December was a pretty relaxed month for me. Â I finished up many of my final projects for school ahead of time, I took on less blogging partnerships, and I decided to completely take a break from my computer for two weeks while visiting my family in Indiana.
Now that it’s January, I feel like I’m chomping at the bit and ready to tackle all.the.things this year (within reason of course!).
Working from home and being a student from home has it’s perks, but self-motivation is definitely necessary.
This post is sponsored by NOW Foods as part of an ongoing partnership.  All opinions and advice are original content.
Here are 6 of my favorite tips for being productive while working from home:
This is something I am really focusing on this month. Â I always have some form of routine in the morning, but sometimes that routine includes immediately jumping on my computer and responding to e-mails. Â I’ve noticed that I feel SO much better when I take a little “me” time first thing in the morning. Â My current favorite morning routine is:
Doing these three things really help me keep a positive mindset throughout the day, allow my body to feel its best, and keep me focused later on in the day.
*I sent out an e-mail last week discussing this goal!
This one is totally a personal preference thing, but I found that on days when I don’t shower and get ready I feel kind of crumby.  When I shower and get dressed in the morning, my mood is lifted, I feel energized, and I am so much happier.  A happier me allows me to get more work done and feel good about the work I do.
I am the type of worker who will literally work until the project is done. Â Initially, this may sound like a good thing, but it’s really not a balanced approach for living life especially when the tasks or projects aren’t due right then.
Breaking the day into segments (i.e. 9-11am schoolwork, 1-3pm blog work, etc) allows me to have mini deadlines, be more efficient with my time, and less stressed. Â It also makes the day more enjoyable and allows for variety in the day.
Because I have two dogs, I schedule my breaks around walking the dogs. Â This helps me get movement into my daily routine, breathe fresh air, and spend time with my pups!! Win, win, win. Â If I don’t actually schedule the breaks into my day, then I don’t take them. Â When that happens, the dogs are crazy (they need lots of attention and exercise), I get cranky, and my body feels stiff.
I’m constantly working on this one and some days are better than others. Â Typically, I set my clock out time for 5pm or 6pm depending on when Brian will be home. Â This allows me to actually be present when making dinner and spending time with Brian and the pups in the evening, and it forces me to be more productive during the hours when I am “clocked in.”
It’s really a mental game with myself. Â Of course, there are days when I need to take a test after dinner, write a blog post, or participate in an evening event but on all the other days clocking out is essential.
Being around clutter really stresses me out, so I make sure to set aside time each week to clean and I make sure to put all of my blog supplies, school books, notebooks, etc away when I am finished with that part of my day.
Ready to tackle your goals? Try these productivity tips! Share on XAnother essential part of my setup are NOW Foods essential oils. Having a fresh scent in my space helps me feel refreshed, focused and energized.  Recently, I’ve been loving Pine Needle Oil and Balsam Fir Needle Oil.  Both have a woodsy scent that reminds me of winter and Christmas.
Tips for increasing productivity while working remote. Share on XBased on this post, here are a few similar ones you should check out.
Leave a comment
These are great tips Tara! This article really spoke to me since I also work from home & am a student from home. Breaking the day into chunks dedicated to each “job” I do will be so helpful for me going into this new year!
Thank you, Emily!! Glad I could help you out! I completely understand the juggling act of being a student and working from home 🙂
I always thought working from home would be so great but I can easily imagine the day getting away from me if I didn’t keep a tight schedule. For me, numbers 5 & 6 would be key!
The days really do fly if I’m not focused!
I recently started working from home and have been seriously struggling. Thank you for the tips!
Working from home sounds way more glamorous than it really is. Glad you liked these tips!
I work from home too these days and I’ve found basically all of these to be helpful!
Thanks, Rebecca! Glad to hear it!
Great tips, Tara. I definitely need that “me” time to focus in the morning before jumping into work!
Thanks, Kim!! 🙂
Great tips. I can be so unproductive at home, but I think getting ready makes a difference. I’m guilty for staying in my pajamas and that just makes me want to cuddle up on the couch instead of work.
I feel so silly saying it, but getting ready makes SUCH a difference for me!