Working from home has its own perks. Yet, looking for the best work from home tips is also understood. We all want that.

The freedom of waking up and going to bed. The choice to wear pajamas over wearing a suit. Sipping your favorite home-brewed coffee with freshly-baked muffins, or maybe, eggs. Relaxing on your bed with two pillows, or maybe, your lounge couch. Taking those small ten minutes mini-breaks to re-energize. And, talking to your children, family or spouse over food, movies, weekend plans or maybe, planning the next travel trip.

The work from home environment is overall so comforting. You are not pressurized. You are in your easy zone. 

But, there is still a problem.

And, what’s that?

For some, work from home kills their productivity. And, that’s the reason, some prefer to go to the nearest cafes, or pay for workspaces. But, there are many people like me, who work from home and are always looking for ways to increase productivity.

If you are still unsure about what to do at home, here are the best freelance services you can offer from home to make money.

The best Work from home tips to increase productivity

So, this post is for you if you are looking for the best work from home tips to increase productivity and help you get more work done in less time.

And, yeah, blogging is one of the best ways to work from home. If you haven’t yet considered to start a blog, then this is right time to think so.

Here are some work from home tips for you;

1- Set a routine for yourself

When you work from home, you need to set your own routine. A home is a place for family, children and all the members. Everyone is living the way they want. Everyone wants to enjoy their own space. The parents wake up early while children eat breakfast late. Then, there are house chores and all the noise while children play.

In that case, you don’t demand an office environment when you are working from home. It’s everyone’s place. 

It’s when you need a good work routine. Create your own working environment. It starts with having a balanced morning and evening routine. From the time you wake up till you slide into your bed, there needs to be a regular schedule.

Decide how you are going to perform your task while being at home. Every person works differently. Some are morning persons while others are night owls. Do what works best for you.

Want to read how working schedules look like? Read this interview by a blogging friend who works from home and run an online business. Tiffany talks about her typical work routine. Reading these kinds of interviews is a good way to look at other routines and how they are productive.

2- Dress Up 

Working from home doesn’t mean spending your whole day in the nightwears. It doesn’t help. It even makes you lazy and sluggish all day.

It may look comfy for a few days but then, you will find your body acting lazy. Take a fresh shower. Change your clothes. Wear something that makes you active and ready to go. Make your hairs. Wear perfume. 

“On days when you do not need to interface visually with clients or coworkers, I think wearing your favorite sweats can feel incredibly relaxing and put you in the perfect serene mood to dive in and get a ton of work done with maybe a bit of extra time to meditate or do yoga somewhere in your day,” said Leesa Evans, a Hollywood costume designer, in this article.

I also found this new article where experts discuss several tips on how to dress while working from home.

It is also noted that clothes help to set the mood and boost the confidence to work. Whether you wear a basic t-shirt with jeans, or a kurta with shalwar, it will definitely help you be more productive. And, it’s nothing bad to be clean and wear comfy work attire.

I learned it the hard way but I do encourage wearing smart casual clothes when working from home. I feel the work environment when I put on some nice clothes. No fancy outfits. Just something that’s not your nightwear 🙂

3- Don’t Skip Breakfast

Most people who work from home skip their breakfast meals. They think it’s a waste of time, and your body doesn’t need breakfast to function. For me, it’s a must-have morning meal. I might take it after 2 hours of waking up but I never skip breakfast and my jumbo cup of tea.

A healthy morning meal boosts energy levels and also balances the supply of glucose. When you eat breakfast, you are preparing your body for the whole day. Whether you work from home, or not, it kicks your metabolism. 

4- Dedicate Working Hours

One of the best work from home tips is to dedicate working hours. One needs to choose a schedule and the total number of hours required. Once you have decided to put x hours, you are committed to finish your work.

Let’s say. You are a morning person. You should know how many hours do you need daily to get your work done. Once, you know the number of hours, just set aside those hours. These are your working hours. Those 9 hours are tight and committed. 

As working from home comes with unwilling distractions, it’s important to compensate for those working hours. When we pick 8 working hours, you need to cut out time for eating, washroom breaks, coffee breaks, and mini talks with kids or family. All those interactions might be a hindrance to you.

In this interview with Amira, she talks about her typical routine and the amount of working hours. Read this interview to get inspired and how she manages to work from home.

5- Set a Working Area

It’s not compulsory to have a home office but a working environment helps to improve productivity. Everybody loves to be comfy on their couches but sooner or later, it somehow kills productivity. 

You don’t have to make a separate room but a small designated area that gives you work vibes. Maybe, a room corner with less noise and disturbance. Or, the upstairs room. Or, it could be a desk and a chair. This article features 13 best home office essentials for ideal workspace.

But, as we work from home, we always have this freedom to roam around with the laptop or any other equipment and do the work. In the evenings, the lawn or any outdoor location is the ideal workplace. If you are looking to invest in a good laptop then make sure to check out this article on best laptop for blogging.

6- Be Fit and Exercise

Did you know that one of the biggest drawbacks of working from home is health and fitness disorders? It’s very common. Most people are glued to their chairs, beds or even couches all through the day. 

