A whopping 88% of firms worldwide made remote working a norm or encouraged their workers to work from home during COVID-19. Many businesses have even issued new rules on remote working using a hybrid model or a full-time working from home.

Most likely, even you’ve seen a fall in your productivity levels due to the changes in your working environment.

This productivity drop has wreaked havoc on the traditional workplace, necessitating a greater demand for productivity tools.

With so many factors impacting your productivity, this is anticipated. So, how can you ensure that you or your team remains productive?

How about productivity-boosting tools while working from home?

Keep reading to learn how technology tools help remote workers stay productive and focused.

Why Remote Workers/Teams Should Use Productivity Tools

Working from home can make it challenging to match workplace productivity, resulting in businesses facing lower output or longer hours.

Most organizations that switch to remote work forget to scout out and identify tools suitable for their remote teams.

When you use productivity tools while working from home, you can be more productive and work more efficiently together.

When And Where Do You Need Productivity Tools?

Our list of productivity tools while working from home has been classified by certain factors, such as project management software, time productivity tools, scheduling, etc.

Time Management

Time is one of the most precious and valuable resources we have, yet many people don’t utilize it to its full potential.

However, managing time at work is crucial for productivity and performance. Managing time will accelerate your efficiency, help meet deadlines, and produce better quality work.

It would help if you had efficient time management tools to prioritize your tasks. With the right time management tools, you can grow sustainably and take advantage of new opportunities.

Project Management

You can use project management tools to manage complex projects and track the progress of tasks in a project with ease.

It is impossible to understate the importance of project management tools in complex and huge projects, which help run the business more smoothly.

By focusing on the work that matters, you or your teammates can be free from distractions caused by off-track tasks and out-of-control budgets.

In turn, the business can produce results that have an actual impact on profits. Additionally, it lets you know how your work impacts the company’s strategic goals.

Calendar Management 

Do you ever feel there is never enough time in a day? Are deadlines constantly slipping up on you? Does doubling up on appointments become a pattern for you?

All of us have experienced these at some point in our lives. Rather than living this way, you can learn how to manage your time better.

A calendar management tool comes in handy here, and choosing the best calendar organizer for yourself is essential, which is no longer done manually.

When scheduling an appointment or event, scheduling assistant tools eliminate most back-and-forth communications.

You can share your calendar with others via email or a link with a calendar management tool. The other person can then choose a time and date that works for you. Therefore, your calendars are automatically synced.

Password Management

Initially, when the Internet was just getting started, we only had two or three passwords (email, website, etc.). As technologies develop, we now have tens and hundreds of passwords, some of which are not even used more than once.

Password Managers are a one-stop solution for this problem. You can use it to create, manage and secure passwords for different services. Other features of password management tools include password strength checkers and mobile password managers.

Effective Communication

Every business values connectivity. This has led to a greater focus on communication tools in recent decades. These tools offer businesses better connectivity and flexibility.

With features like instant messaging, social timelines, etc., teams can connect with colleagues and other departments in no time.

In addition to being faster and more user-friendly, communication tools allow employees to be more productive and aligned.

Collaboration

Have you experienced a lack of collaboration at the workplace? Effective collaboration within teammates or an organization is never easy unless you have the right collaboration tools.

You might have siloed departments at your companies, too many colleagues working remotely, or unproductive meetings that eat up staff time.

Collaboration tools can help avoid time-wasting since users can share information and resources instantly and effortlessly.

This article aims to help you be more productive while working from home, both as an individual and team member, by solving the most significant problems you’re likely to face as a remote worker.

Check out the 10 free tools to help you remain focused while working from home.

10 Best Productivity Tools While Working From Home

Juggling into multiple productivity apps can be overwhelming at times. To solve this, we have put together a list of the 10 best free productivity tools that can genuinely make successful remote working.

1. Notion

Category – Project Management

Notion is a project management software where you can access various productivity tools under one platform. It offers many features, such as:

• notetaker
• modified markdown system
• built-in document linking
• creating databases
• creating checklists
• habit trackers
• calendars
• task management

While it holds task management and integration features, the high spot is on its note-taking feature.

It’s a user-friendly app for storing and organizing information for future access.

With Notion, you can tailor the way you work and simplify your activities. It renders on four subscription packages: free, personal, team, and enterprise. It works great for small and large remote teams.

2. Brave

Category – Web Browser

Brave is an open-source, privacy-oriented web browser that, by default, bans online ads and website trackers.

Brave also gives users the option of turning on optional advertisements that pay them in Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) money in exchange for their attention. Mobile versions of the Brave browser (for iOS and Android) are available in the App Store and Google Play.

