Tips for Productivity When Working From Home

Working from home has many advantages, including staying with loved ones, homeschooling, and enjoying a flexible schedule. Unfortunately, several challenges are associated with it, including distractions, a lack of motivation, unexpected guests, and more.

With determination and a few helpful tips, you can stay productive throughout the day while working from home without getting distracted.

In this article, we will share 10 tips for productivity when working from home, including establishing a schedule, taking breaks, keeping a clean home office, utilizing productivity Apps, limiting distractions, seeking help, and more.

Let's kick start.

Tips for Productivity When Working from Home

There's a difference between working from the office and working from home. Working from home offers the freedom that comes with it, but some drawbacks can make productivity almost impossible.

It doesn't have to be that way.

Here's how to improve productivity when working from home.

Limit Distractions

Identify the source of distractions and come up with ways to eliminate them.

Distractions such as well-meaning guests or neighbors, TV, and playful children can make it impossible to stay productive.

Limit distractions by turning off the TV, keeping the children occupied, and dedicating your attention to one task at a time.

It's better to listen to music while working than to turn on the TV. According to Harvard Medical School, listening to music can make you cheerful and energetic, helping you become more productive.

If music doesn't work in your favor, create a quiet space to boost your concentration. Establish a designated workspace away from children and other family members, or use noise-cancellation headphones.

If you can't resist the urge to switch on the TV, avoid entering the room where it is located.

If you're only working from one room, lock the door to keep everyone else out until you're done.

Frequent notifications from your devices can be a major distraction, turning five minutes into 60 minutes! When working, turn off unnecessary App notifications on all your devices.

Social media, in particular, can be a major distraction when working. Avoid logging in to social media Apps such as Facebook and Twitter to prevent being carried away by incoming texts, new posts, and other notifications.

Keep Your Workspace Clean

Keeping your workspace clean in your home office is essential for minimizing distractions and boosting productivity. A cluttered environment can easily lead to a cluttered mind, making it harder to focus on tasks and stay organized. By regularly tidying up, getting rid of unnecessary items, and keeping your desk clear, you create a space that encourages concentration and efficiency.

A clean workspace also reduces the time spent searching for documents or supplies, freeing up mental energy for more important work. Ultimately, maintaining order in your home office helps set the tone for a productive, stress-free workday.

In addition to keeping your desk and surfaces tidy, it's important not to overlook the cleanliness of your rugs and carpets in your home office.

Dust, allergens, and dirt can easily build up in carpet fibers, affecting both air quality and your overall comfort while working. Regular vacuuming and periodic deep cleaning help maintain a fresh environment. A clean floor not only contributes to a healthier workspace but also creates a more polished, professional atmosphere—especially important if you host virtual meetings or clients. Clean carpets support a clean mindset, helping you stay focused and productive throughout the day.

Utilizing Productivity Apps

Download productivity Apps on your smartphone and make use of them. Productivity Apps can help you set timers for the most important tasks, organize your tasks, or track your performance to help you achieve your weekly or daily targets.

Evernote, Trello, Notion, and Todoist are some of the 'productive' apps you can use.

Change Things Up

Routine can make working from home feel boring—spice things up by changing things up from time to time.

There are many variables to consider. For example, instead of starting your home chores by cleaning utensils, start by vacuuming the floor. Listen to new music, wear something different, or change your diet. Repeating the same thing can become boring, so it's best to change things often.

Set Priorities

Some tasks can wait while others can't. List all the to-do activities in order of priority, with the most urgent tasks at the top and the least important ones at the bottom.

Set a time for each task based on its complexity.

Listing the tasks that need your attention helps you stay organized and motivated. When you mark a completed task as "Done," the list becomes shorter, and you become more motivated.

Take short breaks between complex tasks, such as deep cleaning hardwood floors.

Work On Your Mindset

Setbacks will inevitably arise; don't let them hinder your productivity the next day. Learn from your setbacks and strive to improve. Acknowledge that no one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes.

Change your mindset to focus on improvement and progress. Celebrate every win and improvement by treating yourself to a reward.

Focus on progress, not perfection, and recognize that improvement takes time and requires effort.

Don't be hard on yourself; improvement might take a couple of days, so be patient with yourself.

If you receive criticism from family members or friends, accept it; it's an opportunity to develop yourself.

Plan Ahead

Don't wait until the next day to plan your day; plan ahead. Planning helps you visualize the workload and map your projects, making you mentally prepared.