Take out 10-15 minutes daily for stretches, walk or body fitness. Do whatever you feel like doing. Make sure you are stretching your body parts a bit.

7- Take Mini breaks

You will most likely drain your body energy if you continuously work. As you enjoy the freedom of working from home, so make sure you take mini breaks to refreshen yourself. For example, Muslims offer prayers and get connected to Almighty. It takes some 10-15 minutes to say evening prayers and these are so helpful. 

You can do anything to ease your body and brain. Talk to someone. Play with your kids. Make tea. Do exercise. Do some stretching. Eat a meal. Cook something.

Treat these 10-15 minutes mini-breaks as energy pills to reactivate your body. 

8- Cut Distractions

It sounds easy and feasible to work from home. But, it’s a little hard to be productive all the time. The most advisable thing is to cut distractions and get focused. Depending on your home environment, and family, here are a few things that might help you;

• Play background music to avoid noise
• Use handsfree
• Batch tasks
• Distract yourself from family members
• Turn off social media and other necessary tabs
• Choose 2-3 working areas so that your work is not compromised
• Turn off your phone
• Limit your interaction and conversation
• Don’t eat all the time

The point here is to cut down your time doing other not-so-necessary things. Every 10-minute task is eating your time. So, ensure that you are spending working hours wisely.

9- Make Friends with People who work from home

This is the best work from home tip for you.

You might know a friend, or a neighbor or someone in your career who also works from home. Be friends with them. You are most likely to share the same routines, schedules struggles and also share the willingness to motivate each other. Just like colleagues.

In the blogging and online business world, it’s all about connectivity and blogging networks. That way, we discuss everything. That also includes working schedules and routines. By knowing how others are working from home, you also get other ideas and new ways. Because the other person understands your concerns and problems more. 

Similarly, it’s important for you to get connected with people who are in your field or work from home. If you don’t have blogging friends then here are tips to grow your blogging network.

10- Use Online Tools and Apps

Do you want to add more hours to your day to get work done? 

Everybody wants that. The simplest way to improve your efficiency and work smarter is by using online tools. Nowadays, it’s all about smart devices, apps, and technology. A person living in the other corner of the world can conduct a live summit and operate a giant business from his home with the help of technology.

As there are online apps to manage tasks, clean up the desktop, set reminders, track progress, organize meetings, manage a team and smart workflows, it gets easier to increase productivity while working from home. 

There are lots of other productivity apps like todoist, Slack, Trello and Momento etc. Every small app has a purpose. Some are free while others are premium. But, it’s so worth using those apps. It literally saves your time and energy. 

Some other apps are loop, forest, Spark, Serene etc

11- Set Boundaries

Among the first few things, it’s also important to set boundaries while you work from home. Make things clear to yourself. Set your own priorities and preferences. In order to get work done, you need to maintain a distance with family and all other things during your work hours. 

Define boundaries to yourself. Choose a place where you distract others less. Make your family or roommate understand you. 

12- Feel Healthy and Clean

Most people just get so busy with the work that they easily ignore health, and cleanliness. It’s okay if you are comfy in your pajamas but also know that the day passes so quickly and you don’t want to end up smelling by the end of the day. It won’t give a nice feeling to you and the family members.

Feel clean.
Take fresh air.
Eat healthy.
Drink water.
Be active.
Take adequate sleep.

All these small practices impact your work routines.

13- A line between Work and Personal Life

Draw a soft line between work and personal life. Remember to act professionally even if you are working from home. Make your wife, parents or siblings understand you. Set hours when you make healthy family conversions. Tell your busy hours when you don’t want to get disturbed. 

14- Don’t change your Eating Habits

When I was drafting this piece, I also asked my brother in law to share one tip as he is working from home during the pandemic. And, he said, ‘Don’t change your eating habits even if you work from home’. That means you don’t have to make your bodies full of meals and caffeine. It will just make your body feel inactive and you will work less. Don’t adopt new eating habits. Avoid munching.

If you start taking 3-4 meals while working from home then it’s going to be hard for you to feel active, and energetic. Your body will be lousy and sleepy. 

Take fewer meals. 

15- Reward System

Another work from home tip to try is to create a reward system. I personally like this way of treating yourself. This is a simple way to push yourself to get things done on time. You can even do things that you have been procrastinating from months, or more and reward yourself after you finish the work.

Once you finish your necessary project or work call, go to your park for a 20-minute walk or grab a healthy snack. Maybe, book a spa-appointment or watch a movie.

These basic reward systems help you get things faster.

Still, need work from home tips? Well, it’s time to have a mindset

Nowadays, it’s not about a few people who work from home. It’s getting quite common to run a business from home, or offer a freelance service from home.

With over multiple freelance job websites available, one can easily choose a skill and apply to websites online. It can be a great side hustle too or even a full-time business.

It starts with a smart mindset to work from home. Keeping a balance between home and work can be difficult at times but the above work from home tips is a good start.

Would you share your best work from home tips in the comments below?

Everyone has different habits and ideas that perform well for them. Drop your ideas or any advice below. I would like to read them too 🙂