Working from home can be great. But it’s actually a lot harder than it looks. Here are the best ways to stay motivated and productive when working at home. Studying or working from home has become a lot more common in recent years. The possibility of ‘going to work/uni’ by simply rolling out of bed to get to your laptop sounds dreamy. However, doing this can have its challenges. If you’re planning to work from home as a student, we’ve got some tips on how to do this as efficiently as possible.
9 Best Ways to Work at Home:
1. Set a routine for working from home:
It may be exciting that you don’t have the super-strict hours of a normal job. However, the danger of this is that a lack of routine can really mess with your motivation and productivity. Assign yourself fixed hours for starting the day, taking breaks, and ending the day. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself working over lunch breaks and having to stay behind on your laptop until 2 a.m. because you’ve procrastinated all day. If you can squeeze in a walk around the block or a jog outside before you start, that’s even better. Treat working at home like you would a job where you have to show up at an office—don’t work in your pajamas. Although it might sound obvious, getting dressed every day will help boost your motivation and prevent you from lounging around in front of the TV all day.
2. Find ways to stay motivated:
It certainly sounds amazing to have a job that allows you to work from the comfort of your bed. However, you must have the willpower to get out of bed every morning instead of turning over. No one will call you and leave angry messages if you don’t show up for a shift, which is fantastic. Additionally, no one will reprimand you for taking a break midday, which is also fantastic. so great!). But it also implies that nobody is around to say you really are a hard worker when you’re failing to meet deadlines or turning in sub-standard work. You need to be your own boss when you work from home. Your housemates may be playing a game of FIFA, and last night’s photos may well have just hit Instagram, but you resist. If you don’t stay focused, the quality and quantity of your work will take a hit.
3. Manage your time on social media:
We use our phones a lot of the time. It has almost become habitual to check on your friends’ activities on Instagram or to scroll endlessly through TikTok. Social media, however, is a huge diversion. Before you know it, half an hour has disappeared. Your phone should be in silent mode and facing down. Alternately, turn on airplane mode if possible. You are not required to abstain from food the entire day, however. A fantastic way to stay informed about world events is through social media. But, make a rule of only checking it once every hour and staying on it for no more than three minutes at a time. Of course, there’s an app for this.
There are even web browser extensions that will help you stay off social media.
4. Don’t spend too much time alone:
In many ways, working from home while a student allows for so much flexibility that it may be the most social form of employment available. It’s simple as pie to meet a friend for coffee or to invite them over for lunch. There’s no denying, though, that working this way can also be extremely isolating. Be sure to make time for self-care, and try to meet up with others when you can. One thing we highly advise is leaving the house and working in a nearby coffee shop or library so you can interact with people. Don’t underestimate how much of an impact it can have on your mental health and wellbeing to sit alone staring at your computer for eight hours a day. The fresh air and chatting with others will do you good.
5. Don’t work too many hours at home:
When working involves sitting on your bum at home and using your computer, you’re probably well aware of how quickly time can disappear before you know it. It’s important that you give yourself a set number of work hours per day and stick to it. This is particularly the case if you have a part-time job along with your degree. A lot of university courses suggest a limit of 15 hours a week for any kind of term-time job. This way, you can still concentrate on your studies. If you have a student job from home, make sure that you balance work and study as well as possible. Otherwise, you might find yourself sitting at your desk all day. It’s probably better to aim for a lower number of work hours at first and then add a few more later if you think you can handle it.
6. Eat healthily when working from home:
Managing what you eat while you work from home can be tough. Having packets of biscuits and chips lying around to graze on will only encourage binge eating. Be mindful of what and how much you’re eating, and aim to stock up on brain fuel food. Having proper breakfasts and lunches (not just an apple or one slice of toast) will keep the urge to snack at bay. Preparing your meals the night before is also a good way to save time on cooking and make sure you stick to a healthy diet.
7. Become a self-starter:
Most universities and companies will give you support when it comes to remote working. However, that doesn’t mean someone will be there to help you when it’s 3 a.m., you’re shattered, and you have no idea what you’re meant to be working on. If you do run into a problem, there is the option of emailing someone. But, if you can, try to work it out by yourself first. You could search for answers to your query online, look in textbooks, ask classmates and colleagues, and do trial and error until you reach the correct conclusion. Getting organised and planning your workload ahead is crucial. This will give you plenty of time to deal with any problems that arise before your deadline.
8. Find the right work-from-home job for you:
You must work if you want to earn money from home after or while earning your degree. An online job search is just as difficult as any other type of job search. If you don’t take it seriously, you won’t turn a profit. We currently have our very own part-time job search engine. Examining job boards like WorkInStartups is beneficial as well, though. Startups are frequently eager to hire remote workers because they might not have the same financial support as more established businesses. For all the information you need, including advice on how to secure various projects, read our step-by-step guide to freelancing. The list below can assist you in starting your search for work-from-home opportunities if you’re unsure of the kinds of jobs to look for.
Work from home jobs for students:
Here are some examples of remote jobs:
- Online writing jobs
- Online tutoring
- Customer service
- Virtual assistant work
- Transcribing
- Translating (a great way to make money if you know a second language)
- Proofreading
9. Don’t get conned by fake job adverts:
When searching for your ideal stay-at-home job, always keep in mind that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. You can forget your dreams of a £70 an hour gig. You won’t be making a lot of money at first unless you’re extremely skilled or have a super niche skill to offer. It appears that recent graduates and students are common targets for online job fraud. You should therefore take the necessary precautions to safeguard yourself. Conduct research. Before applying, research the company online. Before receiving an offer for the position, anticipate at least a phone interview. Google the company’s office address. If the address they give you appears to be a kebab shop on Street View, it is most likely one. Let’s face it, you probably can’t work from home for a kebab shop.
You don’t need a spare room to do this, though. Simply having a basket or closet to tuck your laptop and papers into at night will do the trick. Creating a physical boundary will help you reset your mind and reclaim your home as your home.