Strategic Tips To Get More Done in Your Home Office

Working remotely has a lot of advantages, at least in theory—and some of us have enjoyed every minute of it. But if you’ve noticed that your productivity has slowed to a crawl, it might be time to make a change. Start with these strategic tips to get more done in your home office.

Lock Your Door

Sure, it sounds extreme. But if you’re working at home, you need to set some serious boundaries with your family about office hours. Not sure it’s necessary? Ask yourself these questions:

• How often do I get interrupted to open a jar of jam?

• How much on-the-clock time is dedicated to commuting back and forth to the laundry room?

• Am I the designated greeter for daytime DoorDash deliveries?

• Am I the only person who seems to know where the forks are?

Make those boundaries physical and immovable. Once everyone realizes they don’t have free access to you at all times, you can unlock the door again.

Clear off Your Desk

Take it all off. The smeared Post-Its, the capless colored pens, even the “filing system” that has devolved into a teetering pile of paper. It’s time to start fresh. Take a note from the minimalist movement and put away everything you’re not using right now. When your desk is clean, you won’t be distracted by all the other tasks waiting for you. It looks better, too.

Invest in some multifunctional furniture for more organized storage so it’s close at hand when you need it. If you need a more efficient way to keep track of your “to dos,” try a phone app or merge the info with your calendar. As you clear your space, you’ll clear your mind, and you can focus on one thing at a time.

Take Your Breaks

Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it’s one of the key tips to get more done in your home office. Everyone is guilty of blurring office and home hours, at least a little. You figure that if you work straight through, you’ll be done faster and can log off sooner—except that never happens.

Your body is begging you to take a time-out. If you don’t physically take some breaks throughout the day, you’ll be in a mental slump for the last half of the day. You have to keep your blood moving if you want to stay sharp. Otherwise, you’ll become forgetful and less creative, and your computer’s auto-correct function will threaten to quit. Think of your breaks as part of your job description, and get out of your office. Don’t worry. Your work will be waiting for you.

Change Your Scene

Much how clearing off your desk can make a world of difference to your mindset and workflow, so can simply removing yourself from the situation every once in a while. Change your scene with one of your quick breaks -or try working from a new space for even 30 minutes to an hour a day as a reset. Much like how a vacation can shift our perspective when we get home, so can leaving your workspace and returning to it a bit later.