Article By Toni Gray // Empowerment // EEW Magazine Online

Whether you are an entrepreneur or hold down a more traditional job, thanks to a raging pandemic more people than ever are working from home.

Though not having to go into an office daily has benefits, there can be lots of disadvantages that will hinder you from successfully achieving your goals.

That’s why EEW Magazine Online is offering 5 useful strategies from our work-from-home experts to help you maximize your productivity.

Here they are.

#1 Straighten up. No, this is not about posture—though good posture can stave off back pain. This is about cleanliness and organization. Clutter creates chaos externally and internally, so straighten things up around you. If you have a designated workspace, whether that be an actual home office or your bedroom, the process of organizing, decluttering, and keeping things clean will help declutter and organize the thoughts in your brain and prepare you to be productive.

#2 Give yourself a break. When working nonstop for extended periods with no breaks, you stress and exhaust yourself. Research shows that briefly taking our minds off work is beneficial to our brain’s Prefontal cortex which controls planning, working memory, flexibility, and processing speed. Some time away from that project can refresh you, renew you, and strengthen your motivation to keep pressing forward. So, give yourself a break!

#3 Respect your schedule. Just because you’re working from home does not mean you get to do whatever you want whenever you want. And the same goes for others that will call incessantly or drop by unannounced if you don’t require them to respect your schedule. Though some degree of flexibility is necessary when fulfilling business and career duties from the comfort of your home (Small children anyone?), doing all you can to safeguard your time and honor your priorities is critical to success. R-E-S-P-E-C-T… make it a priority!

#4 Don’t go surfing. You are your only boss at home, and no one else is there studying and evaluating your every move. With this type of freedom, it is way too easy to goof off and spend hours mindlessly doing nothing like surfing the Internet. You know, casually scrolling through Instagram. Checking out trending topics on Twitter. Watching one silly video after the next on TikTok. When you go surfing, hours will pass, and you will have accomplished nothing. So, leave the surfing to the carefree Californians who have the freedom to ride the waves for pure pleasure alone. You, on the other hand, have work to do, so get to it!

#5 Have a set time to turn off. This final bit of advice fits perfectly in the “respect your schedule” column. If you have workaholic tendencies, it is especially important for you to be intentional about turning off at some point. You cannot work around the clock and neglect all other areas of your life and expect to be healthy, reasonably balanced, and fulfilled. Sure, work is demanding and requires sacrifice. However, if your whole day revolves around projects, emails, meetings, conference calls, and reaching work goals, it’s time to reassess your priorities and rearrange your schedule.

Though these strategies seem simple on the surface, they are not always easily executed. You must be focused, disciplined, and intent on making any necessary changes to improve work-from-home outcomes.

Every day won’t be perfect, but if you apply these tips, more often than not, your efforts will be fruitful and blessed.