Whether you work outside the home or from a home office, it’s often hard for people to feel like they’re living their most productive life when in the comfort of their own home. With the mix of everyone’s schedules and your couch or bed calling to you, it’s easy to waste the precious hours that you get to spend at home with your family. So to help you get better organized and feel better about the time you spend at home, here are three ways that you can try to make your home life more productive.
Limit Your Multitasking
If you have a lot of things to take care of at home, you’re probably used to having to multitask quite a bit. And while this tactic can work for projects that you’re not very invested in, if you truly have something that needs your focus and attention, multitasking may not be the best way to go. According to NerdFitness.com, multitasking often causes you to take longer to poorly complete tasks. So rather than thinking you can get everything done at the same time, you’ll actually end up being more productive if you’re able to spend your time on just one task that you complete before moving on to the next one.
Make and Keep Your Priorities
When you or your family have a lot of things to be done at home, it’s important that you set your priorities correctly for being as productive as possible. To help with this, Sarah Blaskovich, a contributor to Success.com, recommends sorting your priorities into two sections: today and the big picture. Try your best to take care of all of your “today” items today and to prioritize when to handle each of your “big picture” items. Once you have everything prioritized, it will be much easier for you to not feel too overwhelmed about your daily tasks and better focus.
Set Distinct Times for Work and Play
Just like it’s important for you to set times for work, it’s just as important for you to set times to play at home. Without giving yourself and your family time to relax and unwind together, it can become much harder to spend your downtime productively. To make the most of this time at home, Ryan Sanders, a contributor to Fatherhood.org, suggests setting distinct times for work and play. When it’s work time, do all you can to get your work done without distractions. But when it’s time to play, put away your work and forms of technology that could pull you back into work mode.
The time you spend at home can really set the mood for your family life. To help make this time as productive and healthy as possible, use the tips mentioned above to assist in your work-life balance.
