Procrastination can sneak in easily when you’re working from home without the busy office vibe. Some think working from home is all good stuff—setting your own schedule, sleeping in, and avoiding traffic. But when people actually start working from home, they find it’s not exactly how they imagined, and procrastination becomes a real challenge.
People aren’t lazy, it’s just that distractions are really tempting. Instead of diving into tasks, they delay and end up snacking or watching TV. It happens!
Switching from the office to a home office hasn’t been smooth for many. Productivity has taken a hit as our minds link work to the office and relaxation to home. But fear not! You can still reach or even surpass your workplace results. How? Well, here are some practical tips to stop procrastinating working from home.
1. Minimize Distractions
When you’re working from home, distractions are everywhere. The tricky part is, that you can’t just get rid of them because they’re the same things you enjoy during your downtime. Distractions like TV, phone calls, emails, and social media can seriously mess with your work focus.
The solution? Don’t dive into work until you’ve cleared your workspace of distractions. Turn off the TV, silence your phone and keep it away, and disable email and social media notifications on your computer. Most importantly, give a heads-up to your loved ones about your work plans to avoid interruptions.
2. Start with the Hardest Thing
Do the challenging tasks right away. By tackling the hardest tasks at the beginning, you use your best energy and focus. This keeps procrastination at bay and prevents you from stress.
Plus, knocking out challenging tasks early in the day gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes the rest of your work feel easier.
3. Create a Work Schedule
At home, it’s easy to lose track without the usual work structure. Create a schedule that suits your tasks. Set clear and doable goals for a certain time. If you have a big task, like a ten-page report, break it into smaller steps. This plan adds the structure you need, making your work more manageable and keeping procrastination in check.
Breaking down a big task into smaller ones gives you chances for small wins. These little victories add up and keep you motivated and productive.
No matter how you structure your work-at-home day, make sure to factor in sensible breaks. Plan time for meals and short breaks to give your mind a quick refresh.
4. Take Shorts Break
Taking breaks is like recharging your energy. Trying to work for 10 straight hours can be overwhelming. Breaks give your brain a breather, so you can come back with more strength.
If you’re working for 6 hours a day, it’s a good idea to take a short break. Sometimes, a break can boost your thinking and speed up your creative process.
5. Eat Well for Productivity
Staying productive while working from home often starts with eating right. Ordering junk food is tempting, but it can harm your productivity. On the flip side, skipping meals can make it hard to concentrate. Stick to an eating schedule and opt for healthy foods to boost focus and productivity in the long run.
6. Set Up Your Home Workspace
Transform a spare room into a cosy office space to minimize home comforts. If that’s not an option, pick a well-lit corner in your living or bedroom. Night owl? Make sure the lighting is good to prevent eye problem.
Before diving into your home office, think about what you’ll need for the next few hours. Place water and a snack on your desk to avoid mid-task hunger. Keep chargers handy for your computer and phone to prevent further distractions. These simple setups help avoid distractions and keep procrastination at bay.
7. Get Things Done with Prioritization
Beating procrastination starts with prioritizing your tasks. Freelance work often lacks strict deadlines, making it crucial to stay on track. Find what works for you—whether it’s notes on a board, an Excel table, or a list in a productivity app. Once you prioritize, you’ll notice how things get done more efficiently.
Doing this has a couple of perks. Firstly, it gets fixed in your brain. Secondly, it motivates you to push yourself and accomplish what you’ve written on paper or in an Excel table.
8. Stay on Track with Consistency
To beat procrastination, stick to a plan and be consistent. Avoid the mental strain of constant changes by having a daily routine. Don’t waste your energy figuring out what to do each day. Make a plan, give your day structure, and stick with it.
9. Focus on Your Progress
Avoid comparing your results to others, a common pitfall when working from home. Feeling disappointed when your outcomes don’t align is natural, especially in sales. If you struggle with this, recognize and appreciate the small steps you take each day. Stop dwelling on others’ results, as it hinders your ability to accomplish tasks.
10. Treat Yourself with Rewards
Rewards play a significant role in making positive habits. Since different people are motivated by different things, the first step is identifying what serves as a reward for you.
Whether it’s money, recognition, free time, or snacks, write them down and assign a reward to each task to keep yourself motivated and productive.
11. Environment Change
If beating procrastination gets tough, switch where you work. Instead of always at home, try going to a quiet park once a week. It helps reset your focus and tackle important tasks with a fresh mind. A change in environment can bring new energy and creativity to your work.
12. Track Your Progress
To know if you’re making progress or not, you need to measure your results. Luckily, technology makes it easy today. You can use various online tools to track your performance in real time.
Monitoring your progress not only keeps you motivated but also pushes you to accomplish more, whether you’re at your desk or working from a different location.
13. Forgive Yourself
It’s tough to release the burdens and pain caused by the habit of procrastination. Instead of expecting perfection, aim to become a better version of yourself.
14. Quiet Your Space
Beyond just your phone’s notifications, distractions can be in the form of traffic noise, running water, or loud laughter. To block out these sounds, consider using noise-cancellation earbuds or headphones.
Why are you Procrastinating?
There are some reasons why you are procrastinating, and some of them are here –
1. Task Overwhelmed
When a task feels too big, it can be a major procrastination trigger. Try breaking it into smaller, doable steps. It makes the whole thing seem less scary and helps you get started easily.
2. Fear of Failure
Sometimes, we put things off because we’re scared we won’t do them perfectly. It’s okay to make mistakes—learning is part of the process. Adopt a growth mindset to ease the fear. Boosting confidence often comes from expanding your skillset.
Invest time in learning and researching your project if it feels unclear, gaining a better understanding of the tasks at hand. Clarity is the key to accomplishing your projects successfully.
3. Perfectionism
Wanting things to be perfect is great, but it can also stop you from starting. Remember, it’s okay if things aren’t flawless. Set realistic standards to make tasks less overwhelming.
4. Lack of Interest
When a task doesn’t interest you, it’s easy to procrastinate. Find a way to make it more engaging or find something interesting in it. Convince yourself to give the task just 10 minutes of your time. If it turns out to be as bothersome as you anticipated, you have the option to stop.
However, the reality is, more often than not, once you get going for those initial 10 minutes, you’ll find the momentum to continue for longer.
5. Distractions
Too much noise or your mind wandering? Create a focused workspace and use mindfulness techniques to minimize distractions. It helps keep you on track and get things done.
Conclusion
Remote work has its perks, but it comes with distractions you wouldn’t encounter in an office. This can tempt you to sidestep your to-do list by tackling small chores around your home.
To stop procrastinating while working from home, break tasks into small steps, create a routine, and set achievable goals. Keep your workspace tidy, take breaks, and find what motivates you. Now, go ahead and start ticking off those tasks on your to-do list.
