How To Increase Your Work Productivity at Home: 5 Life-Changing Tips

Alright guys and gals…..let’s talk work! I know, I know…..you’re probably looking for ways to distract yourself from all the work you have to do.

 

 

You want to kick back, unwind, and binge watch some Netflix. Trust me….we all do!

 

 

But the reality of life is that we all have work that needs to get done.

 

 

It can either take hours and hours and hours….OR….. we can find different ways to increase productivity so that we can spend some time doing other things we love (like cooking and netflixing 😉).

 

 

Whether you are a student or the normal working human being, being productive is KEY in being able to fit a lot of things in your day.

 

 

I don’t know about you, but I want to budget my time to where I can exercise, cook, study, chill, and do all sorts of stuff in only 24 hours.

 

 

You may be thinking: “Well, I’m already productive and getting my work done on time.”

 

 

That may be true. But…are you maximizing your hours by getting the most done in the least amount of time?

 

 

THAT is the key question.

 

 

What’s amazing is that we all can get SO much done in one day when we pay attention to our personal work and study habits.

 

 

Unfortunately, some habits are just wasting your time. We don’t want that!

 

 

As a college student, I went through that “I don’t feel like doing work” phase. Everybody does at some point.

 

 

But….with certain productivity habits, it won’t be so dreadful to get some work done.

 

 

That being said, I’m going to share my top 5 tips on how to increase work productivity at home. I have consistently implemented these on a daily basis, and lemme tell you….

 

 

BOOM! Mind blown! They actually work….go figure!

 

 

If you implement these simple tips, you’ll slowly but surely see your work efficiency AND your free time increase!

 

 

Without further ado, let’s get into the must-try hacks!

 

 

1. Get out of bed!

 

 

You’re probably thinking, “Well duh! This is the most obvious thing ever!”

 

 

Actually….it’s not.

 

 

I can’t tell you how many people I know who work or study INSIDE their comfortable, warm, cozy bed sheets.

 

 

This is the absolute WORST thing you can do for your concentration. How are you going to get any productive work done if your in a “sleepy” environment?

 

 

In order to maximize your time working, you have to create a space that allows you to focus.

 

 

Let’s be real…..the inside of a comfortable bed is NOT that place.

 

 

All you’ll feel like doing is going to sleep because…obviously….beds make you drowsy!

 

 

This is where the first and most basic tip comes into play: GET OUT OF BED!

 

 

Under no circumstances should you be working where you sleep.

 

 

Instead, try finding a well-lit space where you can sit down in a proper chair and grind out that work. I usually recommend the kitchen table, a designated office space, or a personal desk area near a window.

 

 

 

When you place yourself in a proper environment, you pave the way to productivity and success!!

 

 

2. Work in sessions

 

 

I have found this next tip to be UBER important for productivity, especially because it allows my brain to take a break every once in a while.

 

 

It does you know good to binge-work or binge-study for 8 hours straight with no break. Our brains need decompression, rest, and refueling in order to produce the best work possible.

 

 

This means that you should not be studying more than a few hours at a time. I recommend at maximum of 2 hours before taking a 15 to 20-minute break.

 

 

So….how does this help productivity?

 

 

Working or studying in sessions basically lets you apply bursts of brain power to whatever you’re doing.

 

 

If you try and cram everything into a study session of 8 hours without a break….you’ll burn out. It’s plain and simple.

 

 

What you should be doing is studying in sections: 1-2 hours of work with anywhere from 15-30 minute breaks in between.

 

 

During your breaks, try and do something calming and relaxing. Take a walk. Go for a run. Take a power nap. Do some baking. Anything!

 

 

The point of a rest period is to allow your brain to refuel and decompress so that your next work or study session will be just as productive!

 

 

3. Say Goodbye to the Phone

 

 

Yep….you heard me! I know it’s difficult to part with the beloved cellphone these days, but it’s a must here.

 

 

We all love the Gram. We all love snapchat. We all love perusing Youtube for hours and hours.

 

 

Trust me…I’m a Youtube addict! I could spend hours just on that one app.

 

 

But when it comes to getting work done efficiently and productively, cellphones are your worst enemy!

 

 

Go ahead and get them out of your study space!

 

 

There is no way you are going to get good quality work done if you are checking your snaps and text messages every five minutes.

 

 

Don’t worry…..we’ve all done it before. It’s 2020. Technology is a part of our lives now.

 

 

But it’s important to realize how counterproductive phones can be when you’re supposed to be getting things done.

 

 

Now….if you want to snap your bff’s during your rest period, go for it!

 

 

If chilling on your phone is the best way for you to decompress after a study period, more power to ya!

 

 

Every person is going to have a different way of using their free time. BUT….when you’re studying or working, that cellphone should be nowhere near you.

 

 

This is a tip I take to heart now. Every time I sit down to get work done, my phone is always placed in another room.

 

 

It may sound excessive and dreadful….but it’s one of the best ways to get the most done in the least amount of time.

