How to Create a Productive Work from Home Schedule

COVID has hit, and now you are working from home. This can be a difficult shift for anyone that has never worked from home for a company before. Humans are prone to routine, and the smallest change can have a profound effect on our mental state. The best way to shake this uncertainty is to create a schedule to help keep you productive.

An Ideal Outline of Your Day

Creating a schedule is the best way to bring routine back to your life and reduce any anxiety you may have about your new working space. If you’re part of a work from home business, keeping to the same schedule every day for work will help you be more productive and active throughout the day.

Consider the following schedule:

• 6 A.M: Rise and shine. Set an alarm to help you wake at the same time every day.

• 6:15-6:45: Find a light exercise activity to raise your heart level and wake you up.

• 6:45-7:30: Take a shower and eat a healthy breakfast to keep your energy levels up. Don’t forget a nice, hot cup of coffee or tea.

• 7:30: Start your first work shift. Find a quiet area of the house. Try to work somewhere that it “feels” like a new space. It can be distracting to work on the couch or at the kitchen table.

• 9:45-10:00: Take a short break. Close your computer, stand up, and stretch. Consider another hot drink such as tea or coffee before you settle in again.

• 10:00: Start your second work shift. Tidy up your workspace again first.

• 11:30-12:30: Take your lunch break. Many people in an office will sit at their desks and eat their lunch. Do not do this when you work from home! Your boundaries are already blurred. You will burn out with your work quicker. Close your computer or turn it off. If you enjoy cooking, make yourself lunch. Prep your lunch earlier if that’s easier for you. Stand up, stretch, and enjoy a full hour away from technology.

• 12:30-3:00: Finish your last shift of the day. This is a large chunk of time to work, so consider taking short breaks in between. Staring at a computer screen all day can have negative effects on your health and well-being, so listen to your body and your eyes if it’s time to take a small rest.

Different schedules will appeal to different people. This schedule is a great way to start your work from home job if you have never had to do this before. By breaking your day into chunks, it will make work feel more manageable.