6 Tips to Stay Productive Working From Home

I got nothing done when I first started working from home. I would sleep in, watch daytime television, and have a hard time dragging myself away from the comfort of the sofa. After a few days of bumming around, I was feeling lazy and disappointed in myself.

When you work for yourself, there is no one to keep you on track. No one is keeping tabs on you, checking your progress, or giving you deadlines. If you want anything to get done, the planning and execution is entirely up to you.

After nearly 4 years of working from home, my system is still forever changing. Especially when I became a mom!

There are 6 things that have always worked for me and I’m sharing them with you today!

Get into a routine.
Wake up at the same time everyday. Brew yourself a cup of coffee and have some breakfast. Give yourself a start time and make sure you are at your desk by that time.

Take breaks.
After completing each task, take a small break. For example, I wrote a blog post this morning, took a 10 minute break to have a PB&J sandwich and play with STS Pup, and am back to write this post now. Small breaks throughout the day will keep you from burning out.

Munch on snacks.
When I am experiencing a mental block, I like to start snacking. It’s a mindless activity that won’t distract me like going on Facebook would. Make sure your snacks are healthy and don’t weigh you down! I like trail mix and fruit. (Okay, the occasional Kit-Kat sneaks its way in, too!)

Exercise.
Exercise is my answer to almost everything. I don’t go all out and hit the gym every day, but I find that staying active actually boosts my productivity for work and housework. I try to walk a mile daily. I also have light dumbbells for a small workout at home. It gets the blood pumping and brain juices flowing.

Track your time.
There are many benefits of tracking your time. Increased productivity is just one of them. I use Toggl to track my time spent working. It helps me stay on track when I know a timer is running in the background.

Make an appointment.
This one serves two purposes. One, making an appointment at the end of your workday means you must complete your work by that time. Two, if your appointment is something fun, like a date with an old friend, it will give you something to look forward to after a hard day at work.

What do you do to stay productive at work?