How to Be Productive at Home: 13 Tips!

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As a stay at home or work from home mom, you may find it challenging to stay productive every day. Maybe you move from one thing to the next but never really accomplishing anything and end up procrastinating.

Unproductive days cause you to end the day exhausted but wondering where all the time went because you have nothing to show for it!

When you are home all day, it can feel overwhelming because there is so much to do, yet you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder telling you what to do.

I used to feel that way too, and some days I still feel that way! I’ve been a stay at home and work from home mom for the last 7 years, so I’ve learned how to be more productive at home. And on those days, I’m not feeling productive, I know what to do to change that.

Now I’m going to share my 13 best productivity tips with you!

How to Be Productive at Home:

1. Get dressed every morning as soon as possible.

It’s easy to stay in your pajamas or work out clothes when you are at home because you may not have anywhere to go and you probably won’t be seeing a lot of people either.

But you and your family are worth the effort of getting ready every day. Plus you’ll see yourself in the mirror!

Getting dressed early in the morning signals to your mind and body that the day has begun. The clothes you wear also has an effect on your productivity.

If you stay in your pajamas, your mind associates relaxing and lounging around. However if you get dressed and even put on shoes, your mind and body will associate the change with time to get things done.

I don’t go all out. But I do put on a top and bottom that make me feel good not frumpy. If you like to wear makeup and do your hair, neither of those have to take long. Just keep it simple but effective.

Be sure to follow a productive morning routine by having a plan to get showered and dressed each morning around the same time.

2. Limit TV and social media consumption.

It’s easy to spend a lot of time on social media or watching TV even if it’s unintentional. You may open your phone to check something on Instagram, and before you know it, you’ve spent an hour watching dance reels!

One way to help limit this unproductive time is to delete apps from your phone. If you find yourself spending too much time on your phone, try deleting social media for a day or even just the mornings.

You can easily add the app back to your phone in the afternoon or evening when you have accomplished what you need to do for the day.

Another way to limit time on your phone and be more present is to simply put your phone out of sight. Most of us carry our phones in our pockets which is an easy distraction.

However, you could put your phone in another room and simply have the phone ringer on so you don’t miss an important call. But the phone will be out of sight, and you’ll be more productive because you’ll be less likely to get distracted by it.

3. Complete an easy productive task early in the day.

Do you remember the principle you learned in Physics class? “An object in motion will stay in motion.”

The same rule applies to you and me! If you start your day with an accomplishment, even a small one, you’ll be more likely to accomplish more things throughout your day.

I like to begin my day by starting a load of laundry. It’s and easy task, but also makes a big difference! My family has to have clothes to wear, so I get that annoying but simple chore done first thing.

Once the laundry is started, I empty the dishes from the dishwasher. That way I can fill it up with dirty dishes throughout the day and keep the kitchen clean. It’s a domino effect!

Think of one simple, yet productive task you could complete each morning to set yourself up for a productive day.

4. Don’t multi-task.

Sometimes we think we are accomplishing more by multi-tasking, but in reality we are making things take longer. Instead of giving your full attention to one thing, you are dividing up your attention and probably not accomplishing much.

This is never more apparent to me than when my children are speaking to me and I’m trying to text someone. I can’t do both at the same time. My mind just doesn’t work that way!

One way I saved time cleaning my house was to simply focus on cleaning one thing at a time and not trying to catch up on YouTube videos while I cleaned. The same is true when making supper, teaching homeschool, or working. I’m much more productive when I do ONE thing at a time.

How have you been multi-tasking at home? Is it really helping you or casuing you to be less productive?

5. Follow a Flexible Schedule.

This may be the very best productivity tip I have! Following a daily schedule helped me focus my time on what really mattered.

It helped me build my business and allows me to keep a clean home while homeschooling my kids and working from home.

Your daily schedule is not a rigid routine. It’s simply a plan for your day, so that you aren’t wasting your time. Instead, you’ll feel like you have more time because you are using your time more effectively.

When creating your at home schedule, start with the things that happen every single day around the same time like meals, nap times, or school. Then work your other things around those times.

This will give you time to spend with your kids, get cleaning done, and even have time for yourself!

6. Make a to-do list.

Sometimes there is so much that needs to be done. The only way to keep it all straight is to write it down. Keeping a to-do list helps you stay focused on what needs to get done.

7. Use a planner.

One of the best things I did to be more productive is to write everything down. I keep it all organized in my planner. Here’s a list of my favorite budget friendly planners. (affiliate link)

Using a planner helps you see all of the activities and appointments that you have coming up so that you can work your to-do list around all of it.

8. Declutter

If you have a lot of clutter in your home, it may be wasting your time. Clutter gets in your way and you spend more time managing all your stuff.

Declutter your most used spaces like your kitchen counters, bathrooms, and bedrooms.

9. Got to bed on time.

If you are feeling unproductive, it may be because you aren’t getting enough sleep. Make sure you are going to bed early enough to get a full night’s sleep.

10. Drink water.

Another simple self care habit that will energize you is to drink enough water. Most adults don’t drink enough water.

Whenever I need to get motivated, I pour a tall glass of ice water and start drinking. It makes me feel better almost instantly, and I’m ready to get stuff done!

11. Plan your morning the night before.

Set your morning up for success by planning the night before. You’ll spend less time running around in the morning and get other important things done.

Some things you can do the night before is make lunches, set out breakfast plates or bowls, set up the coffee pot, or set out clothes.

12. Know what your priorities are.

After you have made a to-do list, be sure to prioritize what needs done first. I do this by picking the top 3 tasks and only focusing on those.

This way you are being more productive because you are getting the most important tasks done before the less important tasks.

13. Ask for help.

Do you find yourself doing things the rest of your family could be doing for themselves? Stop!

Ask your spouse for help. Have your kids put their belongings away and help with household chores.

You can also get help outside the home by using grocery pickup or other outside services.

I hope this list of productivity tips has been helpful! If you have any further tips about how to be productive at home, be sure to leave them in the comments!

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