If studio space and long stretches of uninterrupted, concentrated time are what it takes to produce quality creative work, the confines and distractions of working from home pose new challenges to creators.
From limited room (hi, apartment dwellers) to the sisyphean demands of housework and child care that are tough to ignore when the kitchen table is your office, creators are struggling to contend with the working conditions hoisted upon them by the pandemic and its affect on their creative output.
Inadequate or unequipped workspaces and ubiquitous intrusions upon your focus all present major hurdles to completing a productive day’s work – and for many in the creative field, there’s no obvious or universal way to quantify productivity in the first place.
Whether you’re an artist, an entrepreneur, or a creative freelancer, the reality is that working from home requires a whole new set of “work muscles” that strengthen over time.
1. Set realistic “work from home goals”
Managing your expectations is the first step in shifting to a new way of working creatively. If you’re accustomed to working from a studio space or a more removed and private setting, initially working from home will require adjustments that might affect your productivity.
Setting realistic goals and expectations for your work results in short-term motivation rather than overwhelm and disappointment. A realistic approach also allows you to challenge yourself over the long-term, which creates a doable path to future achievements.
When working from home, you might find there are more interruptions, or that you are less efficient without colleagues to bounce ideas off of. Now you’re stopping to cook lunch, troubleshooting your Internet, and waiting on Zoom calls to garner feedback. Perhaps there are kids around dividing your attention further. Rather than pushing yourself to do the impossible, take a breath, cut yourself some slack, and re-center your expectations realistically.
2. Establish a functional workspace
No matter the size of your home, designate an area where you plan to get your work done. Whether it’s the dining room table or a corner of your bedroom, name it and claim it for your working hours. This distinction allows you to mentally transition into “work mode” even if you never leave the house.
Make sure you also have all the necessary tools and accessories on-hand to accomplish your tasks. For certain types of work, it might be costly to approximate the offerings of a full studio, so decide what equipment is most critical to your tasks. See if you can get by without dropping a chunk of change, or if you might be able to split costs with a fellow creative with whom you can share the big ticket items.
The bottom line: if you’ll need to use a pricey item regularly in order to accomplish your goals, you may need to bite the bullet and make the purchase.
Don’t forget to check that you are set up ergonomically, to avoid excessive stress and strain on your body or your eyes.
3. Don’t disdain small windows of time
You might think you can’t get much done in small bits of time, but add up all those 5- or 10-minute pieces throughout the day, and you might just have enough time to knock a sizable chunk off your to-do list. Short bursts of activity aren’t ideal for demanding work that requires extreme concentration (more on that in the next tip), but quick tasks – the ones we often procrastinate because they’re a nuisance – can be eliminated in down time.
Try applying the “social scroll” test: whenever you find yourself thinking you have just enough time to scroll through a social media app for a second, put that time towards a productive task instead.
Every minute of your life is gold. You can earn back lost money, but lost time…well, it’s gone forever.
4. Batch your tasks, or “time chunk”
Many studies have shown that multi-tasking and task-switching without completing the first task have detrimental effects on productivity and effectiveness. When we ping-pong from task to task, we force our brains to constantly switch gears and deplete our mental reserves.
To optimize your time and reduce unnecessary running around, master the art of time-chunking and batch your tasks: run errands in a single chunk of time; then respond to emails in another chunk; and set aside a block of time for more isolated, demanding tasks like creating a presentation. This takes some discipline, but it does get easier with practice and is well worth the effort.
Millionaire entrepreneur Paul Graham has a similar time management technique that he calls Maker’s Time vs. Manager’s Time.
Maker’s time is a big chunk of time (like 4 hours) free from distraction to do creative or deep work – what he calls “maker’s work.” This could be work such writing, video editing, or software coding. Your focus is on a single, challenging task for the entire chunk of time. Manager’s time, on the other hand, is filled with meetings. It’s divided up into 30-60 minute pieces where you are continuously moving from one small task to another.
Both types of tasks are necessary, but only one – maker’s time – leaves you feeling like you accomplished anything of value.
Setting realistic goals and expectations for your work results in short-term motivation and long-term vision.
5. Minimize distractions
It can be tempting to keep the TV on in the background while you work, but our brains don’t handle distractions as well as we tend to think they do. Reduce your mental fatigue by turning off the TV, silencing your phone or muting notifications, pausing any music that shifts your focus (or, conversely, playing music that helps you feel inspired or motivated), and banning yourself from social media grazing during work-from-home hours.
If you need to (and depending on the type of work you’re doing), disconnect from the Internet. Pause notifications or delete social media apps from your phone altogether. You can also change your device settings to limit screen time if you feel you’re abusing it at the expense of your work.
6. Take breaks to rest
Working from home can badly blur the distinction between your work life and your personal life, making it easy to burn the candle late into the night or on weekends. But it’s important to set boundaries to avoid burnout.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing you’re too busy to take a break. Plenty of research has demonstrated that taking a break offers significant benefits for you and your work, whether creative or analytical. Micro-breaks, lunch breaks, longer breaks and weekend breaks have all been shown to have a positive relationship with well-being and productivity. Detaching from work at intervals throughout the day increases energy levels, reduces or prevents stress, and boosts your performance by restoring mental and creative resources.
If this all sounds like a lot to juggle, fear not. Before long, you’ll find your rhythm and make peace with the trade-offs that characterize working from home instead of your preferred studio, office or professional workspace. Don’t be afraid to leverage your community and ask for help!
Are you a parent trying to work from home? Read our WFH hacks for productivity with children (bless their hearts) underfoot over here.
Cover photo by Francesca Zama via Unsplash.
