25 Top Tips for Work Productivity from Home in 2024

Today, “going to work” doesn’t necessarily mean commuting to an office. Companies are seeing the benefits of hiring remotely, from happier employees to a more diversified workforce, and as many as 32% of managers found that remote work actually increases productivity. Who wants to be in the office five days a week when they can be just as productive, if not more, at home?

Working from home allows you to create the ideal workspace for being productive. You can take a short walk to brainstorm an idea and work distraction-free without coworkers stopping by your desk. Slack messages and emails can replace time-consuming meetings. But a home also has many distractions, from well-meaning neighbors to a neverending list of chores.

In this article, we’ll cover some of our best tips for avoiding distractions and staying productive.

Work from home productivity stats

For over twenty years, Upwork has not only enabled remote work; we’ve also embraced it. We are a remote-first company, meaning that while we have two offices that our teammates can choose to work out of, most choose to work remotely. We have over 1,700 team members working from home in over 800 cities around the world.

And in our twenty-plus years, we’ve seen many changes in the workforce, and perhaps unsurprisingly the youngest generations often embody those changes. A major shift we’re seeing with Gen Z is that many of them don’t look for full-time employment after graduation; instead, over 53% of Gen Z work full-time on freelance projects. Freelancing provides a working environment where they can be themselves, often working from home or at a local coffee shop.

Many professionals choose to freelance because it allows for more control over their careers and flexibility with their scheduling. Over 60% of freelancers work from home, compared to just 32% of non-freelancing professionals.

In 2023, 38% of the U.S. workforce (64 million Americans) performed freelance work, an increase of 4 million from the previous year. These workers contributed over $1.27 trillion in earnings to the U.S. economy. And the workers aren’t the only ones seeing the benefits; in our research report, 79% of businesses agree that working with independent talent enables them to be more innovative.

Instead of measuring productivity by hours spent at a desk, managers are shifting toward output-oriented criteria like quality and quantity of work, and the ability to meet deadlines. Hiring practices are also changing; 78% of companies have used remote freelancers, which continues the trending increase.

The adjustment from working in an office to working from home can feel a bit strange at first, and learning how to maintain productivity and efficiency while working remotely is important. Follow these work-from-home tips and tricks to stay productive and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Table of Contents:

• Stick to a routine
• Avoid multitasking
• Focus on deep work
• Try time batching‍
• Take a break‍
• Know when to “log off”‍
• Set ground rules with your team‍
• Use efficient telecommunication tools‍
• Have a dedicated workspace‍
• Work with targets, not hours, in mind‍
• Set your phone to “Do Not Disturb”‍
• Interact with other co-workers ‍
• Use task management software‍
• Plan the day ahead‍
• Establish boundaries ‍
• Use a task timer ‍
• Stay active ‍
• Prioritize tasks‍
• Optimize your workspace ergonomics‍
• Set daily goals‍
• Take advantage of flexibility ‍
• Review and reflect ‍
• Limit social media‍
• Create a morning ritual‍
• End with a routine

1. Stick to a routine

Creating a routine adds structure and predictability to your day. You may find that you feel more in control of your time and how you spend it. Work-life balance is critical, especially if you're working from home full-time. Try committing to a routine that helps maintain that balance to avoid burnout.

Before you start your workday, what do you need to be successful? Some people may take a walk, make breakfast, brew a pot of coffee, or stretch. Give yourself time to mentally prepare for your workday, even if that means waking up a few minutes early.

Once you're in your workflow, schedule times for breaks and lunch. Your exact work day-to-day may look different, but you can create a set routine around self-care, exercise, snacks, and meal times that adds structure during your week.

Check out this day in the life of a freelancer to see what being an independent professional on Upwork is like.

2. Avoid multitasking

Multitasking may seem like a boast-worthy skill, but when you explore how it actually affects work, you’ll quickly see it hurts productivity and efficiency. Few people can multitask well, and instead of giving one task 100% of their attention, most people divide their focus between multiple tasks.