Brave is popular for its better privacy policy by not collecting users’ browsing activities.

3. Grammarly

Category – Writing Assistant

Grammarly is a writer’s assistant. It provides spelling, grammar, punctuation, and clear and constructive writing suggestions that help you within your organization and enable better communication. In addition to proofreading, it can also provide advice on the tone of your copy. Grammarly’s tone feature lets you set custom goals relating to texts’ intent, audience, style, and emotion. It then assigns a score based on how effectively the text achieves the defined objectives.

Grammarly is an excellent solution for regular use, which will help you perfect your grammar and writing skills.

4. Google Drive

Category – Cloud Storage and Collaboration

In Google Drive, you can access a complete set of office tools and cloud storage. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation maker, and 15GB of free storage.

Google Drive is readily available to anyone who has a Google account. You only need to enable the service at https://drive.google.com/.

You can create and share documents online with Google Drive and access them anywhere. Google Drive is available on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.

This productivity suite is one of the most popular work-from-home applications for storing and sharing information.

5. Loom

Category – Screen and Video Recording

Loom is an incredible screen recording tool when you need to prepare a quick demo or presentation for colleagues who work in various time zones or have different work patterns.

You can record your computer screen, create markups with visible faces, and send the final video to others via a shareable link.

It is available as a website, Chrome extensions, desktop apps for Mac and Windows, and mobile apps for iOS and Android.

6. Toggl

Category – Time Tracking

Toggl is a simple time-tracking app for remote teams. You can use it to keep track of your working hours in real-time so that you and your remote working teammates can stay productive and prevent time loss.

It gives you a single-click way to keep track of each task and activity. You will also be notified whenever you forget to start or stop the timer with tracking reminders.

While the toggl tracking app is free, upgrading to paid plans allows you access to advanced reporting and project management tools.

It is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and premium subscriptions start at $20 per month.

7. Forest

Category – Focused Work

Forest is perfect for people who find it hard to put their phones down and focus on one thing at a time.

Using Forest, you can plant a tree whenever you want to focus on a task. This tree will grow as long as you don’t touch your phone and stay focused. The tree kicks the bucket if you exit the app before completing the task.

Over time, users can grow an entire forest from these trees. Players are rewarded with additional tree species and calming sounds to make the game more fun.

Forest has partnered with Trees For The Future to make things even better. They allow users to redeem their coins for real-life tree planting. It is available for iOS and Android.

If you are a remote worker and don’t want to be distracted by browsing social media feeds, Forest is a great tool to help you focus on work and stay focused.

8. LastPass

Category – Password Management

LastPass is a freemium password manager that saves encrypted passwords online and supports bookmarklets.

The content in LastPass, including passwords and secure notes, is protected by one master password.

User content is synchronized across all devices installed by the LastPass software or app extensions.

LastPass is an extension to many web browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and Opera.

It also has apps available for smartphones running on Android, iOS, or Windows.

9. Pomofocus

Category – Pomodoro Timer

Pomofocus is the closest you can get to a simple timer like your smartphone. Pomofocus is a web-based timer that anyone can use to track their productivity.

The timer counts down the minutes in your Pomodoro sessions with the countdown displayed on the URL title bar by hitting the play button.

Pomofocus is developed based on Francesco Cirillo’s Pomodoro Technique, a time management strategy.

It employs a timer to divide work into 25-minute intervals interrupted by short breaks. Each interval is referred to as a Pomodoro.

Many professionals have endorsed the Pomodoro technique, which has helped boost their productivity. Thus, popularized by many apps and websites that provide timers and instructions to follow this technique.

10. Noisli

Category – Application Sounds

Noisli is the most visually stunning app that combines different sounds to create an environment that will help you focus.

You can set the volume slider to create different sound environments by activating the app’s sounds – such as water, rumbling train, fireplace, etc.

Besides creating your combos, you can listen to the curated playlists to get ideas and be inspired to create new sound combinations that match your vibe.

A basic, distraction-free text editor is included with the Noisli web app, and a color-changing backdrop is also available to aid work or relaxation.

Ready to Maximize your Productivity While Working Remotely?

The problem with remote working is there’s no ‘one size fits all solution.

Therefore, it’s best to not only shop around for solutions that fit your team but to approach remote and hybrid work models with a broader perspective.

The longer the pandemic lasts, the more critical it is to increase the productivity of remote workers.

Using these work-from-home productivity tools will help you stay motivated and engaged and will surely aid in keeping your productivity levels high.

