Productivity

4 Ways to Stay Productive While Working from Home

Keep it simple, stupid.

The whole pandemic situation has been a real pain in the ass.

Layoffs abound, tenants kicked out from their homes, and even some having to resort to begging for food on the streets.

And then there are some of us who are lucky enough to still have a roof over our heads. Even in a crisis, life goes on, and you’ve still got to earn the bread.

As an insomniac, the lockdown has been particularly harsh on my sleep — I haven’t been able to enjoy proper sleep for the past two months, and I, like many others, have had to make changes to adapt to our “new normal” starting from my daily routine.

If you’re struggling to stay productive, here are a couple of tips that you may want to keep in mind — rest assured, none of them involves waking up at an ungodly hour to meditate.

Wake up at a time that’s suitable for you.

I’m not buying into the whole 5 AM morning routine. That’s nuts, and it isn’t sustainable for some people — especially me. I’ve had my fair share of waking up at the break of dawn to open the doors to my university’s library, and hell, I was grumpy all day.

If you’re not a morning person, create your own evening routine instead. Wake up at 12 PM, or 3 PM, or even 6 PM, as long as you feel refreshed and able to knock things off your to-do list.

It doesn’t make any sense to force yourself to wake up at 5 AM if you’re going to spend the first three hours being groggy and wishing to hell that you’re still in bed.

This is assuming that you don’t have any conference calls at 8 AM, obviously.

With the lockdown, my sleep schedule has gone haywire. I’m now sleeping at 6–7 AM and my waking hours range from 12 PM to 5 PM.

But it doesn’t bother me because as soon as I’m awake, I go straight to my desk and start working. This is because I know that my body has had enough rest, and is ready to tackle whatever I’ve set out to do for the day.

If you’re an early riser, don’t start working immediately.

Before the pandemic, I was an early sleeper and an early riser. I had a strict sleep schedule in which I’d be in bed by 12 AM, and then wake up around 7–8 AM. It became such a habit that I didn’t need an alarm.

The morning hours between 8–10 AM would be the time when I would sit down and appreciate the little things, like having my coffee and breakfast. Sometimes I would read, listen to a podcast, or watch some YouTube to prep my brain for the workday.

Some people like to meditate, some listen to music, some do chores. It’s really up to you.

I treat these morning hours as sacred relaxation time. I don’t look at my phone at all, I don’t check emails, I don’t go on social media. It’s just me and my own space, doing my own thing, enjoying the tranquility.

Take a break.

You know when your body starts feeling sluggish and you feel a wave of drowsiness wash over you in the afternoon? Don’t fight it.

One of the reasons why you’re feeling that way is because your body is using most of its energy to digest your lunch.

So, take advantage of that dip in energy to take a break. Take a nap if you fancy.

I find that taking a 1–2-hour nap around 4–5 PM actually jump starts my productivity.

Whenever I feel like my brain is overflowing with information, and it’s starting to hurt, and that I can’t string two sentences together without a million typos and grammatical errors, I know that it’s a sign that I need rest.

If you don’t need a proper workspace, don’t even bother.

Having your own office set up is nice. I love watching those videos where people exhibit their desktop setups and give viewers a tour of their home office. Many follow a very minimalist design, which I find pleasing to the eye.

But really, if you’re broke or trying to hang on to your emergency funds, especially during this pandemic, why bother looking into buying a brand-new desk just to fit in with your preferred aesthetic?

If you allow the lack of a “proper” workspace deter you from getting any work done, then you’ll never get anything done.

I do work at my desk, on my bed, at the dining table, in the kitchen, living room, outside in the garden — anywhere.

All these fancy workspace setups make you think that you need one when you really don’t.

You have a brain, and that’s a more powerful tool than any adjustable desk, ergonomic chair, or dual monitors.

The best thing you can do to boost your productivity is to listen to your body.

One person’s daily routine may not be suitable for your body, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t be up by 5 AM. I know waking up at that insane hour would wreck my mental health — I’d be more of a hazard than an asset, and that does no good to anyone.

The best routine is the one that works for you, and what you find comfortable.