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As we enter yet another week of coronavirus-induced telecommuting, it’s certainly no secret that working from home takes a surprising amount of self-discipline. After all, crossing things off your to-do list is made all the more difficult when breaking news alerts, piles of laundry, and reruns of “The Office” are competing for your attention.
In search of proven ways to boost productivity while working from home, we turned to some of the busiest women we know to find out what tips, tricks, and tools help them eliminate distractions and tackle everything on their to-do list. Scroll on for tried-and-true WFH hacks from the founder of Parachute, the digital content director of Domino, the CEO of Ritual, and more. Trust us, you’re going to want to write these down.
Sarah Paiji Yoo
Co-Founder & CEO, Blueland
The WFH Hack: “I have scheduled, regular breaks that I put on my calendar. For me, it's so I can spend time with my three-year-old son, who I am also currently watching full time as I also work from home full time.”
Why It Works: “For the first week of WFH, I didn't schedule these, and found myself either over-scheduling and feeling guilty that he'd have to go through long stretches without attention. Or I would spend too much time switching back and forth from work and spending time with my son. But I think scheduling breaks (for tidying, Instagram, reading about the latest on COVID-19) would be helpful for people who are not watching a child because it sets aside designated time to allow for distractions and allows for more productive stretches of work time.”
Catharine Dockery
Founding Partner, Vice Ventures
The WFH Hack: "I do a fair bit of work from home even in non-crisis times, so I'm well prepared! My intention is always to set an especially clear schedule when I work from home—if I get distracted at home, I've probably lost a few hours. As much as possible, I really like to vary my workspace and try to keep different areas of the apartment for different tasks. I'm usually at a desk or table to look at financial models/projections, walking around if I'm on the phone, or on the couch if I'm writing.”
Why It Works: "It works for me because I need extra reminders to break the conditioning in my mind that being home means work is over. Moving around helps keep my mind fresh and avoid distractions that might otherwise creep in. This tip really works well for me because my work has an incredible amount of variety without many breaks in between."
Katerina Schneider
Founder & CEO, Ritual
The WFH Hack: "While working from home can be more productive for some, it can also result in more work and less balance as personal and professional time blend together. I've added eating breaks into my calendar to make sure I am scheduling and adding consistency to meals."
Why It Works: "Trying to reduce ordering in, I prep my meals the night before and make sure they are well-balanced with micro and macronutrients. In addition, I'm using Apple's Health tracker to make sure I'm getting at least 10,000 steps a day. Calls that are not on video, tend to include me walking around the block. I also keep a set of three-pound weights on my desk to balance cardio with arm exercises during the occasional video conferencing.”
Jo Davenport
Owner & Designer, La Porte
The WFH Hack: "Listen to yourself, get to know what you need to feel good.
When I'm not in our New York office, I'm working from home in Chicago. As someone who works from home a lot, I learned over time that I thrive with structure of set daily meetings, physical activity, and dedicated quiet time.
If you're used to being in a larger office, use this as a time to take inventory of what you need in order to feel successful in your day. Everyone has different needs, and that's okay. Mornings that used to start with a workout class and coffee dates might mean more leisurely walks outside or virtually meeting up with friends, you can get creative.
Take advantage of the opportunity to listen to yourself and know you can create a framework that works best for you.”
Why It Works: “During times like this, when we are forced to make changes big or small, it can push us outside our comfort zone. Knowledge is power, and by using these moments to notice and take stock, you set yourself up to create a new normal that you can feel great about.”
Brittany Kozerski Freeney
Owner & Designer, JADE Swim
The WFH Hack: “I'm obsessed with Trello (the website and the app). Imagine a virtual to-do list/bulletin board for you and your team with moveable and editable "post-it" like task boxes.”
Why It Works: “I'm a very visual person, so I love using Trello to make and update to-do lists. I create a business task list (but also a personal task list and a home task list as well). What's great is that you can give others access so they can add tasks, make updates (showing what status tasks are in) and then also leave comments for you to review. It saves a lot of time because I don't have to check in with every team member to see what they're working on or if it’s been completed. All I do is open the app and I can see the status of everything in detail that’s well organized and even color-coordinated.”
Ariel Kaye
Founder & CEO, Parachute
The WFH Hack: “I’ve been trying out time blocking to keep my days more organized and manageable. Much of my day is full of calls and virtual meetings, so when I have a break I take a look at my to-do list, and quickly get down to business. I set a timer, remove distractions and focus on the task at hand to make progress as efficiently as possible.
I also am scheduling breaks. Whether that is a quick walk around the neighborhood or some light stretching. Fresh air and movement are two things that always make me feel energized.”
Why It Works: “Time blocking is a great way to get focused and eliminate distractions. It’s easy to lose tracking of time responding to messages on Slack, checking in on social media or taking a break to watch the news. As a mom, now all of a sudden sharing my workspace with a 14 month old, it is especially important to be as efficient and productive with my time so I can concentrate, get things done and be able to give my little cutie some deserved attention.
Scheduling breaks helps me work better. On the days I don’t prioritize breaks, I get lethargic and it’s harder for me to work smart. Physical activity helps to boost endorphins and takes your mind off your stresses. I highly recommend getting some vitamin D and stepping outside to walk and/or do a sun salutation in between tasks.”
