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Last Updated on December 28, 2020 by Work In My Pajamas
Do you tend to put things off? You’re not alone. Twenty percent of people consider themselves to be procrastinators.
And if you earn a living from home, you may find it’s really hard to get work done. Ignoring the urge to check Facebook, watch a cat video, or head to the store can be really challenging, especially without a boss around.
Beating procrastination isn’t impossible, but it does take some effort on your part to make sure work gets done.
Here are 12 work from home tips to help you kick procrastination to the curb.
In This Post:
- 1. Work When You’re Most Energetic
- 2. Reward Yourself
- 3. Change Up the Scenery
- 4. Organize Your Work Space
- 5. Structure Your Work Day
- 6. Make Sure Others Respect Your Work Time
- 7. Shut Off Social Media and Your Phone
- 8. Have a Good Morning Routine
- 9. Invest in Noise Canceling Headphones
- 10. Learn How to Make Your Work From Home Business More Efficient
- 11. Set Goals
- 12. Take Breaks
- Follow These Work From Home Tips to Beat Procrastination
1. Work When You’re Most Energetic
Some of us are early risers, and love getting work done around 5 AM before the kids are awake.
Others are night owls, getting into their groove around 8 PM.
Luckily, many of us who work from home have the freedom to work whenever we want. It’s also very hard for us to change our natural body clock.
Instead of fighting it, try getting work done when your energy and focus is at its highest. You may find it’s easier to focus and get more done.
2. Reward Yourself
You really want to watch a music performance of your favorite singer or scroll Instagram to see what your friends are up to, but you also need to meet your weekly quota. Try getting something done first and then reward yourself by watching a video or going for a walk.
This one does take willpower, but knowing there’s something fun to do after your work task can motivate you to get ‘er done.
3. Change Up the Scenery
Is your home office just getting too boring to sit in for hours at a time? Maybe it’s time to tote the laptop to the nearest coffee shop, outside, or even just a different part of the home.
Changing your work environment up a bit may be just what you need to give your motivation a boost.
4. Organize Your Work Space
Office workers aren’t as productive when their workspace is disorganized. It makes sense that you won’t get as much done if your home office area is messy and dirty.
Take the time to remove clutter, clean your desk, put the dirty coffee mugs in the dishwasher, and do whatever else needs to be done to make the area presentable. Making your workspace productive and inspiring makes settling down to do work more enjoyable.
5. Structure Your Work Day
If you are most productive during regular 9 to 5 hours, then planning your day as you would at an office helps you get more accomplished.
For example, you can plan on working from 9 AM to 10:30 AM, then taking a 15-minute break to grab a cup of coffee and stretch your legs. Run any errands during your lunch hour, then aim to be working again by 1 PM.
It also helps to have an ending time, just like you would at an office. Powering down the computer at 5 PM can encourage you to stay focused through the afternoon.
6. Make Sure Others Respect Your Work Time
One of the biggest challenges about working from home is dealing with distractions from any loved ones who are present. You may need to communicate with others that you’re not to be disturbed during a certain time frame unless it’s an emergency.
You may also need to keep the door shut for periods so your kitty or dog can’t bother you until it’s time to feed and walk them.
Nothing can be more distracting than a cat who loves to walk across your keyboard or a dog who wants to play.
7. Shut Off Social Media and Your Phone
Make it harder to hop on social media to see what others are up to by logging yourself out. The extra step of having to enter your password may discourage you from checking it until your break or the end of the day.
This goes for your phone as well. In fact, logging yourself out of all apps on your phone may be necessary to stay on schedule and increase your productivity.
While you’re at it, don’t feel guilty about shutting off your phone completely or at least setting the ringtone to vibrate. You can check for messages and return calls during your break or lunch period.
8. Have a Good Morning Routine
Start your day off right by having a healthy breakfast, drinking some water, and stretching. Then make sure you get showered, washed, and are settled at your home workstation by a designated time.
While it’s OK to work in your pajamas if you want to (it is the name of this blog, after all) sometimes feeling pulled together is what you need to do to get into the work groove.
9. Invest in Noise Canceling Headphones
If you’re trying to get work done when kids are present, you may want to invest in some noise canceling headphones. This is only recommended, of course, if your kids are old enough that they no longer require nonstop supervision.
10. Learn How to Make Your Work From Home Business More Efficient
All of us can learn tips and tricks on how to make a home business more efficient, therefore freeing up time.
For example, there are many tips to be learned for those who list items for sale on Amazon that can increase sales.
Whatever it is that you do from home to make money, try to find out what computer shortcuts you can use to get more done during the day. Even side hustles can be done more efficiently.
11. Set Goals
Write down a few achievable goals each day that you know you can accomplish by the time your work day is through. Having a physical list of things you wish to get done in front of you can help you see them through.
12. Take Breaks
Perhaps the most important tip to avoid procrastination when working from home is to take breaks. Take a lunch break and smaller breaks during the day to refresh your mind.
Working eight hours straight, even from home, can be stressful and cause you to make mistakes. Taking breaks gives you a little reprieve to look forward to and boosts your productivity.
Follow These Work From Home Tips to Beat Procrastination
Following these 12 work from home tips should help you defeat procrastination and accomplish more.
Whether you have your own home based business or you’re a contract employee, you’ll find you get more done during the day when you stick to a schedule and have a quiet, clean workspace.
Here at Work In My Pajamas, we love showing people the benefits of earning an income from the comfort of their home. Are you ready to give up the daily grind of commuting to work?
Check out our five secret tips for starting a home business.
