Tips For Creating The Perfect Work-From-Home Schedule

Creating the perfect work-from-home schedule can be difficult because of the blurred lines between your professional and personal lives at home. However, it’s not impossible! To increase your productivity and avoid burnout, follow these tips to create the right schedule for your lifestyle.

Tip #1: Always plan ahead

Take time to list down your tasks or plan out your schedule the day before. Spending time to plan during the day itself can take away your time from doing the tasks. Preparing your work-from-home schedule beforehand helps you see how your day looks like and mentally prepares you for your activities for the day. Feel free to finalize your plans in the morning in case of any changes.

Tip #2: Wake up well-rested

Nothing beats a good night’s rest! No matter what time you wake up, it’s important that you wake up well-rested. It makes you more alert and energized, helps reduce stress, and improves your memory. Moreover, sleeping and waking up at a consistent time adds stability to your life. If you find it difficult to sleep well, remember to relax before you sleep and limit your screen time, putting away all blue light sources at least one hour before you turn in for the night.  

Tip #3: Work during your most productive hours

Figure out the hours that you’re most productive. Are you more of a morning person or a night owl? If you have a schedule to follow, observe when you have the most energy during those hours. Make the most of your productive hours by doing harder tasks during your peak times. Meanwhile, use the slower hours of your day to complete easy or menial tasks. In this way, you also make sure that you don’t burn out from your work-from-home daily schedule.

Tip #4: Make time for breaks

For some, it can be easy to forget to stand up and take a break, especially when there are too many tasks to do. However, always incorporate breaks into your schedule and make sure to use them to help refresh your mind and avoid stress and burnout. Use your breaks to also stay active while working at home. Stretch your body or do easy five-minute workouts to keep your body healthy. You may also ask your family members or roommates to remind you to take a break.

Tip #5: Avoid and remove distractions

A perfect schedule can easily be ruined if you allow yourself to be distracted. Identify your biggest distractions and plan how to avoid or remove them while working from home. For example, if you find it difficult to stay away from social media, turn off your notification or temporarily block them in your browser and phone while doing tasks. In the end, it all depends on you, so have the discipline to refrain from engaging these distractions.

Tip #6: Make it a habit

Don’t underestimate the power of routine when you work remotely. Sticking to your work-from-home daily routine will help you build habits that will soon be easy to maintain. When building habits, remember that consistency is key. Do tasks at the right time and in the right way. However, don’t make drastic changes immediately. Allow yourself to take baby steps to make the habit stick. Get family members or others to help remind you to follow your schedule.

Make the most of working from home

Although it can be difficult to balance your schedule at first, working from home offers the flexibility you need to make your life productive according to your lifestyle. Ultimately, remember that the key to a productive schedule is to plan, hustle, rest, and repeat.

For those who want to have a convenient work-from-home schedule, 51Talk, the leading online education platform in the Philippines, offers flexible teaching hours for educators and professionals who would like to earn from home. Join 51Talk today and experience flexibility and a work-life balance as you teach at home.