Over the last year or so, many people have been driven from the workplace and into a home office. At first, it seemed like a dream come true. “What,” we said. “I have to work from home? How shall I ever cope.” We clutched our pearls ironically and began gleefully setting up our desks in bed. But before long, we found ourselves sleeping till noon and living in bathrobes.The good news is, it is quite possible to work from home and still be timely, productive, and properly dressed to retrieve your Amazon deliveries from the front porch. With a few organizational tips, and some clever software products and services, you can make your home office into a true office.

• Have a Purpose-Built Workspace

It’s all too easy to switch to YouTube or play a game while you’re on your computer. It’s important to have a desk that facilitates work and work only. One way to do this is to use an operating system that’s not game-friendly. Mac OS is less game-friendly than PC, and Linux is even less game-friendly. Of course, distractions will always exist, so you’ll just have to do your best to minimize them.

• Have a Schedule

A good old-fashioned spiral notebook is a great place to write down your daily itinerary. If you get in the habit of writing out your schedule each morning, it will become hard to break - and once you write something down, you’re much more likely to get it done.

• Follow Your Natural Rhythms

It can be easy to stay up too late and force yourself to get up after too little sleep. It’s important to follow your natural diurnal rhythms to stay healthy and productive. Make it a rule to go to bed no later than midnight on weekdays, 1:00 AM on weekends- and get some sun each day. The extra sunlight will do wonders for your energy levels and your overall health.

• Eliminate Distractions

If there’s something you can be distracted by, get it off your desk. It’s okay to place it in sight, out of reach. This will help get you out of your seat once in a while, which is good for your circulation and skeletal health.

• Use Concentration Aids

Setting a timer for your breaks helps get you back on task. Drinking tea is stimulating and easy on your stomach. Coffee is okay, but don’t get into the spiral of upping the dose each week.

• Be Nice to Yourself

Treat yourself like someone you are expected to care for, like a child or elder. Try to identify with your wiser instincts, and watch over the parts of you that need guidance.

• Can’t Find an App That Suits You? Make One

There are lots of apps that can help keep you on track, but the best productivity app is the one you make for your own needs. Think it’s impossible? Check out Essential Designs custom app design services. You can build a productivity app that suits your personality to a tee.

Essential Designs can help you design your own customized app to help you stay focused and meet your productivity needs. Get in touch to learn more, and find out what a little organization, and automation, can do for you.