 

 

I promise you can go cellphone free for an hour or two. It may be hard at first, but stick with it! You’ll find that your work is at its best when you and your cellphone are broken up 😉

 

 

4. Plan Ahead

 

 

 

Plan, plan, plan, and plan! Did I say plan?

 

 

I can’t stress how much easier it is to get work done when you know everything you have to get done in that specific day.

 

 

Now, let’s be honest. A lot people out there are not planners by nature. A lot of you may have a tendency to procrastinate and wait until the last second to get things done.

 

 

By all means, if that works for you…keep at it!

 

 

But I can guarantee your life would be so much less stressful if you organized your work ahead of time. Not only would you make more free time for yourself, but you’d avoid the headache of having to get EVERYTHING done in one sitting.

 

 

Depending on whether you’re a student or working full-time, sometimes planning your work ahead of time can get tricky.

 

 

In that case, do what you can!

 

 

I recommend purchasing a planner where you can make a to-do list for everyday of the week. For example, I’ll sit down for 15 minutes on Sunday and plan out all the work I have to get done that upcoming week.

 

 

If I have tests or papers due on certain days, I’ll plan ahead to complete a bit of work every day.

 

 

Doing this will do two amazing things for you.

 

 

First, planning ahead will make sure you don’t miss any important deadlines for work or school.

 

 

Second, organizing your time in advance will help you layout EXACTLY what you need to do on each day of the week. This will save you the headache of trying to figure out what to do in your work or study sessions each day.

 

 

For a lot of people, becoming a planner will take time and effort. If it’s against your nature to think ahead, that’s ok!

 

 

If I can do it, so can you. Start implementing this “plan ahead” strategy step by step.

 

 

You can begin by thinking one day ahead. Then, move to a few days ahead. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself being able to plan a week or even months ahead of time!

 

 

Little by little, you’ll see how beneficial it can be to look ahead of schedule and layout your work or study schedule.

 

 

Trust me on this one!

 

 

Planning = Productivity 😊

 

 

5. Sleep, Sleep, and More Sleep

 

 

You heard right! Sleep….how can that be a bad thing?

 

 

So many people don’t realize how much sleep affects EVERYTHING.

 

 

By everything….I literally mean EVERYTHING!

 

 

Being productive requires an energized brain. An energized brain requires rest. Rest comes from…..SLEEP!

 

 

You guessed it folks!

 

 

There is literally no way to get good quality work done efficiently if you are sleep deprived. We all love to Netflix and Chill until 2 in the morning, but that is really bad for you in the long run.

 

 

I’m one of those people who HAS to have their sleep. I’m talking a good 7 to 8 hours at least. I can immediately feel it in my body when I’m drained of rest.

 

 

I know those health commercials may be annoying, but there is a reason every doctor or health guru stresses the importance of getting 8 hours of sleep.

 

 

Think of sleep as the foundation of a house. The whole structure will fall without a strong base. For us humans, sleep is our foundation. Period. The end.

 

 

It is going to be so much more difficult for you to wake up and conquer a productive day if you’ve only slept 4-5 hours.

 

 

That’s just a fact.

 

 

I know it may sound dreadful to go to bed early, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still chill at night and watch some TV.

 

 

Instead of going to bed super late, make the effort to sleep an hour or two earlier than you’re used to. Over time, the idea of going to bed before 1 a.m. will get a lot easier to grasp.

 

 

It’s possible….I promise. I LOVE to unwind at night with some Netflix and Youtube on my phone…. BUT, I create a cut off time for myself. When it reaches 11 p.m., I start getting myself ready to get in bed and decompress.

 

 

Just the act of climbing in bed will get you used to the idea of sleeping earlier. Once you hit those comfortable sheets, you’ll knock right out!

 

 

This tip can be really hard to implement, especially that so many of us are stuck to our phones at night.

 

 

Like I’ve said with the other 4 tips, start step by step. It’s not an all or nothing situation.

 

 

If you’re used sleeping at 2 a.m., try cutting back to 1 a.m. Once you’ve mastered that, aim for 12 p.m. Repeat the cycle until you are getting at least a full 8 hours of sleep.

 

 

It’s doable. It’s essential. It’s a game changer for becoming a productive human being.

 

 

Get sleeping!!

 

 

There you have it. Those are the 5 best tips for increasing your productivity at home.

 

 

I know some of them may sound boring or basic or annoying.

 

 

But ya gotta do the work in order to see results.

 

 

It can be really overwhelming to get all of this information at once. I totally get it!

 

 

 

So, start with working on the first tip. Then, slowly include the second tip. Over time, you can gradually make your way towards conquering all five of these tips in order to improve your productivity, whether you are working or studying.

 

 

It may sound like a lot, but we’ve all been there. Don’t worry!

 

 

You can do it! You can do it! You can do it!

 

 

Be consistent, and you’ll be a productivity-powered machine in no time!

 

 

Feel free to leave a comment about your thoughts and topics YOU want to hear about!

 

 

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