4 Productivity Tips for Web Designers Who Work From Home

There are a lot of benefits that stem from working from home; as a web designer you have more opportunity for remote positions than professionals in almost any other industry. But in order to make the most out of working from home, you need to understand what it takes to maximize productivity on a day-in, day-out basis.

4 Ways to Enhance Productivity and Output

Productivity is fickle in the sense that you can spend three hours plowing through assignment after assignment, only to spend the next three hours distracted and unable to get anything done. If you want to enjoy more output and fewer periods of inefficiency, keep the following tips in mind:

  1. Carve Out Your Own Space

It doesn’t matter if you live alone or have five kids and a spouse running around the house, you need to carve out your own workspace. Working from the kitchen table or living room sofa might sound good in theory, but it’s a major source of distraction. What you need is a separate room with a door that you can close when you really need to focus on your work.

  1. Create Ground Rules

It’s imperative that you establish ground rules when working from home – both for yourself and for anyone else who may live in the home.

Personally, you need to create ground rules that promote discipline. For example, a rule that prohibits you from turning on the TV before 6 p.m. will help you avoid the temptation of working with the TV running in the background.

For family members or roommates, you might want to set a rule that says nobody can bother you when your door is closed. If they need to get in touch with you, they can send an email or call (just as it would be if you worked at an office outside the home).

  1. Try Downsizing Your House

Have you ever considered that your productivity might be hindered by all of the “things” you have in your house? While there’s nothing wrong with having a large house, lots of square footage requires lots of possessions to fill up the space. If you want to enjoy a more simplistic experience that’s free of unnecessary distractions, downsizing your home is a good place to start.

“Americans have an obsession with owning multiples of everything, even when they rarely get used,” Green Residential explains. “If you’re going to live in a smaller home, you get to cut this bad habit and stick with only what you need.”

When there are fewer physical items competing for your attention, you’re free to devote your mental energy towards your web design work. The uptick in output will be noticeable.

  1. Create an After Work To-Do List

One of the biggest issues with working from home is that you’re blending two areas of your life that are intended to have some separation between them. Your professional life is impeding on your personal space, which ultimately leads to your personal life imposing on your professional life.

If you want to avoid getting caught doing household chores and errands during the work day, keep a pad of paper near your desk and make a daily “after work to-do list.” As you find yourself thinking about things that need to be done around the house, just add them to the list and keep working.

Give Yourself a Strong Foundation

Anyone can work from home and experience success, so long as they understand what it takes to be productive and implement practical steps for maximizing output. From a web design perspective, your ability to stay on task and complete projects in the midst of distractions that are competing for your attention will determine (to a large degree) the future opportunities you have.