Please share these blog posts with your fellow remote workers and colleagues and help them benefit from the above-mentioned work-from-home productivity tools!

The gig economy is flourishing, and freelancing trends are becoming increasingly popular due to the practice of remote working during the pandemic. However, being a freelancer is not easy, especially when it comes to finding clients and retaining them.

Workflexi.in is a top choice where one in three individuals hunt down their clients and get paid instantly. So, sign up now to connect with prospective clients and land your dream gigs.

Why is it Important to Retain Freelancing Clients?

If you aspire to freelance at some point in your career or are already doing so, one of the first things you’ll need to figure out is how to retain your existing clients. While working for various clients keeps your task from becoming mundane, developing long-term client connections may go a long way toward keeping your firm thriving.

“A study by Bain & Company found that clients retained for a more extended period of time will increase profits by 25-95%.”

Whenever you pick up a new client, you’ve got to learn about their business, brand, product, voice, tone, etc. You must also become familiar with their company procedures and systems. As a result, countless hours are spent trying to adapt to something new while at the same time trying to get work done.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could scale down the time you spent on pitching new clients while still maintaining a healthy workload? Wouldn’t that be handy to know a few tips to retain freelancing clients?

Read on to know the proven strategies to build a long-term relationship with your freelancing clients.

9 Tips to Retain Freelancing Clients

1. Clear and Concise Communication

The finest base to build relationships with freelance clients is good communication. Your skills bring you clients, but your communication keeps them coming back to you. This is one of the ultimate tips to retain freelancing clients.

By fostering clear and transparent communication with your clients, you reduce the risk of misunderstandings, errors, and delays while helping to instill trust in you. So remember, the clearer you communicate with your client, the less likely they will seek revisions.

In addition, wishing them on their birthday or during any other festive season makes a difference, as it shows them you care about them and remember details about them.

2. Clarify and Set Clear Expectations

Although everyone’s experience is different, managing client expectations is a must-have skill for every freelancer. In fact, maintaining realistic expectations is the absolute key to building a relationship with freelancing clients.

Before initiating your engagement with the client, you must spend enough time to fully grasp the client’s expectations for your efforts and deliverables. Hash out a list of all the questions you have and make sure you have a clear idea of what the client wants.

As a result, exceeding their expectations may significantly influence the client’s relationship and help you establish a professional reputation.

Be a good listener. When you actively listen, you set higher standards for yourself and your client, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Remember, open communications will help you develop a smooth client workflow.

3. Do a Client Study

Take the time to learn everything you can about their mission and agenda. This is probably the most important step you need to take before signing a contract. With this research, you will be able to discover everything you need to know about the needs and wants of your client, which will help you tailor an offer that will suit their needs.

It is important to keep an eye out for possible agenda changes to better understand your client’s needs and how you can assist them. A strategy like this will help you decrease the likelihood of losing clients and establish yourself as someone worth doing business with.

4. Never Skip Out on the Quality

The most straightforward way to increase client retention is to deliver a high-quality service. Delivering quality work is what matters to your clients. Therefore, you will only be able to win future projects if you give quality service to your clients and please them; if you fail to do so, your prospects of acquiring future projects will drop.

You strike hard; You strike hard the first time; You strike hard every time. Never let anything to hamper your quality of your work if you want to retain freelancing clients.

5. Be at Hand

We live in an age of immediate gratification when everyone expects to get everything instantly. For this reason, your client may get dissatisfied if they do not receive what they want from you right away.

If you don’t want to let your clients down, you should respond to their queries as soon as possible—set business hours during which you can reply promptly to any inquiries or concerns your clients may have.

As a freelancer, you may occasionally work with clients in various time zones, making it difficult to locate the best time to speak. Therefore, before you begin a contract, you should negotiate with your prospective clients on what time of day you would be accessible. It will assist you in avoiding misunderstandings and increase client satisfaction.

6. Cut to the Chase

Your clients will value you much more if you speak the truth and are honest rather than committing yourself to something you can’t fulfill. In any circumstance, be honest, and don’t hesitate to say “no”.

It is advisable to clarify the points to avoid any mismatches or unexpected consequences. If you need someone’s support to tackle an issue, be honest about it. Maintain a friendly relationship with them, be consistent with your words, yet remain professional.

7. Hit the Deadline

Being on top of deadlines is of particular importance to freelancers. Often, the client expects to see an actively engaged professional, dedicated, and committed to their project.

Whenever setting timelines with your clients, ensure you leave enough wiggle space in your calendar to be comfortable with your deadlines. Be honest with your clients if you are unsure whether you can complete a project by a particular deadline.

