A freelancer’s life can be tough. While you get to work your own hours and be your own boss, you’re also accountable for your own actions and only get paid for the work you complete.
When you’re not feeling all that motivated or productive, it can be tough to find the drive to work, and you may receive a reduced income as a reflection of that. For any freelancer battling with their general productivity, the following tips can be game-changers.
Change Your Work Location
When you work from home, you’re surrounded by distractions like laundry, dishes, and video streaming services. All of these are at risk of impacting how much work you achieve in a day.
Change your work location, and your whole outlook may change. Consider a virtual office to benefit from a business address and head to your local café for a change of scenery. You might even decide to work in a serviced office that offers a fully-catered professional set-up for a low monthly fee.
Sometimes, even visiting a park with your laptop or venturing into your own garden can be how you turn on the productivity tap and let the creativity flow.
Create a Dedicated Work Space
Even if you like the lightness of your kitchen counter or the comfort of the sofa, these may not be the most productive parts of your home for work. With so many possible distractions, you may not be able to achieve as much as you would in a space set up for your business.
If you have a spare room or space in the corner of a bedroom or lounge, turn it into a dedicated work nook. Add a desk, chair, storage, and even an aroma diffuser or indoor plant for better air quality and productivity.
With fewer distractions in a dedicated space, you may stand a better chance of staying on task and achieving more in a day.
Take Breaks
When you work for a company or corporation, you’re entitled to scheduled breaks and meal periods. However, when you work for yourself, it’s easy to forget to make breaks a priority.
Though you no longer have scheduled rest times, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them. Many studies have shown that taking breaks, even for just a few minutes at a time, can increase your productivity. You’re also doing your body a favor by taking a moment to stretch your muscles and relax.
Identify When You’re Most Productive
We can’t all be productive all day, every day. There are going to be parts of the day when you achieve more work than at other times. Take note of when these moments come so you can plan your days accordingly.
Some people consider themselves night owls, which means a standard nine-to-five work schedule can be challenging. Fortunately, when you work for yourself, you can generally work late into the night and get up later in the morning if it works for you.
Other people are early birds, meaning they achieve more in the morning than at night. Once you’ve gotten a feel for your most productive and energetic times of day, you can structure your work schedule to suit.
Freelancers are in the desirable position of having complete flexibility in their day, but that doesn’t mean they are making the best use of their time. If you’re struggling with productivity and staying on task, the tips above may be how you keep yourself on track and achieve more than you dreamed possible.