Planning also helps prevent oversleeping or wasting time deciding what to do on a particular day.

Create a Favorable Schedule

Create a schedule that favors you. Be realistic by creating a workable schedule. According to an article in Business Insider, a sleep doctor states that four types of animals show how we sleep.

According to the article, each person has a unique biological rhythm, known as their chronotype. The chronotype determines how each individual falls asleep at night, when they're most awake, and when they're ready to wake up in the morning.

Based on your biological rhythm, create a schedule that allows you to have sufficient time for rest and complete all allocated tasks without feeling overwhelmed.

Use Proper Tools

Utilizing the right tools, especially when cleaning, could make even the most complex tasks easy. Some activities, like deep cleaning a carpet or steam cleaning it, can be daunting, especially if you're not accustomed to doing them yourself.

If you don't plan to hire cleaning experts to help you while you focus on other less daunting tasks, ensure you have the necessary tools.

Some essential tools for seamless home cleaning include mops and scrub brushes, a hot water extractor, vacuum cleaners, microfiber cloths, gloves, a toilet brush, cleaning solutions, and spray bottles.

The tools you need vary based on what you're cleaning.

Get Up Early

The temptation to switch off the alarm and sleep for another hour is real when you know you're not going to the office.

Unless there's nothing on your to-do list or you feel extremely fatigued, get up early and start working immediately after breakfast.

Start with the morning tasks, such as making breakfast and feeding the baby.

Waking up early in the morning helps you manage your time well and be more productive.

Fewer distractions in the early morning lead to less stress associated with working from home, and you can achieve more in a day.

Minimal stress results in good mental health and a better mood.

Take Breaks

Maximize your productivity by taking short breaks between small tasks. Take longer breaks after an hour or after completing complex tasks. Breaks give you a chance to stop and reflect while your body recharges.

Based on what works for you, you can pet your puppy, play with the kids, eat a snack, make a call, drink, relax during breaks, or check on your kids.

Without breaks, you could experience burnout, which would make it hard to stay productive throughout the day or the next day or week.

Set a timer or alarm on your phone to prevent extending your breaks and remind you when it's time to get to work.

Be Accountable

Let your friends or family know that you have a target and you want to be accountable to them. For example, you can let them know you're participating in a 5-day bedroom cleaning challenge.

Set deadlines for each task. Strive to finish each task within the specified time and avoid procrastinating. You can use these 7 cleaning tips to beat procrastination when working from home.

Share your progress with them and be truthful.

You'll automatically be motivated when friends and family cheer you up after hitting your target.

Take Your Meals at the Same Time

Your day-to-day work may differ, but ensure that your meals are at the same time every day. To make it easy for you, prepare your meals the night before or over the weekend and pack them in a microwave-ready box.

Food gives you the energy to stay productive, but consider your diet and the amount of food you eat carefully. Eating large portions of carbohydrates during the day could make you sleepy, affecting your productivity.

Eat a balanced diet. A diet rich in veggies, proteins, and fruits is essential for a productive day.

Take water while working to stay hydrated.

Seek Help

Burnout can derail you and make it impossible to stay productive. Avoid overworking your body and seek help with complex tasks such as steam cleaning.

Such tasks can wear oneself to a shadow, especially if proper tools such as a carpet cleaner aren't used, or there's a lack of proper skill.

At Zerorez®, we offer professional cleaning services at a reasonable price.

We have tools like a steam cleaner and Zr™ Wand to make complex tasks less time-consuming and tiring.

You can contact us anytime for any service, including cleaning your upholstery, carpet, stone floor, mattress, entire house, or outdoor patio.

Seeking help when you need it can help you stay on track and be more productive.

Heads up: We have recommended the tools and Apps manufactured and developed by others because we think they can help maximize your productivity. We do not endorse or sponsor the tools or Apps we've recommended, and Zerorez is not affiliated with them. Test each tool and App and decide if it fits your needs well.

The Verdict

Working from home offers many benefits, but without a solid routine, smart planning, focus, a balanced diet, regular breaks, productivity tools, and minimal distractions, staying productive can be a real challenge. Most importantly, delegate tasks that require professional skills or commercial tools.

Zerorez has operated for over 20 years and is best positioned to help you with house cleaning services.

Call us at 866-937-6739 and schedule cleaning services whenever you're ready.