Sophie Miura
Digital Content Director, Domino
The WFH Hack: “Time disappears when I'm working from home (it can feel like all the days blur into one), so I rely on a tight nighttime to-do list more than ever. Every evening before bed, I write down three projects I want to finish the next day. They're tasks that really move the needle—responding to emails or doing usual weekly jobs don't make the edit. In the morning, I book out time on my calendar to action each point so I don't get side tracked by meetings or calls. It really helps me manage my own time and make sure that the important stuff actually gets done!”
Why It Works: “Slack and email are great for staying in touch with a remote team but they can also be really distracting. Blocking out my own calendar and limiting my to-do list to just three important tasks helps minimize out any 'manufactured emergencies' so I can see what really matters.”
Mallory Solomon
Founder, Salam Hello
The WFH Hack: “I try to stick to what my ‘normal’ morning routine would be. Wake up, drink coffee while reading The New York Times, set aside 45 minutes for an online workout (thank you IG live virtual workouts), shower, and get to work. All that said, with such uncertainty in the world, being patient with yourself is the number one key. If some days you wake up and all you can do is brush your teeth, make a coffee and work that is OKAY. You just have to know some days will be better than others.”
Why It Works: “Knowing you're going to be home all day, it's easy to feel the urge to sleep in, stay in bed, and get a slow start. I find when you do your best to keep a routine in the morning similar to one when we didn't live under such restrictions it puts you in a better, more centered mindset to try and conquer the day ahead.”
Tanya Zuckerbrot
Founder, F-Factor
The WFH Hack: “Set yourself up for success! Create a designated workspace for yourself at home. Set up a seat at your dining room or kitchen table and create a desk environment as you would if you just got a new desk at work. Plug in your chargers and put out a cup with pens and highlighters, a notepad, and anything else you need to do your job. You will be much more productive with everything set up rather than working from the couch or your bed with the TV on in the background.
I'd also say to set a work schedule for yourself. The same way you have office hours at the office, create them for your workday at home. You can be a bit more generous with your lunch break or ending the day earlier. Decide to work from 9 to 12 and then 2 to 5. Use the break to catch up on the news, eat a nourishing lunch, stretch, go for a walk, or call a friend or family member. The break will allow you to recharge and return to your afternoon work with more energy.”
Why It Works: “Creating a workspace increases productivity. When you sit down at your ‘desk’ it signals, this is my time to work: it’s business time. Away from all other distractions and with everything you need set up around you, you will be able to focus and get your work done.
Designating hours that are for work will help keep you on task. It gives you two blocks of time to be productive and ample time in between for you to clear your head and recharge for the afternoon. This will help prevent you from getting burnt out. Creating a schedule for your day will also help keep you organized and provide structure to your day. This will also help prevent you from getting bored.”
Michelle Cordeiro Grant
Founder & CEO, LIVELY
The WFH Hack: “Maintaining my schedule of waking up at 6:30 in the morning has been key. One hack that also really helps with productivity and creativity is taking a walk while taking calls. And lastly, given we are all social distancing, over-communicating via Zoom and Skype has been a game changer for my team.”
Why It Works: '“Trying my best to maintain the schedule I normally operate on has helped me create a structure in my day-to-day. I still get up and workout at the same time, the only difference is I now dedicate my commute time to playing with my kids, which has been an amazing way to start my day.
I truly believe that walking while I'm taking calls is the best way for me to be extremely present and the movement helps create energy in my mind and boost my overall creativity.
When it comes to communicating with my team, I encourage video over audio because it gives us some sort of human connection and it's really nice to see the team smile and see emotion. One thing I'm really encouraging on these video calls is checking in on what our priorities are to ensure we are all on the same page.”
Shea Marie
CEO & Creative Director, Same Los Angeles
The WFH Hack: “I work from home half of the time, so at this point, I have gotten really used to it. It’s not for everyone because it requires serious self-discipline. It’s much easier to be distracted, lazy, and procrastinate when working from home. Call me old-school, but something I always do is handwrite to-do lists and cross them off as I go through them.”
Why It Works: “There’s something with hand-eye coordination and memory that’s definitely connected. Writing something down rather than typing it not only helps me remember it better, but also seeing everything on a physical list in front of me every day and crossing it off gives me a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. At the end of the week when I look at the list and see everything crossed off, it’s like, ‘Yes! Look what I’ve accomplished!’”
Seema Bansal
Co-Founder, Venus ET Fleur
The Tip: “Working from home can often be hard to adjust to. In order to create a more calming and creative environment, I suggest finding a designated space to “work” in outside your normal seating areas. Rather than sitting on your bed or on the couch, which can lessen productivity, create a space that keeps you inspired. I keep my to-do list nearby, books that I can look back through for inspiration, candles, flowers, as well as daily affirmations and reminders to stay positive.”
Why It Works: “It creates the perfect environment for you to stay focused. Creating rules is important when working from home as you can easily get off task and distracted doing other things. Creating a designated work space has helped me tremendously stay on track and feel good about what I’ve accomplished throughout the day.”
Up next: I Have Been Working From Home for Years—This Is How to Do It Successfully
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