Freelance economy is on the rise. If you will look at the statistics, the number of self-employed workers in the US is at an estimated 15.5 million in May 2015. It has increased by roughly a million since 2014. Companies lower their operation expenses by hiring freelancers rather than full time employees. They are able to expand their manpower without expanding their office.
For freelancers working at home, they enjoy the benefits of beating the traffic and even working on their pajama. Thanks to the internet, you can now be your own boss. You can work whenever you want, wherever you want. However, despite its benefits, freelancers working at home need to deal with productivity issues.
Unlike employees that get paid by the hour, freelancers are often times paid based on their output. This means that there is a need for consistency in terms of productivity.
Here are 7 productivity tips for freelancers working at home.
1. Create a routine
How important is a routine in your work productivity? Mastery of work and efficiency are products of repetitions. By having a routine that you follow daily, you will be able to set aside good habits that can increase your overall efficiency. Routine also negates the need to stay motivated. Your impulse will simply be a product of habit that you need to get out of your bed and start working on certain times of the day.
It is also a good idea to have a ritual in your routine. A ritual signals the body that it’s time for you to start your routine. In addition to this, you can also have the right mentality.
2. Create a workspace
Your environment will affect how you think. If you work in your bedroom, it is a good idea to have a space dedicated for work and for thinking. One simple way to create a workspace is by having a work table where you can place your computer, and other things needed for work. However, it is better if you can have a separate room that could serve as your office.
In fact, there are other freelancers who decide to work in coffee shops and other places where they can focus.
3. Prepare as if you are going to work
How do you expect to work if you are in your pajamas in bed? Most likely, you will end up going back to bed procrastinating. What you want is to prepare as if you are getting ready for work. You can take a shower, and then take a cup of coffee to get ready for your day.
4. Set your rules (and follow them!)
Offices have a typical structure for their employees. In an office setting, you have a supervisor who monitors not only your productivity, but also implements rules for everyone to follow. This is something that is absent when you decide to make your home your very own work station.
In order to increase productivity in your work at home, it is important to set and follow some rules. For instance, you have to keep the distractions at bay. You want to make sure that you limit the use of social media. This might take a bit of discipline, but this can definitely be worth it.
If you are fond of using social media, you can set the time when you can open your social media accounts. This can help in lessening the stress that you experience especially when dealing with deadlines.
5. Set the number of hours that you work daily
How many hours should you be working in a day? According to experts, there is no magic number just how many hours you should work in a day. However, there are a lot of countries following a 40 hour standard work week.
But of course, freelancers are in a tricky position. There are times when freelancers working at home are faced with the dilemma that there could be insufficient work the following weeks. Thus, they will need to compensate. If regular employees spend around 8 to 10 hours at work, freelancers need to work 8.5 to 11 hours daily in order to compensate for the hours that they won’t be working. It is just as important to not forget to rest. Keep in mind that it is easy to experience burnout.
6. Plan things out in advance
It is typically a struggle, especially during Mondays to be productive. However, you can change this by having an agenda prepared for the entire week. It is a good idea for freelancers working at home to make a schedule of things that they will do for the entire week. This will enable freelancers to have an agenda first thing in the morning.
But since freelance work can sometimes be erratic, you also have to learn how to be flexible. Keep in mind that there are some work requests that will arrive in the middle of the workweek.
7. Rest day
No matter how much you love your work; there will always be a tipping point wherein stress will get the best of you. Freelancers need to assign even just one day of the week when they can unwind and rest. This way, you can recalibrate and find your center once again. On your free day, find the time to spend some time with friends who you enjoy.
It is also a good idea to unplug from the World Wide Web on your rest day. This way, you have the day by yourself. This practice is even suggested by tech experts. And once you are back at work, you will be surprised how relaxed your mind is.
Conclusion
Perks of working at home include being able to work in exotic locations to potentially getting more money compared to working in an office. But what you have to realize is that you might also find it hard to maintain productivity in this type of set-up.
In fact, if you are the type who lacks self-discipline at work who needs to be monitored every time, working at home isn’t something that you want to try. Maintaining a consistent level of productivity can become an issue, especially when you are used on working in an office set up.
Do you have any other productivity tips for freelancers? Feel free to leave a comment!