How to be productive when working from home

A friend who’s new to working from home because of Covid-19 asked me for my tips on working from home. I’ve been working from home as a freelance writer since 2005, and here are my top 5 tips (many of them learned the hard way).

1. Be most creative when you’re most creative

Everyone’s got a time or a situation when the inspiration just flows. You may be a morning person, a night owl, or you might get your best ideas in the shower or while taking a walk. Whatever that looks like for you, being productive starts by seizing those creative inspirations.

I’m definitely a morning person, so my ideal schedule usually includes a morning slot for writing, and an afternoon slot for editing. For me, that’s the best way to tap into the creative flow. Sure, I’ve written in the afternoon and even at night before, but usually the next day I end up discarding most of what I’ve done.

That’s why writing in the morning is simply more efficient for me. That also means that if I really want to get something done, I’ve got to resist the temptation to start my day by checking news, social media, or email. Those can end up being a time sink, and they hamper creativity, rather than aiding it.

2. Schedule sensibly

Speaking of scheduling, it’s best to create a schedule that suits how you work and what you can reasonably expect to achieve in a day. That word “reasonably” is key.

Sometimes you feel like you can do more than you actually can. It’s a common problem for people new to freelancing or working from home. Back in 2006, I remember a week where I had 100+ short articles to write. I met my deadline, but felt brain-dead for days afterwards, after a week of late nights. I don’t do that anymore.

Most days, my schedule includes no more than four tasks, sometimes fewer. Those could be:

● Draft an article, edit an article, research and outline an article

● Edit two articles, research an article pitch, outline an article

● Draft two articles

There are other tasks that aren’t always on the schedule, mostly related to marketing my business and staying current with my niches. I don’t include scanning digital marketing headlines as a task, but I do it every workday. And I also check social media, because it’s not just leisure, but my business. However, those tasks are secondary to my core tasks of writing and editing articles. In other words, part of being productive is prioritizing.

The point is that at the end of each day, rather than having an accusing list of undone to-dos, I can see what I’ve achieved.

There’s one more thing to know about scheduling: if you’re going to do it right, you need to know how long tasks take. If you’re anything like me, you start out with a vague idea. The best way to firm that up is to track your time with RescueTime for a couple of weeks. By the end, you’ll know how long you spend on your core tasks, and can adjust your work schedule accordingly. (It’s also great for helping you figure out where you’re wasting time, so you can cut down on non-productive activities.)

3. Work when you’re working

I get it; it can be hard to stay focused, especially if you’re new to working from home. I’ve worked from home since my daughter was a toddler, so I understand how distracting that can be. And I also know that having other people in the house who have a claim on your time and attention can also get in the way of being productive and efficient.

When my daughter was young, I’d split my time between work sessions and play sessions. I got things done, and also gave her some attention. I explained that if I didn’t work, then I wouldn’t be able to buy treats, so she learned not to disturb me. I’m not saying it worked perfectly, but it helped.

These days, if I don’t want to be disturbed (for example, if I know I have a call coming up or something I want to focus on), I announce it to the people I live with. I let them know I’ll be busy at a certain time, and I might shut my office door. If you’re able to have a door you can shut or lock, it’s pretty useful for keeping distractions at bay. Even if you don’t, let your distractions and your significant other know you’re unavailable, put on some noise-cancelling headphones, and get to work.

4. Use the right productivity tools

You can also be more productive when working from home with the right tools. I like to keep things simple, so I don’t use an external to-do list app, or even a document or notebook. Instead, everything goes in my Google Calendar — using events as tasks.

Most writing jobs include several tasks. For example, I might pitch an idea in a couple of lines, do a more detailed outline, draft it, do a second draft, and then deliver. Each of these has a separate calendar entry. That makes it easy for me to see what I need to achieve each day.

My calendar setup also includes a work calendar, a family calendar, and holiday calendars for the countries I work with most. That makes it easy to visualize and balance family commitments with work commitments, and to know when I’m not likely to get responses from clients because they’re on holiday.

Though I originally got it because of a carpal tunnel issue, Dragon NaturallySpeaking has proved to be a great productivity tool. That’s because it really speeds up the writing process by allowing me to talk in my first draft. I reckon that saves me 15 minutes in every hour, and it’s part of the reason I’m so productive — more than a million words in the last couple of years, and counting.

And my third tool is Scrivener, for keeping track of all my writing work. Though it started as novel writing software, it can be used for planning any written work, whether that’s a blog post, a proposal, or a research paper.

Check out some of my other go-to tools.

5. Prioritize self-care

Last, but not least, here’s another thing I learned the hard way: taking care of yourself is not optional. If you don’t do it (or at least if I don’t do it) you risk mental exhaustion and physical decline.

A couple years ago I had a job which kept my nose to the grindstone most days. Over time, I exercised less and snacked more so I could get the work done. By the end, I was having headaches every day, I’d gained 20 pounds and my knees were painful. It’s taken me two years to get back to something that feels more normal. It’s another mistake I won’t make again.

Now I exercise 5 times a week — nothing huge, just a walk and some abs exercises. I make sure to take a half hour lunch break each day. I get up and walk around when I hit the mid-morning creative slump. When I can, I go to the beach, which is my happy place. I take time to connect with friends and family, and I read daily.

Whatever self-care looks like for you, build that into your schedule. And if, right now, you can’t get your usual massage, pedicure or manicure, have a luxurious bath or shower, or give yourself a treat at the end of the week.

Final thoughts

There’s one last thing to say about work from home productivity: it will look different for everyone. If it’s not what you’re used to, it’ll take you a while to operate at the same efficiency level as when you’re in your office. And if you’re also an extrovert, and need that external stimulation, it might be even more difficult. In a global pandemic,everything has changed. Be kind to yourself, and recognize that any achievement is a win.