My Work From Home Productivity Ritual for a More Focused Work Day
I talk about strategy and planning a lot around here, but all that is moot if you cannot actually sit down and implement it.
Any multi-passionate entrepreneur would agree that sometimes getting focused is harder some days than others.
Recently I’ve created a small pre-work ritual that helps me activate work focus almost every time, so I wanted to share it with you just in case you’ve been struggling to find your productivity groove…
Clear the clutter & distractions from your work environment
- Like many of you, I work from home & currently, my workspace is located in my living room; spending a couple of minutes picking up items that don’t belong and doing some general straightening helps to create a distraction-free & peaceful environment.
- I also like to put my phone in a different room to help me avoid mindless scrolling & getting distracted by notifications.
Prepare your productivity bunker with snacks & beverages.
- How many beverages do you have on your desk at any given time? For me, it's usually about 2-3. The first beverage is a glass of water with electrolytes. (When the body is stressed, it naturally dumps minerals, so drinking electrolyte-laced water helps to replenish these essential minerals. The second beverage is typically coffee or tea because caffeine is life. And sometimes they're a protein-full smoothie present. I find that I can avoid mindless stress snacking by upping my protein intake.
- I also like to prepare and set out a healthy veggie or fruit snack to avoid mindlessly grabbing something from the pantry during the break.
Set the tone for focus
- Start a diffuser with peppermint oil on my desk. I find the invigorating aroma of this oil helps to wake up my brain & helps me to stay alert & focused.
- Turn on focus music since I’m in the living room; I usually turn on a youtube video designed to help create focus & concentration. However, if I need to knock out a bunch of tasks quickly, I’ll choose something more upbeat like this playlist created by my business coach Jason Zook at Wandering Aimfully. Sometimes I’ll also clear the room with a bit of palo santo, especially if I’m feeling any negative energy or impostor syndrome (because I'm woo like that.)
Review the priorities and tasks for the day
- Notion is a unique workspace tool that can be adapted and customized to your needs. It can be as simple or complex as you need it to be. I’ve been building out my Notion workspace for about a year and a half now & pretty much use it for everything from task & project management to journaling and meal planning. I like to start each day with the Weekly Agenda that I prepare at the beginning of the week. This agenda contains a daily journal where I record my thoughts and set my intention for the day, and the tasks I’ve predetermined are essential to complete in the day.
- Using a work management system like Notion has been a game changer and allowed me to create more momentum in my business. But since you have to start from scratch, I highly recommend starting with a pre-built template. The one I use was included in my Wandering Aimfully Membership.
I’m by no means perfect at completing this daily ritual. A lot of time, my brain will tell me that I don’t have enough time & that I need to get to work. When it does, I have to remind myself that taking the time to set the stage for a productive work day will pay off in increased focus and productivity.
