Tips on Staying Productive When Working from Home

These days, many event planners have the liberty to either work remotely or freelance from home. These work-from-homers are split down the middle as either being really good at it or not at all. You’ve got the person who gets distracted easily from the television and household chores seem to take over the day. And then you’ve got the person who works so feverishly that they look up 12 hours later and haven’t gone outside, eaten, or changed out of their pajamas.

No matter who you are, we’re here to help you out of any bad habits you’ve created and live a balanced work-at-home life.

Plan your day.

You probably know what projects and deadlines you have for the day but it’s, most likely, jumbled up in your head. Well, that helps no one. Write down or type a daily to-do list and plot out how much time each project will take. If needed, set appointments in your schedule to block off time for certain tasks. People do it in offices and it works, so why not try it from home too.

Plan a morning routine.

Make it a priority to set a routine around “getting ready” for work. Eat breakfast and take a shower. Give yourself some time to wake up. And then, go out to get some coffee to simulate a morning commute. Allowing time to start the day will set you up to be more productive than just opening your eyes and turning on your computer.

Set Alarms.

If you’re a freelancer, the phrase “time is money” is more relevant than ever. When you’re working on a project, set a timer so that you understand how many hours a project takes. When time is up, move on to the next project. It might cause a little stress at first, but you’ll get used it. You want to make sure you’re not over-servicing the client by working over the agreed upon hours for the project. Because then your rate goes down and that’s no beuno.

Make time for you.

Just because you’ve been awarded the luxury for working from home, doesn’t mean you have to punish yourself from breaks and taking time for yourself. If you were working in an office, you’d probably spend some time shopping online, emailing friends, stepping outside for a break, or going to the gym. Make sure you incorporate those things into your workday at home too!

Go somewhere else.

If working from home is distracting, leave! Some people do great work from public spaces, so try a collaborative working space, coffee shop, or library.