5 Tips to Elevate Your Productivity Working from Home 

As we discovered in our 2021 State of Independence Report, within the past year, 68% of newcomers to the independent workforce were Gen Z or Millennials. Various benefits, such as improved health and happiness, continue to make working as an independent increasingly appealing to young professionals. If you are a college student wanting to join the community of 51 million individuals working as their own boss, below are five tips to help structure your undergraduate career towards working as an independent professional.  

1. Ten Minutes of Morning Movement 

Whether you are the person that religiously attends the 6:00 am spin class or the individual that will take every second of sleep they can get, you should always aim for least ten minutes of morning movement before logging on for the day. Even if it is just a quick walk around the neighborhood or some dynamic stretching, morning movement improves circulation and spawns a boost of endorphins. This will not only wake your body up physically but allow you to start your day with a clear mind. Research even shows that workers who exercise regularly experience an improved ability to concentrate and make complex decisions. 

2. Befriend Your Daily Planner 

One of the greatest challenges with WFH productivity is upholding barriers between your workday and daily life. Moreover, in order avoid the various day-to-day distractions that arise while working from home, use your daily planner to create these boundaries for yourself. By designating specific times of the day for social/personal phone use, fresh air, meal breaks, etc., you develop a blueprint for the day that will keep you focused on the next task at hand. Some increasingly popular daily planners include Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, and the Ponderlily Weekly Planner. 

3. Create a Routine (and hold yourself accountable) 

Along with using your planner, it is important to establish a routine that keeps you on track and working as efficiently as possible throughout the day. One of the hardest parts about working from home is often a lack of structure or workday “flow.”  By developing a routine for your workday, you create the mental and physical consistency that is necessary to foster this flow and productivity.  

 4. Dress the Part  

Several studies have shown that the clothes an individual wears can directly impact their confidence in accomplishing tasks. Thus, your choice of outfit every morning could have crucial effects on your ability to be productive while working from home. This does not mean that all independent workers should be wearing a full suit from their home every day. The key is choosing attire that leaves you feeling confident and in a work mentality – something which will look different for everyone. For some, this may be jeans and a nice shirt. For others, this may be athleisure. What is important here is the mindset these clothes put you in.  

5. Set up a Designated Workspace  

While this tip may sound a bit obvious, there is something to be said for the way in which your environment can make or break your productivity. Specifically, to maintain an elevated level of enthusiasm and focus, your workspace must become a place that you enjoy working in. This means desk-scaping or creating a space that best accommodates your individual tendencies and needs. If you are someone who struggles to stay seated during the workday, consider purchasing an under the desk treadmill. If you are someone that finds their inspiration through powerful excerpts and quotes, display some of your personal favorites for you to reference throughout the day. In being proactive with your workspace setup, you provide yourself with the right environment and tools to remain highly productive even on some of your most hectic workdays.  

Conclusion: 

Overall, we know how hard it is to stay focused as an independent professionals. There are always endless tasks to do, and if you work from home that too has its own struggles. But we promise that if you try out some or all of these 5 tips, you’ll become more motivated, focused and efficient in your day to day life.