This is one of the most effective strategies to keep your clients pleased and keep them coming back to you.

8. Freebies and Gift Vouchers to Regular Clients

Discounts never grow old. Gifts and offers are favorites, aren’t they? These have proven to be one of the evergreen tips to retain freelancing clients. Providing your existing clients with discounts and goodies for taking your services for a long time makes them feel like they’re getting a special treat.

A valuable client can suggest you to other clients or recommend you and bring you freelance work. But how can you treat them special?

Offering surprise gifts and discounts not only motivates them to come back to you, but it also helps to improve your sales. For example, Mastercard employed this method to reward loyal clients by delivering complimentary cupcakes, concert tickets, and VIP celebrity meets to cardholders.

9. Value Client Reviews

Client reviews and feedback is one of the most underrated tips to retain freelancing clients. Client reviews matter a lot when you’re a freelancer, whether word of mouth or positive comments. So, request feedback from your freelancing clients regularly. This allows you to understand what they anticipate from you and work on it to keep them happy.

You can use surveys for general feedback, and clients can sometimes amaze you with heartwarming testimonials.

Upon receiving their feedback, work on it and deliver quality results. This plays a crucial role in retaining freelance clients as a gig worker.

All Set to Hold your Client’s Attention

When it comes down to retaining freelancing clients, it is all about building relationships and establishing your value and expertise. Working as a team with your client is essential to keep a long-term freelance partnership with them. So use these proven tips to retain freelancing clients like a pro.

To retain a client, you must first gain them. This is why we built a service that finds gig workers and connects them with potential clients. As a result, gig workers and freelancers on Workflexi are likely to get hired straight away and paid for each task. So, register for free on Workflexi to connect with your potential clients.

Content writing gigs are one of the most popular gigs in the emerging freelancing world. People are taking up these gigs and earning a passive income from them. It is an excellent choice for college students and freshers who want to dip their hands into the gig economy. You can easily try out your skills at content writing as it does not require any prior qualifications. Also, some projects can be pretty easy to complete, and you can quickly score your first pay ever through them. The only thing that can prove to be a hurdle is to find one. Due to the ease, there are thousands of people freelancing and finding writing opportunities. It isn’t easy to find good gigs that pay well too. However, we are right here to get you those excellent content writing gigs being a fresher.

Many people shy away from content writing, thinking that it is a saturated market. However, it is far away from that situation. Businesses and the world is recognizing the power of content. It is what helps the company to connect with its audience and get leads. If you really think about it, everything you see on the internet is basically a content type. Even this article you’re going through was the work of a content writer only!

So, if you really have an interest and a curiosity for this field, start working for it. You would get many opportunities to try out different work and enhance your skills. Also, it is an excellent choice if you want some extra cash during your college days.

Follow these seven tips to land your first content writing gig and advance your career as a writer:

1. Go Through The Basics First

You should first understand the basics of content wiring. It should include a brush-up on your grammar skills and vocabulary. Next, you should read up on the different content types and their use. It would help you select the ones which suit you. For example, it is easier to choose article writing rather than copywriting. Select a general field to try out your hands and gain knowledge about it.

You should ideally go through examples and the formats of the content types. The tone, structure, and format are things that you should note whenever you read something new.

Go through all these basics of content writing before looking for a job.

2. Select A Writing Domain

There are several types of content writing gigs; it could be articles, blogs, press releases, listicles, and much more. As a newbie, you should select one out of them. It would help you start easy and get a job where you can perform well. You should practice and gain information about the firm you select. For example, blogs and press releases are two very different kinds of pieces. One is more generalized, and the other one would tie you up to a specific company.

Read the rules and tips for developing that particular form and start practicing.

3. Make A Portfolio

There isn’t any degree that you can show to a hirer in content writing gigs. What you can do is maintain a portfolio of your previous work. It would enable the hirer to get a sense of your skills when applying for a new job. A portfolio would be the most crucial thing for your career. It is just like a degree that would help you get opportunities, and people would judge your skills based on that.

When starting, you should make a portfolio or your own work. It doesn’t need to be content written for a client. Just take up 3 to 4 topics in your selected domain and write. Ensure that the content quality is impeccable and it is compelling for the reader. Write at least five content pieces and add them all together into a folder.

4. Keep Applying To Jobs Relentlessly.

The most challenging part is to actually find jobs that pay well and offer growth opportunities. You should select a platform and keep applying to all the relevant openings. It could be a full-time or a part-time role that aligns with your field. Ensure that you are able to actually deliver on the responsibilities listed in the description before applying to it. You should at least send applications for 30 gigs every day. The chances are that only 3 to 4 people would give you a response. However, it shouldn’t be a reason to lose hope.

