3 Tips to Be More Productive—and Take Back Time for Yourself—While Working Remote

Several months into our new reality of working remotely, most of us are still trying to figure out how to do it well. Between work projects and personal responsibilities, it feels like there’s just... not... enough... time to get it all done.

When you’re feeling buried, try to shift your focus from working harder to working smarter.

“Working smarter can save you precious time and energy for the things that matter most, like your life goals, your personal growth, your health, and relationships,” says Chelsea Krost in her course How to Work Smarter, Not Harder.

No matter what your work situation looks like today (and what it may look like tomorrow), these tips for success will help you make the most out of your days and take back time for yourself.

3 Productivity Tips to Work Remotely
#1 Give your to-do list the VIP treatment

Sure, you have a to-do list, but how do you decide what to do when? To figure out where to focus your attention give your to-do list some structure with Krost’s simple “V.I.P.” treatment.

The “V” stands for very important tasks: urgent items that you can’t stop thinking about (and that will likely provide you with a huge sense of relief once they’re done.) Keep this section to two to three tasks. And, get really specific: instead of “Work on presentation,” say “Create first five slides of presentation.”

#2 Block out your schedule in advance
We’re all prone to do it, but studies show that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%.

To help you stay focused on that fabulous to-do list you’ve just created, Krost recommends adding single tasks to your calendar. She uses “block scheduling”—where you dedicate specific time blocks to zero in on one task at a time. It’s a great strategy to create consistency and accountability, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed with multiple deadlines.

Start by pinpointing when your productivity is at its peak: Do you do your best thinking first thing in the morning? Are you a night owl? Protect that time with a “do not disturb” block in your calendar and use it to complete your most important work.

Also, set aside specific time to respond to emails. Instead of getting sucked into the rabbit hole of constantly checking emails (professionals check their email 15 times per day, or every 37 minutes!), try scheduling 30 minutes in the morning and at the end of the day to respond.

You can also use this strategy to solidify healthy habits. Consider blocking out time for a midday walk, a phone call to a family member, or a morning self-care routine, which can really set the productivity tone for the rest of your day, says Krost.
#3 Create phone-life balance

Productivity also depends on putting down your phone. Sure, we may pick up the phone to check a text or respond to an email, but the next thing we know, we’ve spent 20 minutes doom scrolling.

“Unexamined phone habits are distracting you from taking purposeful action to be more productive every day,” says Krost. “We need to find phone-life balance in order to avoid burnout, procrastination, stress, and ever-present FOMO—fear of missing that important call, text, sale, or even social media post.”

To cut down the time you’re spending on your phone, try these five tips:

• Use an old school alarm clock to break the habit of turning to your mobile device before turning to your morning routine.
• Use the “do not disturb” feature to help you block out noise and be more productive, like during the block of time you’ve scheduled for your very important tasks.
• Turn off all email, social media, and app notifications, except for those that reinforce positive daily habits, like taking more steps or pausing to meditate.
• Limit the number of apps that show up on your home screen—out of sight, out of mind! That way, when you pick up your phone, you’ll be less triggered to start clicking in and scrolling around.
• If you really want to step up your game and blatantly remind yourself to put the phone down, change your lock screen to an image that gently reminds you to stop, drop, and focus.

Now more than ever, we all need to find ways to work smarter, not harder. Our work, our productivity—and maybe most importantly, our health—depends on it.

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