Almost everyone works from home these days- it’s just the nature of the world that we currently live in. Even though remote work has become the norm, that doesn’t mean that it has been an easy adjustment for most people. Yes, working from home does indeed afford you some flexibility that you wouldn’t typically have when working from an office environment.
But it’s this flexibility and luxury that can create problems and distractions for people that have not yet become accustomed to this new normal. If not planned accordingly, working from home can be a time-waster. For one to be a successful remote worker, a certain degree of intrinsic motivation to carry out tasks in a given time is needed.
Otherwise, you could lose productivity and even worse, fall behind your peers. But here is the thing about working from home. When done right, working from home can be the best thing for your professional life as it will give you a better work-life balance. Working from home also eliminates any commute stress or expenses thus allowing you to save money.
So if you are a marketer working from home, remote work can be the best thing that ever happened to your life. And because digital marketers have never been busier, it is easy to find yourself under the weight of intense pressure and overflowing to-do lists. This doesn’t have to be your situation.
So to help you out, here are tips that are going to help you be a more productive marketer when working from home:
Make sure that you develop a dedicated workspace
Your dining table or couch might suit you just fine when you need to complete a small task here and there. However, if you are going to be working from home regularly, then you need to create a dedicated workspace just like you would in an office setting. This will help you create a clear separation between your work life and your personal life so that the two do not interfere with each other.
When your home is also doubling up as your office, creating a dedicated area where you show up every morning will help you stay consistent while setting boundaries that will lead to a healthy balance. Your dedicated workspace can be located anywhere; that spare bedroom, a quiet corner in your living room. It just has to be a place where you can sit and concentrate on your work with ease and without too many distractions.
Make sure this dedicated area is outfitted with everything that you need to stay productive. This means you need at least a comfortable desk and chair. Your space also needs to be well lit so that you are not struggling to get your jobs completed. By keeping your workspace separate, it will remind you that it’s time to get serious when you arrive each morning and when you leave, it will also allow you to disengage.
Create blocks in your time
One of the perks of working from home is that you get to take breaks whenever you need them. However, you have to be careful that you are not wasting time, which is where the time blocks will come in handy. To create a time block, start by defining the hours that you are supposed to work and those that you are not.
Set aside some time for non-related activities because we all know that you are bound to get distracted at some point, no matter how much you try. As such, having 30 or 45 minutes set aside to do something as menial as play with your pet or kids or taking a walk or snack break, can really help you remain productive. Setting blocks such as these is especially important for reducing stress levels especially when things start to get hectic.
We are living in a challenging time for everyone and behaving as if you are in a normal workspace is not going to help things. But if you acknowledge that you will need several breaks during your day to take care of yourself and those around you, you will find it much easier to take care of your marketing clients. If you do decide to take that walk, ensure that you wear comfortable walking shoes like these to avoid developing aches.
Stay hydrated
You should stay hydrated at all times, whether you are working on a marketing campaign or not. Human beings are 60% water and every drop is essential to how you function. You can grab a drink of water whenever you need a boost of energy, when you reach that dreaded mid-day slump, or when you just need to feel refreshed.
And you don’t even have to leave your desk to keep up with your water intake. Having a stainless steel water bottle close to you when working will ensure that you get all the water that you need. Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away by a marketing campaign, which makes it easier to interfere with regular water intake. But keeping a quality water bottle at your desk at all times can really make all the difference in the world.
Final thoughts
Most digital marketers are freelancing professionals. This means that even before the pandemic, most markers had already gotten used to the idea of remote work. However, if you are one of those marketers that have always operated in a traditional office setting, settling into a homework environment cannot be the easiest thing to do.
Plenty of marketers fantasize about the idea of working from home. But it requires a lot for one to remain productive with all the distractions around. And if you are working from home with kids or pets, the concept is made even harder. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
These tips shared above should help you get everything that you need to do without losing your cool. You’re welcome and good luck!
