting so much time being lazy in the wrong mindset.
Have a clean environment
I also find that my motivation to work is heavily influenced by the tidiness of my space. I always make sure that my kitchen is clean and uncluttered, and that my desk and workspace is clean with everything put away where it should be. I find that having to wade through the mess or move things around the kitchen counter when I just want a quick refill of water really slows me down and makes my mind feel just as cluttered as my environment.
Following all of these tips and hacks have led me to being the most productive and content that I’ve ever been while working from home. Finding the right groove is usually really difficult, but give some of my tips above a try and you just might like the results!
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