Hi PBC Readers!
We've taken a bit of a break from blogging these past couple of weeks. Becca welcomed her little boy, Liam Joseph Collinson, into the world and we have been swooning over him since! Thank you for your patience, we are excited to get back to sharing our love of entrepreneurship, peanut butter and sisterhood with you all :)
Today, we we're sharing tips for optimizing your productivity when working from home! I've heard a lot of friends/family say "I could never work from home, I wouldn't be able to get anything done!" but, the truth is, if you take the time to set yourself up for success, working from home can be easier than than you think!
There are a couple things to think about when maximizing productivity at home - the most important are your space and your time.
1. Set yourself (+ your space) up for success
If you don't have a set home office, no worries - you can easily DIY a dedicated "office" space somewhere in your home. Pick a place with minimal distractions - ideally somewhere where you won't be tempted with things like the TV or your phone. If you're someone like me who can't stand working in dead silence, put together a playlist of songs that help you stay focused as background noise. To make your space extra work-worthy, be sure to tidy up your environment the night before after you’ve finished working for the day. Clutter can cause stress, making working from home not ideal. If your space is tidy and decluttered, you'll be better off getting right to work each day.
2. Plan out what you're going to eat
Grocery shop ahead of time to take away the stress of trying to figure out what you're going to eat day to day when working from home. Then, plan out your specific meals and snacks the night before to make it easy to grab and maximize your lunch break and then get back to your projects. Trust me, the preparation time is so worth the avoidance of hanger and wasting time grazing in the pantry every hour.
3. Take adequate breaks
To avoid becoming burnt out, it's important to take breaks throughout your work day. Make it a point to change your environment for at least 20 minutes every 2 hours. Take a stroll around your neighborhood and soak up some sun on a nice day or finish your a chapter of your favorite book on the couch. Taking breaks from your work gives your brain a chance to rest and refresh, which will bring you an abundance of new ideas for the project you're working on :)
These are simple ways to help you be the best at-home worker possible! If you set yourself up for success ahead of time, you will certainly find your "perfect" routine. Only you will be able to decide and know what works and doesn't work for you. If working at home is simply a no-go for you, set up shop at a local coffee bar or library close by. Be sure to pack a snack or lunch bag and maybe a pair of headphones! The rule of taking breaks still applies when you are not working from home - take them often enough to refresh but not too often where you become distracted from your tasks.
Happy Business Building!
XO
Jenna