How do you increase your productivity when working from home?
Working from home has a ton of traps, like:
Family members think that just because you’re home, you’re always available and need to drop everything for them.
Your workday can stretch across the entire day, and sometimes you don’t even know when to stop.
You start missing real social contact.
But it also has some huge upsides:
You save time and money on commuting.
You can sleep in a little longer.
You get to schedule your day exactly how it suits you.
So how do you make the most of remote work and actually become more productive?
Here are a few things that work really well for me:
Tackle the hardest tasks as early as possible (eat the frog first thing).
Alternate focused work with short recharge activities – for me, that’s usually a quick workout or movement break.
Set clear boundaries with family: agree on “do not disturb” times, or simply put on headphones so everyone knows you’re in deep-work mode and shouldn’t be interrupted.
P.S. I have been working remotely for more than 4 years.
I'm looking forward to seeing your hacks. :)
Replies
MultiDrive
I really miss social contact too, so I try to plan time with colleagues when I’m around and meet friends for tea or coffee outside 🙂
minimalist phone: creating folders
@tetianai Currently had a meetup with colleagues in Munich. (after 6 months). It helps me to attend different workshops and conferences in my hometown when I lack social contact. :D :)
MultiDrive
@busmark_w_nika Totally get that 😄 Even occasional in-person meetups help a lot. Workshops and conferences are a great excuse to reconnect with people.
Eat the frog! It's one of my mottos! And the DND - publicly-stated power hours for concentrated work! I also have a post-it on my desk that prompts, "What's the right thing, right now (for my business)?" so I note when I'm off task post-distraction.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@felicitemoorman I used to eat frog during my studies, now, I am taking it more chill. What means DND?
@busmark_w_nika Do Not Disturb! I tell friends, family, Team to consider me at 80ft underwater SCUBA diving and it's a REALLY big deal to come up! Does the trick!
minimalist phone: creating folders
@felicitemoorman aaa, so I need to make some sort of commitment :D gotcha :D
@busmark_w_nika You got this! <3
@felicitemoorman First time hearing that line - eat the frog - I actually went and looked it up! And well, it's something I do anyway, so it made me feel so good, lol.
@neha_sanghvi It's a double win in that it both requires you to focus and determine priorities AND execute! Let's go!!!
I always get distracted at home and the focus on work things gets blurred/
My strongest hack is to make a separate place specifically for paradise, no computer games, TV shows, snacks in a specific place in the house, just work
This is how I form working neural circuits!
minimalist phone: creating folders
@panichev_tihon Separating things sounds good to me as well, unfortunately, I work where I live, so can't practice that :D
I've been working remotely since 2016, and one of the most impactful changes I've made is to continue working "remotely" but stop working "from home". I experienced all of the downsides you mentioned when working from a room in my house.
I'm lucky to have nearby coffee shops I can work from only a 5 minute walk away. This creates a dedicated "second space" that family sees as being at the office instead of the always available vibes when I'm home. Interacting with the baristas and patrons helps with the social isolation from not interacting with coworkers in person. I'm also less distracted because I can't do things like dishes or laundry during work hours since I'm not at home to do it.
Some days I do still let my workday stretch too late by starting work again after I get back. But, I think it's far easier to commit to a hard end work time when I have the divider of leaving one place and going back home.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@kilpatrick Are you also that person procrastinating on domestic chores? :D I usually do not do them, but when there is some task that is hard to swallow, I just start cleaning the floor. :DDDD
minimalist phone: creating folders
@d_ferencha And now? Are you in offices?
@busmark_w_nika Now the policy is to work from home for a maximum of 5 days a month, so that work is more like days off.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@d_ferencha I would say this is very restrictive :D I really enjoy working from home :D
@busmark_w_nika Sure, working from home can be enjoyable. But just like at work, you have to set some rules for yourself and stick to them. And once you get used to following those rules, it's great. 😉
Abusing coffee + zero coke :)))
minimalist phone: creating folders
@rickyguo Is there any healthier option? 😅
I worked from home for 3 years (before starting to work from office full-time a couple months back), and to be brutally honest, I do NOT miss that time. I'm anyway the sort of person who works better from a dedicated workspace and among people, but working from home used to get depressing very fast. Sure, I could get a lot of good work done due to zero distractions, but I also missed all the ping-ponging of ideas off other folks and just talking to people in general.
However, just to list a few things that did work -
I planned out my work day as soon as I started working. Divided it into chunks of max 2 hours at a time, rotating clients/ activities (I'm in marketing).
Work that required deep focus was handled first. Coordination, responses, social engagement (work-related) was handled in the later part of the day.
I worked from a specific room in my house (that was kind of a common study) - NEVER from my bed or the sofa or the dining table.
My phone's always been on Work focus mode during work hours, and I keep it turned down.. so no text or notification distractions unless I actually check it.
I used to take 5-10 mins break after each task - in which I'd either go take a small walk around the house, eat something, play with my kid, talk with family, etc. Usually, I tried to avoid checking social media during this time. Also, no watching Netflix or reading a book during this break either - it just engages my mind in a way that then makes me unable to go back and focus on the next task.
Sometimes, I used to take my work to a nearby cafe and sit with a big mug of iced black. But I used to (and still do) avoid eating much while I'm working. I'll keep snacking on high-protein low-cal stuff (like salads, fruits, dry fruits, dark chocolates) and avoid sugar - I feel that kept my mind more active and less prone to procrastinate or laze around.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@neha_sanghvi You are pretty structured. I think that my biggest mistake is that I treat the workspace very similarly... I mean – I take my notebook to the sofa or bed. This way, I normalise working from my "relax stations". It is not healthy, and then working at night is totally normal to me... but it's not healthy. I should acquire your points.
X-Design
For me, productivity at home comes down to structure + energy, not hours.
A few things that work consistently:
Hard start, hard stop. I set a clear start time and a non-negotiable end time so work doesn’t bleed into the whole day.
One outcome per block. Each deep-work block has a single, concrete output. If it’s done, I stop — even if time is left.
Environment cues. Same desk, same setup, same playlist = my brain switches into work mode faster.
Intentional social touchpoints. Short check-ins with teammates or friends to avoid the “silent isolation” of remote work.
Energy audits. I pay attention to what drains me during the day and actively remove or batch those tasks.
Remote work gives flexibility, but productivity really comes from protecting focus and energy — not filling every hour.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@tony_hsieh2 To be honest, this is one of the best breakdowns when it comes to allocating time and energy. I need to acquire the 2nd point :D