Written By: Girl Tyler

We’re six months into the pandemic and for many of us, the work from home routine has become a bit mundane. A successful work from home scenario requires an organized workstation, discipline, and limited distractions. Life is stressful enough, now you’re inviting your coworkers into your home. This isn’t the work-life balance anyone imagined. 

Since it isn’t possible to know when, if ever, companies will return to a traditional workplace setting, now is as good a time as any to refresh your day-to-day work from home habits. If you’re growing more fatigued by the day and experiencing cabin fever, revitalize your work from home routine with three new strategies to increase your productivity.

Plan Ahead 

Instead of waking up and setting your intentions for the day, do it the night before. By doing so, you’ll be less overwhelmed in the morning. Planning ahead will give you time to literally sleep on it and you’ll feel less burdened when you wake up. Create an old-fashioned to-do list or set calendar reminders in your phone. Set clear priorities and be realistic in what you want to accomplish. Aim to start and end work at the same time each day. 

Abandon Domestic Work 

You will lose valuable time and energy if you do chores while you’re working from home. Think of housework just as you would if you were in the office – preferably not at all. After all, you can’t fold clothes or do a DIY project while you’re physically in the office, so don’t do it while you’re working remotely. Set aside time to do chores, meal prep and go grocery shopping on weekends or in the evenings just like you would during a normal workday.

Take a Break

You shouldn’t skip a lunch break in the office, so why deprive yourself at home? Build in a few breaks to unplug from the demands of never-ending alerts and notifications. Stress tends to compound during the day and it can be a recipe for a meltdown. There are two words you need to keep handy while working from home: walk away. Go outside and get some fresh air or just walk to the kitchen for a light snack. Clear your head and take time to realign your vision for the work that you set out to do.