You can try out the freelancing websites or get an internship. An internship would be a good choice when starting out to work under someone’s guidance. Keep applying to different jobs and find platforms.

One such reputed and reliable platform is Workflexi. It would be the perfect opportunity to get those content writing gigs when you are new to the field. You can find several gigs here offering full-time and contractual work. It would help you develop those writing skills while maintaining a personal brand as a freelancer. Try it out in the content writing journey to land that first gig.

5. Network And Socializing

If you seriously want to grow your own brand image and get clients, you should keep networking. Use social media handles or official platforms to connect with companies and fellow writers. Attend seminars and meetings with people in the same field and get their advice about your career.

Networking can land you unexpected clients and even jobs with great companies. When you regularly post on a public platform, it would act as an open portfolio for every employer out there. They can access your work publicly and reach out to you. Ensure that you connect with brands and companies that use content in their daily business operations. You can email them and send down proposals about how you would add value to their company.

6. Personalize The Proposal

Every gig and job application would require you to fill out questions and submit a proposal. It should contain a unique selling point, your experiences, and your portfolio. For gigs, you should also include your per-word charge. These proposals and answers would act as the first impression of the employer towards you. And as it is said, it might be the last one as well so, if you want to get that job, personalize and perfect it.

Copying and pasting the same answer or just adjusting the template won’t get you those high-paying gigs.

1. What you need to do is personalize everything according to the job. Take some time and research the employer first.
2. Find out what they are looking for and how the content would help their business grow. Also, ensure that you go through the job description carefully before typing in the proposal.
3. You should go through their website or the LinkedIn page. It would allow a chance to see their business operations and their domains.
4. You need to plan out a short and concise paragraph about how your skills can help your business get new leads. It would indeed take more time, but it would leave a positive effect on the employer’s mind. They would surely notice that you went through their business and put in the effort of customizing the proposal. 

Following up on these steps in every proposal would get you a response almost every time. You can then communicate with the employer and find content writing gigs.

7. Develop Your Niche

A Niche might seem like an option for an experienced writer with years of experience at hand. However, this is where you are wrong. On the internet, there are thousands of industries that need content writers. If you keep applying to jobs that don’t suit your interests or background, you won’t enjoy them. The best you can do is to first assess what you like. Go through your search history and see what you search on Google the most. Is it about the travel locations or food recipes? It can be money-related or even the latest political news. All of this would help you realize a particular topic appealing the most. Select three of them and start searching for companies that work in that field. Also, you could find internships or freelancing work in those domains.

You should learn the art of business communication and cold mailing. It would be an investment for your career, and you can contact many clients through it. It would surely be an excellent step you can take to land excellent content writing gigs.

These are the top tips that have worked for every successful content writer out there. You need to memorize and stick by them at every point of your content writing journey. So, start with your domain, develop a portfolio, keep applying, and land your dream content writing gigs. 

Register with Workfexi and find lucrative content writing gigs now!

After reading this article, you’ll be left with 9 productivity hacks while working from home. You can use these productivity hacks to get more things done while beating the negatives of working from home.

The trend and ease of remote work in businesses, and the advent of the Covid-19 have led the world to a new system of working. A vast community of people has made their livelihoods from freelancing and remote work. It is the reason why many multinationals are also opening up to new remote talents. They have recognized the convenience of such work for the individual and the freelancer. Freelance gigs and remote work is now much more prevalent than in the past decade. With the covid-19 pandemic, companies have recognized that it is more beneficial for them. The expenses for maintenance of offices, employees, and geographical limitations are no longer an issue. It has helped them scale their businesses to a much larger global scale through the internet.

In the past decade, one could have barely thought that they can work with a person in the USA while being in India. But now, it is pretty standard. You’ll see people getting work from home jobs and freelancing gigs. It has helped them gain financial freedom away from the geographical limits.

But just like a coin, it has another side to it. People often feel stuck or overworked when working from home. Let us see why this has emerged as an issue.

What Is The Need For Productivity Hacks While Working From Home?

It seems to be convenient and easy to start your work right from your bed. However, there are inherent issues with it. Let us see some of them:

• There is no demarcation between the personal and the professional. When people work, eat and sleep in the same place, it can be tiring. It can make them feel stuck in a cycle.
• Social life often takes a hit while working from home. It may feel like they have lost a big part of their social lives.
• There isn’t any specific routine. In the absence of a routine, one can quickly feel lethargic or demotivated.
• Employees often feel that they work more than the regular office hours—their workload stretches, which can lead to stress.
• Some people feel that their home cannot provide them the right environment to work. It affects their productivity and ability to meet deadlines.
• Other technical issues such as internet issues or hardware can be prevalent.

