How to work effectively from home - My top 10 tips

It's a confusing time with the limitations to how we work, self isolation and access to home essentials. With 24/7 new updates on the Coronavirus Pandemic it's hard not to get distracted when doing our work.

I have been working from home for over 10 years and wanted to give you a few tips on how to stay productive and inspired throughout this stressful time.

Top 10 tips on how to effectively work from home:

1. Get dressed (out of your comfy clothes) into something that elevates your mood.
2. Leave the house - Go for a walk to set the intention of your day and or walk with a client, colleague or friend.
3. Create an action list and prioritise core tasks.
4. Establish your best work flow - For me I am strategic and creative in the mornings, afternoons I am more process driven and analytical.
5. Use breaks to your advantage - Book a meeting to lift your mood, make calls to clients or go outside for some fresh air.
6. Don't skip meals - you need to energise to stay focussed. Eat your meals away from the computer.
7. Change tasks with a change of scenery - Take your calls standing in another room, stretch, go for a walk outside or at least down your stairs and re-set ready to tackle your next project with a fresh perspective.
8. Limit your social media and access to news - Stay connected but only access accounts after your work hours. I don’t have any of these connected to my phone.
9. Leave phone in the kitchen. Out of sight and out of mind will limit your distractions.
10. Music - When I am being strategic I work in silence but for process driven tasks I thrive when I have some good beats on or listen to a podcast.

+ Bonus Tip - Be kind to yourself, if you have had a bad day and or have lost focus or direction don't worry your human we all do it. Later tonight or tomorrow you can try again. A fresh day is a fresh perspective !

++ Bonus Tip - Accountability will keep you motivated. Call, walk or meet with a colleague or friend at a regular time each week and go through each others projects to keep focus.

Working from home is a great opportunity for you to learn how you work best, once you return to normal work conditions you may be able to implement some of these new habits to make your day more enjoyable and effective.