Stay Productive While Working at Home

For many, working from home is still the reality and it isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Respect yourself and your time by creating a productive working environment in your home. Whether it’s in a home office, your dining room table, or living room couch, you can be efficient and organized with these simple tips.

Stick to the Routine

Routine is an important aspect of working from home. Not having to commute or dress formally may seem like a good reason to sleep in a start a bit later – but it can help contribute to lower productivity. While you don’t necessarily have to stick to the exact routine you would normally have if going into the office (especially for people with very long commutes), set a standard time to wake up, and give yourself plenty of time to eat a decent breakfast, get dressed (even if it’s not in business attire) and get organized at your workstation so you are prepared and ready to face whatever comes during your work day. A routine can help put you in the right frame of mind and set the tone for the rest of your day by making sure you are energized and focused to accomplish your tasks for the day.

Prepare in Advance

Having access to a home kitchen can make meals and snacks easier to prepare last minute. However, putting meals together still requires a lot of time, and can take out a large chunk of your at-home workday if you still have to get lunch prepared, put together a couple of snacks, and then start on supper. Instead, prepare your meals and snacks ahead of time just like you would if you were going into the office for work. Have a healthy snack section set up in your refrigerator or kitchen pantry so you can easily grab a snack mid-morning or afternoon for a quick energy boost. Have carrots or celery sticks washed and cut so they’re ready to eat and set aside some granola bars or trail mixes in a designated spot in your cupboard so they’re easy to find. For lunches, set aside leftovers or put together a healthy wrap, salad or bowl the night before or even in the morning before you start working. When lunch time comes around, you don’t have to worry about making food from scratch and can get back to work on time after enjoying a relaxing break.

Take a Break

Don’t be afraid to take time for a quick break while you’re working. In your usual office setting, there is usual time for a coffee break in the morning, or other moments where you can take a break from working and help relax and refocus your mind. At home, this might be hard to do but try setting different times throughout the day to do this. It doesn’t have to be for a long period of time, just a couple of minutes where you could go to the kitchen to get a snack, or even do a quick task around the house like put away some dishes or fold some laundry. Taking a step back from what you are working on can help with your productivity and motivation and give your mind the break it needs after working for a long period of time.

Organize Your Workstation

How you organize your workspace is also a key element of staying productive during your workday. Not everyone has the space to set-up a designated home office, but wherever your workstation is, make sure it is as organized and clutter-free as your work office should be. When we are surrounded by clutter (like stacks of papers, office supplies, books or other materials) it can be hard to stay focused on our computers or the task at hand. Important files can be difficult to access because they can be lost in piles of paperwork on your desk or in a drawer.

To set-up an organized workspace, start by making sure your work surface is clean and tidy. You only need to have out the essentials, like your computer or laptop, a pad of paper and a pen, and something to drink. Only pull out other items or paperwork as needed. Go through any drawers or cabinets you might have in your space to store your other office items and get rid of anything that you don’t actually need. You don’t necessarily need to throw everything out, but it might be better stored in another location. For those you don’t have a designated office space, consider using a rolling cart or carry-bag to store your work items so they can easily be accessed and packed away wherever you are and prevent the rest of your home from being cluttered with your work materials.

Separation is Key

It is important to make sure you continue to have a healthy work/life balance even when you’re working from home full-time. This can be hard to do, especially if you don’t have a designated workspace, as you don’t have any separation from where you work and relax. To help keep your work and home life separate even in the same physical space, try implementing some steps into your routine to help get your mind focused at the start of the day and relaxed once you are done. For example, you can take a quick walk in the morning and after work to mimic your usual office commute and signal a separation to your working schedule. You can use alarms to signal the start and beginning of your workday so you aren’t tempted to keep working late when you should be relaxing. You can even try taking yourself to a different room in your house for a period of time after working to change your surroundings and help you get out of your working mindset.

Working from home is different for everyone and is constantly evolving as people slowly start to go back in or make changes to their situation based on the rest of their family’s needs as well. However, you can take some small steps to make sure you stay as productive and organized as possible, whatever your situation may be.

10 Ways to Get Unpacked to Organized

Moving into a new home? Get your new home unpacked to a completely organized state by following these tips:

1.     Plan It Out

Before you even pack, it’s important to think about how you’re going to unpack. All items should be sorted by room and packed into labelled boxes. When they’re packed into a vehicle or moving van, make sure each room’s boxes are packed together and stay together. This way, when you get to your new home, all boxes go to the proper room and don’t get mixed in with other items or end up in the wrong place.