These were some of the general issues that workers feel. It can make the convenience of working from their home often feel like a burden. Also, it constantly affects their mental health and productivity. Here are 9 productivity hacks while working from home that can help enhance your performance:

Productivity Hack 1 – Distinguish Personal And Professional Space

You need to make clear boundaries between the work-life and your professional one. You should devote a room or a bench, or even a simple corner for that. The essence is that you must devote a place where you can feel the work environment and one where you can relax.

• Your home shouldn’t feel like an office place and vice versa. If you can, devote an entire room as your workspace. That area would be the home office where you will spend the office hours.
• Do not wake up at work time and start it right at your bed. It isn’t an ideal place for the right motivation. Your bed shouldn’t be the space for working.
• If you cannot designate a room, make a cozy corner. Use a table and keep your devices there. It should ideally be away from the bedroom.
• Make a workspace that motivates you to get back to work.

Productivity Hack 2 – Decorate Your Workspace

Work from home jobs requires motivation and the correct mindset. You should have a space that can motivate you to work harder. Working on an old desk piled up with all the files and folders would do the opposite.

• Remember that you kept things such as photographs on your office desk. It should serve the same purpose here. Choose a table and a corner to decorate.
• You can keep small stationery items or decorate them using souvenirs.
• It is your choice to renovate it and make yourself feel a home. Another top option is to put up posters or quotes that motivate you.
• Choose a comfortable seat, so you don’t feel uncomfortable only after a few hours.
• After choosing the space, you should decorate it for making it your own. Take this step to start working right now.

Among other productivity hacks, while working from home, this one involves spending some money. So, this one is only for those who can afford to spend some extra bucks. Alternatively, you can use the items available at your home to decorate your workspace.

Productivity Hack 3 – Time Is Money (And Mental Health Too)

You must keep your eye on the working hours you spend. You cannot keep working for more than the designated hours each day. While it is okay for a few days, but not more than that. Your mental health is essential to protect, and you should only work the amount you can. It will enable you to take off that extra burden. There isn’t any need to be perfect every day. Doing the bare minimum should be sufficient for some days.

• Keep a close track of your work hours. You can use an alarm clock or a reminder for this too.
• Remember that it will affect your work’s quality if you keep on working for long hours.

Productivity Hack 4 – You Need To Develop A Routine.

There is no benefit in getting up late in the afternoon and going straight to work. Many people practice this and, while in this process, skip their meals. It is something one must avoid at all costs. Have a routine and follow it every day.

• Wake up at least an hour before in the morning when your shift starts. It will allow some time actually to freshen and prepare yourself for work.
• Make yourself a healthy breakfast every day before starting work. Apart from that, you shouldn’t miss any meal. If you do, ensure that you will get back to it asap.
• Turn off the screen once when the work ends and do something you like. Don’t keep lingering on to do some of the succeeding day’s work.

Develop a routine to follow every day. Your body would also then have the energy to get to the work. It is also why you get up some days with no will to start the work. It is usually due to less energy and no uniformity in life.

Productivity Hack 5 – You Should Get Away (Just For A While)

Breaks are an efficient method to rejuvenate yourself and get a fresh perspective. People in the creative field would know the importance of stepping away for a bit. It will enable you to get back with more energy.

Take a break frequently and move around. Some physical moments can help with blood flow. Also, sitting in the whole day isn’t a good habit. Have coffee or snack breaks in between the shift. You can also just watch a short episode of your favorite series.

Productivity Hack 6 – Go Out Of The House At Least Once

To avoid feeling stuck, walk out of the house or the office space. You still need to follow all the precautions and the rules. Walking around the corner of the nearest park is an excellent choice to getaway. You can add this to your day after working or right after you wake up in the morning. It will be better to breathe in some fresh air than being holed up inside. You may also go up to the terrace and relax.

Among other productivity hacks while working from home, this might sound contradictory but can boost your productivity 3x when done right.

Productivity Hack 7 – Mark An Activity To Start The Workday And To End It.

It may sound like just a simple task, but trust us, it does wonder. Do a small task to begin your work and one while ending it. It might be just as simple as a cup of coffee when starting the morning or fresh fruit in the evening. It will signify that you have completed the work for today, and you may relax now. Mental health is a crucial asset. You have to preserve it at all costs. Find an activity you like and do it.

