Staying productive whilst working from home

Although working from home sounds idyllic to most if you’re new to remote working it can take some time to figure out how to stay productive whilst surrounded by the distractions of home life. There is no one size fits all answer to how you can stay focussed at home but we’re sharing our top tips for staying on track whilst working from home.

1. Stick to a routine

It’s easy to think you can work from bed, let your alarm slip to an hour later and wear pyjamas all day but you should stick to your normal work routine to ensure you wake up ready to tackle the day efficiently. You wouldn’t go to work an hour late and turn up in your dressing gown after all now, would you?

Without the natural breaks in your day that you’re used to at your workplace, it’s easy to get burnt out. Take regular coffee breaks, get up and walk around every so often and take some time to speak to and/or video call colleagues throughout the day, not only to keep up to date with what is going on elsewhere in your company but for your own mental health too.

2. Keep the kids entertained

If you have little ones at home it’s inevitable they’re going to be a distraction so planning some fun activities to keep them occupied is a great way to get your work-life balance on point. We’ve put together a whole blog post on ways to keep children occupied in the kitchen and if your children are old enough, try to explain why you’re at home and work from a separate space to create clear boundaries between work and play. If your little ones are much younger finding activities that take a long time to complete will be your saving grace so arts and crafts, building kits and puzzles should all be on their itinerary!

3. Get outside

Spending the whole day indoors can soon become stifling, so if the weather is fine take your lunch break outside or take a walk at the end of the day to get some fresh air into your lungs. Not able to get outside? Opening a window while you work can help keep your head clear.

4. Eat well

When working from home it’s easy to snack and indulge in treats but if you wouldn’t do this at work you shouldn’t do it at home. Eating the rainbow is important for adults and children alike so check out some of our favourite healthy recipes below:

5. Batch cooking

Thinking of dishes to cook each night can be tricky when you have spent the day concentrating on work, so if you want to avoid eating convenience food each night batch cooking is a great way to ensure you’re eating well whether you’re working from home or not.

Avoid wasting time at lunch times by preparing meals for the whole family the night before, but if you’re using this time as a way to spend some time with your little ones we think these pitta pizzas are a great lunch time pick for even the smallest of chefs to get involved in.

6. Get moving

Whether you can get outdoors or not exercising is important to stay healthy, get the blood pumping and get a boost of feel-good endorphins. Some great free resources* include the GymShark App, Joe Wicks’ YouTube channel and the NHS Couch to 5k programme.

*Correct at time of writing.