2.     Room by Room

Unpacking each room at a time will help keep you focused and prevent you from getting overwhelmed and stressed about the process. This way, you can dedicate your attention to one space and make sure it is completely set-up before you move on to the next. No more half un-packed boxes scattered throughout the house – by unpacking one room at a time you can take the time to make sure your house is unpacked and in order.

3.     Prioritize What is Important

When you’re deciding on what rooms to begin with, start with the places that are more important like the bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. You’ll need a place to sleep, a place to get ready and place to make food and drinks. Other areas like the office and living room aren’t as urgent and can wait until later in the day or the next if you don’t have time.

4.     More Hands are Better Than Two

Always remember that you don’t have to do this alone and having more people to help will make the process go much faster. Have everyone take on a different room and explain the plan of what needs to be unpacked and where. This way, you can get your home unpacked to organized more efficiently!

5.      You’re Only as Good as Your Accessories

When you’re unpacking, it’s important to take advantage of organizing accessories to make sure your house is set up right. In the kitchen, use drawer inserts to keep utensils from getting cluttered. Shelving inserts can maximize space and keep your plates, bowls, and kitchen items in order. Shoe racks and closet organizers can make sure your shoes and clothes stay organized and are easy to find.

6.     A Place for Everything…

Make sure every item you move has a place in your new home. By establishing a place for everything right from the beginning, you can help keep your place maintained and organized for the long-term.

7.     …Everything in Its Place

Don’t leave any boxes unpacked! All of your boxes and items should be unpacked and put in their place.

8.     Sort Like by Like

When you’re putting items away in your cupboards and closets, make sure similar items are sorted with similar items. For example, keep all towels and hand towels together in your linen closet, and keep extra bedding together in another. This way you’ll always be able to find everything you need because they’ll be together in one place.

9.     Colour Coordinate

Using a visual tool like colour to organize clothes and other items can make it more efficient and easy to find the items you need. Having a colour coordinated closet can help you decide on your outfit for the day, and help you get to a productive start.

10.  Organize with Style

An organized home can also be a stylish one. Unpack your crystal, silverware and other valuables and use them to add decoration, creativity and style to your kitchen, china cabinets or living area. No need to keep them buried in a box! Keep them tidy and organized and remember that a little goes a long way. While these pieces can add a style, just be careful that don’t create clutter.

Why hire a Professional Organizer for your move?

Moving is more than just unpacking boxes in a new home, and a professional organizer can do more than just coordinate your move. Professional organizers are there for every step of the process – from when the first box gets packed to when the last one gets unpacked and all the other activities that take place in between.

When you work with a professional organizer, you can continue to live your life without the added stress of picking up boxes or packing up all your clothing. Instead, enjoy the summer, keep up with work, and spend time with your family. Moving doesn’t have to add any stress or time to your already busy life.

 Before the actual move even takes place, a professional organizer can work with you to start the packing process, and help you declutter your belongings so you’re only moving what you actually need and want. Packing isn’t just a variety of items being stashed in one container or another. Instead, items are strategically packed, organized and categorized based on your new home to make for an efficient unpacking experience.

Not sure what movers or house cleaners to hire? Or where you can rent a storage locker for temporary storage? Professional organizers work with a trusted network of vendors that can make sure your move is done right. From making sure your valuables are packed and moved safely, to making sure your entertainment systems are installed and working perfectly, professional organizers know who can get the job done right the first time.

Moving from one space to another doesn’t mean that your current belongings and furniture will seamlessly transition to your new space, especially if you’re downsizing. Professional organizers can help with this transition planning by using space and process mapping to move your belongings from your current storage system to a new and improved one. This includes identifying where furniture will be placed to best fit the new space. 

If you’re planning to renovate or moving into a newly built house, your professional organizer can work with your builder or designer to make sure that your new home has the proper storage and organization for your belongings and lifestyle. This way, you can make sure your new home is setup the right way from the start.

The most stressful day of all, move-in day, can be the most relaxing day of the whole process. Using a personalized plan based on your needs, a professional organizing team will have everything needed to ensure unpacking goes smoothly in your new home. At the end of the day, relax to a completely unpacked home with everything in its place and no box left unpacked. 

Moving is a complex process but a professional organizer has all the tools and resources you need to make the process as easy as possible. Moving into a new home should be an exciting day, not a stressful one. When you work with a professional organizer, you can be assured that you’ll come home at the end of the day to a brand-new home that is already fitted with all your belongings and furniture, ready for you to enjoy.