I began to stay at home since 2013 after the mobile games company went broke. I am not a real so-called "hacker". Instead, I am much more a developer than a hacker. When you work for yourself it can be very hard to stay productive. You have all of this freedom and it’s very easy to be distracted. You also find that there are certain aspects of your working environment that don't help with productivity.
To help you out, we have come up with 9 brilliant tips that will help you to get more done than ever before. Let’s go!
1. Stay away from your phone
“I’ll just check Twitter/Facebook/Instagram etc.” . . . it can be easy to ‘check something out’ for a minute only to find yourself still browsing 20 minutes later. You need to put down your phone or only use it for business-related activities.
If you can’t help yourself then it may be a good idea to log out of your social media accounts. The act of having to log-in instead of clicking on an app icon may be enough to put you off. Keep your hands off your phone and keep your mind on track.
2. Motivation reminders
With only yourself to answer too, it can be hard to keep up the same levels of motivation you’d have for a full-time job. The likelihood is that you’re always building up to something. It could be a new car, bills to pay or getting to the next level with your work.
Whatever it is, a good idea is to set yourself reminders. This could be putting up a picture on your desk, changing the home screen on your phone or even framing a specific motivational quote. Give yourself a reminder of what is driving your ambition.
3 Attack the morning
You get up, check your e-mails, check social media, make yourself a coffee and then decide to spend time making yourself a big breakfast. Before you know it, an hour and a half has gone from your day and you’ve got nothing to show for it.
A better idea is to grab a light breakfast and get to work straight away. After a few hours, you can give yourself a break and have 10-15 minutes of 'me' time before getting going again. This would be a much better way to structure your day.
4. Get a good chair
There are a few issues that can be caused by having a bad chair. It can make your posture poor and that can lead to numerous issues such as a sore back, finger pain and also carpal tunnel. You need to be able to sit with good posture while you work.
Other negatives can be digestive problems, increased levels of fatigue and a lack of concentration. All these things can be prevented by having a high-quality chair. It's also a good idea to get a high-quality keyboard and a mouse if you do a lot of computer work.
5. Use an air purifier
When you’re in the same room all day, the air can quickly get stuffy. It can also be full of dust or dander, especially if you have pets. This can lead to tiredness and also respiratory problems. It can be even worse if you have any allergies.
An air purifier is going to be able to take these particles out of the air and leave it a lot easier to breathe. This cleaner environment is going to allow you to be much more productive and not have to worry about breathing in dirty air.
6. Set yourself targets
In any other line of work you are going to be set targets that you'll be expected to meet. The reason that bosses and managers do this is that it motivates you to be productive. If you're a freelancer, there is no reason for this to be any different.
It's a good idea to let people know these targets such as a partner or friend, this way you're going to have some accountability. It will help to motivate you in order to meet and excel what you need to do on an average day.
7. Mix up your workspace
Do you work from the same desk, studio or workspace all day? If this sounds like you then it’s a good idea to get out there and mix it up. Working in a park or a café can help break up the monotony of your daily routine and allow you to be more productive.
As you’ll be in a public space, there are also going to be fewer distractions. It could even be a new source of inspiration and give you fresh ideas. If you can, try and get out there and mix up your work environment and see the positive impact it’ll have.
8. Group your messages
Do you need to check your emails or messages at a few points in a day? Some people will constantly have their message systems open and reply to them as soon as possible. This can lead to multiple interruptions in any given day.
It’s a better idea to set specific times throughout the day where you can check and reply to messages. This grouping of them will lead to less overall distractions. If you’re likely to get urgent messages then you can reply straight away but leave any others to your designated time.
9. Prepare food
One thing I found with freelancing is just how much time in your day can be used up making a proper meal. It just takes too long. Rather than just eating badly there are a few simple things that you can do such as having a simple breakfast of either fruit or cereal.
For lunchtime meals, you can either prepare a meal the night before or prepare a quick meal such as pasta or sandwiches. Preparing, cooking and cleaning for a meal can easily take over an hour out of your day.