For some people, it can be playing a song or having a little dance party. There are just hundreds of things you can do. Make up your ritual for the work-from-home jobs.

Productivity Hack 8 – Only Take Up The Tasks You Can Handle

It may seem like there is much more time in the world now that you are not traveling and getting out of the house. But it shouldn’t be a reason to increase the pressure on yourself. Working from home is called a convenient option for a reason. A sense of freedom is a major benefit and also decreases the workload. You could’ve just gone to an office with someone looking over your shoulder the whole time.

You must take up the tasks you can handle. It should fit in your daily work hours rather than stretching beyond the day. This is one of the productivity hacks while working from home that can be modified as per your work/hustle appetite.

Productivity Hack 9 – Communicate And Socialize Virtually

You shouldn’t feel that you don’t have a social life now. Call up your friends and have a fun video session. Also, you must update your employees and talk to them too constantly. It will improve teamwork and also produce better results.

You can host games and sessions online with your entire team. It is an efficient way to take off the stress and have a healthy environment.

Bonus Tip – Have Backups

You should keep backups for your internet connection and an electronic device. It will help continue the work in case of any problem and not harm your productivity. You wouldn’t have to miss the important stuff just because of a broken internet connection. Ensure that you have these things in case there is a problem. It will allow you to take up the work from home jobs efficiently and meet the deadlines.

You can foster these productivity hacks while working from home schedule to escape from the monotony and have a fulfilling work from home life. If you are a skilled professional who is saving some time by following these productivity hacks, and you want to pick up a gig in your free time, make sure you register with Workflexi and extra money in your free time.

Watch your diet

What you eat is who you are. Therefore, avoid food rich in carbs because that’s usually the reason for low energy. If you are able to balance your diet or stick to whole foods and avoid processed food, you could have all the energy you need at work and outside. This is usually plain common sense, but it depends on the individual requirements and energy usage. Therefore, you have to find the sweet spot that works for you and replenish your energy reserves to balance the energy deficit in your body.

Water, water, nowhere

Sometimes, all you need is just some water to combat the low levels of energy. Therefore, hydrate yourself well if you feel low on energy and you should be good to go. And remember, to take water in sips and avoid gulping it down. That’s not the way to quench your thirst. It should be slow and steady.

Breathe well, meditate

When you are stressed, the first casualty is usually the lungs. They receive less energy and your mood goes for a toss as you experience shortness of breath and feel tired. That’s when you should go for this easy-to-use hack that works like magic. Just take a few long breaths and you should be okay. Deep breathing is the best way to combat stress and tackle fatigue and the feeling of tiredness. Similarly, some mindfulness exercises and meditation will work well. By this we mean, eating food without thinking of anything else. Taking a Pomodoro break every five minutes for every half an hour or one hour. Closing your eyes and listening to soothing instrumental tunes. Or anything else that immediately destresses you. Take care of your stress and energy levels and you can take care of your professional and personal life.

Step out for a breath of fresh air

Simple hacks have far better ways to relieve you of stress, fatigue and low energy levels. Just step out of your office and take a walk around the city block or around your workspace building. Just a slow walk works wonders. And if there’s a park, step inside the green environs and breathe fresh air. Even if you are just sitting on the park bench and not really walking around, it will do you enough good to replenish your energy levels and bring excitement into your life. Spending time with nature has known health benefits, the biggest of them being the ability to boost your immunity levels.

And finally…

Most modern-day practices are impacting our health, mood swings and stress levels. If we closely watch what we do, we should pinpoint the exact reasons why we are low on energy. The moment you realise who or what they are, you can either prioritise your daily to-do list and weed out the unnecessary and energy-draining activities or just take an afternoon nap of just 5-10 minutes. Just put your head on your work desk and lie down without any interruption and you should be sufficiently recharged for the next four hours. Once you investigate your current practices, you will realise that a sound approach is one where we modify the way we work and live. And that just takes a little of bit of common sense. However, for that to happen, you need some ‘me-time’, which is something only a walk in the lap of nature will give you. Therefore, it’s time to shut your mind out to the outside and look within. Picture yourself at the happiest moment in your life or a place you want to be in the hills, by the river or a cosy cottage. It works like magic.

There is help at hand, though. Just follow these productivity-enhancing tips and you should be able to succeed during flexi working hours.

Set your goals

Putting off work by another day, or worse, over the weekend, can be the biggest stumbling block for you. The negative appeal of flexi timing is procrastination. There are surveys that say that 90% of people put off work at least once every single day.