When multitasking, your brain has to adjust to the new task every time you switch. Task switching can cost you up to 40% of your productive time, according to the American Psychological Association.

When figuring out how to work remotely, many people are more productive when they complete work in batches and create mental space for deep concentration.

3. Focus on deep work

Instead of dividing your attention between tasks, try removing distractions and dedicating all of your brain power to one task for a set amount of time—this is called deep work.

The Netflix documentary "Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates" explores the mind of Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates. Gates famously went off the grid and spent "think weeks" where he would read and think critically without any distractions or obligations.

Comparing his brain to a computer, the documentary called this "CPU time." All of his brain power re-routed to a singular task. Gates says these think weeks are where some of his biggest innovations and best ideas came from.

When deep working, you enter a flow state. Have you ever been so immersed in a task at work that you don't notice time passing or have many thoughts outside of what you're focused on? This is called a flow state, and it's highly productive. Most people can only do this for four or five hours a day.

4. Try time batching

Instead of multitasking, time batching is a great work-from-home tip and trick that can help you get in a flow state. Divide your day into time blocks and assign yourself tasks to complete during each block.

When time batching, group similar tasks together into "small," "medium," and "large" tasks based on how long they'll take and the amount of brain power needed. Block out time for deep work versus tasks that require a little less brain power like cleaning your inbox.

• Small tasks take about 15-30 minutes of attention
• Medium tasks take up to 2 hours of attention
• Large tasks take more than 2 hours of attention

Once you've batched, decide which list is best to start with based on your schedule and focus. You'll want to think about your priorities: Is it better to get many small tasks done at that moment or work on larger tasks that have a bigger impact on your team or organization? Once you've decided, stick with the list to keep your motivation and distractions to a minimum.

5. Take a break

Breaks are just as important to productivity as your time spent working. Your brain is like a battery; it needs time to recharge, whether for 30 seconds or five minutes. Take a break and grab a glass of water, stretch for a bit, or cuddle with your pet to let your brain quickly rest. This is a great time to incorporate a little exercise and movement into your day.

In the office, you'd walk to a meeting, talk with your deskmate, or make a coffee run. At home, you have to make time to take these little recharging moments away from the computer.

Try using the Pomodoro technique, where you work in 25-minute blocks uninterrupted (close all non-work-related tabs and silence your phone) on designated tasks and then reward yourself with a five-minute break. After three or four 25-minute blocks, enjoy a longer 15 to 25 min break.

6. Know when to "log off"

When working in an office, you simply turn off your computer and leave, saving any unfinished tasks until you clock in the next day. If you work from home, knowing when your workday officially ends is more difficult, especially if you have teammates in different time zones.

"Logging off" and stopping work for the day is important for work-life balance and overall well-being. You don’t want your home to feel like the office and not be able to relax. All of the time you spend answering messages and emails, and thinking about work after your day ends, adds up. You may be working more than you think.

Creating a set schedule for when you start and when you stop can help you manage your time better. Make sure you’re actively working when you’re at the computer, and allow yourself to put it all away at the end of the day.

7. Set ground rules with your team

How does your team work, both together and separately, in a remote environment? When managing a remote team, you’ll want to create a culture of trust and independence along with accountability and outcomes. Your team should know exactly what is expected of them and how to manage their workflow.

If you're managing a remote team, balancing asynchronous and synchronous communication channels is key. Establish when to send an email vs. setting up a video meeting and how long people can expect to wait for a response in Slack.

Tips and tricks for managing a team that works from home:

• Set up regular one-on-ones
• Schedule team meetings
• Check in daily with team members
• Establish core working hours
• Organize Slack (and other messaging) channels
• Record meetings for team members unable to attend

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8. Use efficient telecommunication tools

When looking to be successful working remotely, using efficient telecommunications tools is at the top of the list. A number of apps and programs are available to make it easy to talk to your teammates and collaborate remotely. Instant messages can replace email and even some meetings, while video conferencing takes the place of face-to-face meetings.

