Okay, real talk? Working from home can be a total productivity killer if you're not careful. But don't worry, I've been there and I've got some tricks up my sleeve that might help you out:
- Get dressed, for real. I know it's tempting to stay in PJs all day, but putting on actual clothes tricks your brain into work mode.
- Set up a dedicated workspace. Even if it's just a corner of your kitchen table, make it your "office" and only use it for work.
- Use a website blocker during work hours. Freedom is great for this. Bye-bye, endless scrolling!
- Put your phone on Do Not Disturb. Those TikToks can wait, I promise.
- Take proper lunch breaks. Step away from your workspace, eat something decent, and maybe go for a quick walk.
- Set a cut-off time. When work's done, it's done. Close that laptop and walk away.
- Try the "fake commute" trick. Go for a short walk before and after work to mentally transition.
- Use noise-cancelling headphones or a white noise app. It helps create that "office" feel and blocks out distractions.
- Reward yourself for hitting goals. Finished that report? Time for a victory dance or a fancy coffee!
- Be kind to yourself on off days. We all have 'em. Tomorrow's a new day to crush it.
Look, some days are still gonna be a struggle. But these tricks have saved my butt more times than I can count. Give 'em a shot, and remember - we're all figuring this out as we go. You've got this!
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oh lord this is going to be so dorky. there's a lot of productivity tools and techniques out there and believe me when i say that i have read a bazillion articles and tried at least 50 apps and methods, but these are the ones that have truly helped me:
TOOLS
1. Apple Reminders & Calendar – ngl i used ot underestimate these two apps, but they work really great because they have an acceptable natural language input, comprehensive and simple user interface, seamlessly syncs across multiple devices(if you're an apple user), and they work with siri. the only problem is that these two lack integration features. so to solve that...
2. Fantastical Calendar – i use another calendar app is to see all my tasks on apple reminders and events on my calendar app in a single calendar and to-do list, and yes, this app does that! it's great because it also has natural language input, enables me to view all my tasks and events in different ways like a calendar or list, and it has many functional widgets.
3. Obsidian – oof, i am found guilty. i built a second brain with obsidian which is basically like a system of knowledge and data mainly in the form of markdown files (a text document that has formatting) with internal links. i write down as much as i could – recipes, minutes of meeting, takeaways from articles, ideas for projects, trivia, literally anything! i also have a daily journal to reflect on the stuff i do, write down random thoughts and ideas blah blah you get the point. the purpose of all this is to have a centralized and organized system of information with links to each other and make it easy to retrieve information you may need for later.
TECHNIQUES
1. Prioritizing my tasks – when there's too much that needs to be done and i feel overwhelmed, i set priorities with the built-in feature of apple reminders. if im having difficulty setting priorities and want to get a clearer vision, i organize them by using the kanban plugin for obsidian.
2. Timers for when i feel lazy – basically the pomodoro technique but more flexible. i can set the timer for 20 mins or 2 hours or don't use a timer at all depending on how lazy i feel that day or how forced i feel on the task. the more i hate the task, the shorter the timer is, cause get this–i dont want to disrupt my flow state when im doing something i really want to do. why would i work on someth for 20 min and take a break when i love doing it so much i could go on for hours. also an important note...do REALLY boring things during breaks to make the task more interesting or enjoyable – avoid triggering dopamine as much as possible.
3. Establishing scheudled habits – this helps me build consistency with the things i want to do more of. for example, i have a daily wake-up and wind down routine which consists of really simple things like washing my face and brushing my teeth, stretching for 2 minutes, drinking water, journaling. i also set a goal for myself to read a book and learn french every day. think of anything you want to do more of and set a schedule for yourself when you should be doing it and stay consistent with that schedule so your body and mind would get used to it.
4. Setting up a distraction-free environment – this is pretty self-explanatory. throw your phone away, paint the walls white, and get sound insulation for your room.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
SELF-CONTROL – without it, nothing is really going to work smh
May 27, 2024
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I put my phone in another room. I agree with aidanaguirre about using the Pomodoro technique; that was instrumental to me in developing my sense of work ethic and discipline. A major part of productivity is just removing temptations and distractions so that it's not even an option to do anything but work.
I use kanban style project management software to plan out projects. You could obviously just use calendars or a planner but for longer term projects i find this to be really helpful. in the past i would break these projects up into small chunks of progress and reward myself throughout the day with a little treat every time I completed a chunk... so I would say the carrot stick method of conditioning yourself to associate progress with a reward helps.
If your work is more task based I would recommend making to-do lists; sometimes I’ve also created schedules for the completion of to-do lists and rigidly adhered to them. Setting goals helps too!
At my most productive times I would diffuse a scent that I would only use while working and play ASMR ambience or field recordings associated with that scent (forest essential oil blend and forest sounds for example) to create kind of a relaxing sensory experience where the connection to productivity would grow stronger every time I was successful with it… advanced productivity hack.
Controversial but intermittent fasting helps my mind stay clear and focused in my sedentary work…
Going into nature on a regular basis helps me, spending time with my pets, eating good food, and also making sure to fully decompress at the end of the day with yin yoga and a hot bath.
May 23, 2024
* Prioritize your most important tasks and start on them first thing in the morning so that you get them done and out of the way and have room to move to easier things that take less time and energy.
* This also goes for the tasks that stress you out the most—best to get them out of the way so that you’re not procrastinating and thinking about them all day.
* Dedicate specific times in the day for administrative tasks and do them all together as a chunk.
* Use to-do lists or project management software like Trello or Toggl Plan. Weirdly I’ve been really loving Microsoft Notebook but I guess it makes sense because I used to be really into Evernote. You could try Notion too.
* Pomodoro technique for building focus… 25 minutes working, 5 minute break.
* Eliminate distractions when you’re trying to get things done! Use content blockers on your phone and computer if you have to.
* I like to create a working atmosphere that’s separate and distinct from my personal life, so I’ll play specific music or ambient sounds and diffuse the same essential oil blend or burn the same incense.
* Find ways to automate tasks… this isn’t AI it’s simple robotic process automation and it’s awesome! It frees up time you spend doing irritating repetitive tasks to do more impactful work. Look into something like Power Automate or Zapier.
Dec 16, 2024
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The best advice I've found, especially as a perfectionist. As someone who always strives for flawlessness, I've realized this mindset can often hold me back. It's easy to get caught up in making everything just right, but that can lead to never finishing projects or, worse, never starting them. This advice reminds me to focus on completion rather than perfection. It's about making progress and not letting the fear of imperfection paralyze you. You can always refine and improve something once it exists, but you can't improve what you haven't created yet. It's about striking a balance between quality and actually getting things done
Jul 17, 2024
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My grandpa once told me:
"Live a worthy life. What makes a life worthy is something only you can define for yourself. So, live a life that feels meaningful to you, as long as it does not prevent others from living theirs. Don't let others define what a worthy life means for you. If for you, a worthy life means building a large family, build it; if it means earning a billion dollars, pursue that goal with all your might; if it means making as many memories as you can, go ahead; if it means being religious and praising God, do so. Live your worthy life and ignore anyone who tells you otherwise."
I couldn't find this quote anywhere so I think it was his own wisdom. Rest in Peace grandpa❤️
Jun 8, 2024