To beat postponement, you need to set your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. If that is too far-fetched, just go by weekly scheduling. And remember your ultimate goal. Whenever you think of pushing back certain types of work, ask yourself if it’s taking you towards your weekly or monthly goal or creating hurdles in your career path. If it’s not, then it’s time to get down to work. come what may.

Continuous two-way communication

Just because you are not tied to the company physically doesn’t mean you are not free to communicate with them about work. You have to maintain communication with your office through text messages, emails, phone calls (even video calls) to keep up your rapport with colleagues and superiors.

Importantly, when you are tackling a personal emergency, please inform them, so they know that you are not reachable around this time, or just to maintain the personal touch that is missing with ‘work from home’ or ‘part-time’ jobs.

Schedule your day

Flexi working hours only mean that you can work whenever you want. However, that sentence needs to be rewired into your brain. Flexi hours doesn’t mean postponing work for tomorrow. You have to set your daily work schedule, be it working only in the mornings, or only in the evenings. But set it and stick to it. Develop an office routine and abide by the rules of working.

Consider working at home as working from office. The only difference is that you are working when it’s most convenient to you and you are avoiding all the traffic and commuting time. However, whether you are working on your own, or remotely for others, you are still working for somebody at the other end. And there are deadlines for everything. Instead of accumulating all the work on one day, by postponing continuously, you should set down a strict protocol to only postpone if it’s way before schedule. For everything else, the deadline is now.

Similarly, don’t keep working at it, blurring the line between personal and professional time. This causes much rift in families, with spouses and children complaining that you are not sparing enough time for them. Make sure, you strike the right work-life balance. One hack here could be dressing formally when you begin to work. It plays on your psyche and has its effect, according to some cognitive scientists. Experiment, discover and become more productive. Your time starts now.

Develop a relaxing routine

Twenty-four hours is not enough for minding your baby and going to work. However, some careful planning can help you get out of this squeeze. Daily baths before going to bed are perfect for a good night’s sleep and starting your next day with a flourish. Taking walks at night after your dinner are best to give you a breather from work and home. Blogging about your motherhood and work-life balance, either privately or publicly, could work wonders too. You might create a community of others who are going through the same situation. You could even join social media groups of parents and working moms to step into familiar territory to learn, imbibe and grow as a working mom.

Beat the morning rush

The way to do this is to plan well in advance and expect the expected. Yes, you read that right. Managing your baby’s growing years means the feeding pattern (from liquids to solids, for example) will change and thereby, the time required for it. Similarly, the throwing up while eating might decrease over time, but when the teeth begin to sprout, the vomiting will be back. Load up on wipes and diapers for every contingency. If you plan for what is to be expected, you should be able to go to sleep early, so you can wake up early. The rest of the morning routine should happen almost like clockwork: getting ready to work, having a quick breakfast, packing your office bag and stepping out to work.

Get to know your colleagues

Yes, you’ve known them for years now, but what you don’t know is what you missed in your 12 weeks of maternity leave. Telling them about your state of motherhood might not impress them much unless there are others who are battling the same situation. For everyone else, you could ask them what they were up to while you were gone. This will help you break the ice with them after the three-month gap but also get you up to speed with all things new at the workplace.

Speak to your supervisor

It’s important to understand your concerns at work and list them down before meeting your manager. Like taking leave without notice when your baby falls sick, or you taking a course to upgrade your skills. Or talking about what each of you have missed in your personal lives while you were gone, presuming that you have such a friendly rapport with your manager. Importantly, ask your superior if there is something you need to learn, inspect or watch out for to get you to do your work more efficiently.

Re-imagine your role at work

When you take a break from work for three months, your priorities could change. You realise you have less time for routine work and more time for specialised jobs that you are uniquely qualified for. Perhaps, you wonder if it’s time to work from home rather than go to work. Or better still, you realise that it’s best to work as a consultant for many firms rather than just one. Therefore, before you decide to rejoin your workplace, ponder over all of this and then decide to take the next step. Well thought is half done.

Plan with precision

It’s time to use those to-do lists on your smartphone or the post-its, if you like. Or a diary, if you still believe putting pen to paper to solidify your daily itinerary. Schedule your doctor visits (it will be monthly or even fortnightly at first and later, quarterly) in addition to picking and dropping your baby at day care, if you don’t have your mother or nanny at home. Not to mention, your breastfeeding or more specifically, your pumping sessions. You need to store your milk in a bottle to be given to the baby by the nanny at the daycare or at home if you have someone to look after your baby.