Communication tools for remote working include:

• Slack. Slack lets you instant message your coworkers and create "Slack Channels" for specific topics like tech support or teams. You can talk one-on-one or as a small group through direct messages or post in a channel. Add files and integrate apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Google Calendar.
• Zoom. In-office meetings were quickly replaced by video calls, whether it's a one-on-one with your manager or a company-wide all hands. Zoom meetings are easy to join and have added layers of security. You can share your screen and interact in the live chat with polls, reactions, and hand raises.
• Upwork Messages. Communicate with clients or freelancers on Upwork. Keep communication on the platform for extra protection and send project updates, add links, schedule meetings, and video chat through Zoom integration.
• Google Workspace. Google offers a number of collaboration tools, such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, that make it easy for multiple people to work on one project. Workspace also includes Gmail, Calendar, and telecommunication tools like Chat and Meet for instant messaging and video calls.

9. Have a dedicated workspace

The goal is to create a home office, not to feel like your entire home is your office. Being able to "leave the office" and relax at home without feeling like you're on the clock is important. You don't have to have a separate room to create this dedicated workspace; it could be a specific area that you like to work in.

If you enjoy moving around while working, having a place to put all of your work-related items at the end of the day can help ease your stress and turn off "work mode."

Upwork shopping guides:

• Best office supplies
• Best work-from-home chairs
• Best work-from-home desks
• Best work-from-home accessories
• Best monitors for working from home

10. Work with targets, not hours, in mind

As companies expand their talent pool to include flexible and remote talent, the idea of measuring success changes to a more output-focused model. Workers are able to be highly specialized and do exactly what they love to do (and are great at!). Instead of hiring for an entire role, managers and employers can hire independent professionals on a per-project basis and focus on results.

This new flexible work model gives freelancers the freedom to work on their terms as long as they meet their deadlines. When leading a remote team, focusing on results and outcomes rather than time logged is a critical aspect of successfully working remotely. While some positions require set hours, many can be measured based on deliverables.

As a freelancer planning your daily schedule, focus on targets rather than hours. Instead of telling yourself that you're going to work for three hours straight, assign yourself a certain task (or set of tasks) to tackle.

Working on a task and giving yourself breaks seems less intimidating than working for three solid hours without a specific direction. Dedicating 45 minutes to a particular task is more efficient than working on a variety of tasks through distractions for three hours just to try to hit your time mark.  

11. Set your phone to “Do Not Disturb”

The average person in the US spends around 4 hours and 30 minutes on their phone during the day (not counting talking). While phones are a great way to stay connected with friends and family, they're also an endless source of entertainment and distraction.

When you want to dedicate yourself to a task or project, try turning your phone on "Do Not Disturb" to prevent notifications from distracting you. Most phones have the option to customize your "Do Not Disturb," so you can choose if you want to receive some notifications but not others. Turn your phone face down to avoid temptation, and let yourself completely focus.

If you don't want any notifications at all, you can put your phone on "Airplane Mode," where your phone is effectively turned off and won't send or receive any signals. Doing this is often easier than powering your phone off and on again whenever you want to focus.

12. Interact with other co-workers

Staying social and interacting with your coworkers can help you be more successful while working remotely. Feeling isolated and disconnected is a risk of remote work, but there are ways to stay involved and still feel like you're part of a supportive team. You can connect with your coworkers through Slack, check in throughout the day, and even have virtual lunches together.

As a remote worker, the time you spend not working may become how you fill your social needs. Because there's no commute time, the average remote worker has about four hours and 15 minutes extra per week to spend with family or friends.

If you're feeling lonely or isolated, try working out of your local coffee shop at least one day a week if you have a laptop and can work outside of your home.

As a manager, creating a remote work culture that fosters a team environment and inclusion is a top priority. Managers set the example for what working on a remote team is like. Learning how to effectively collaborate on a remote team has a huge impact on productivity and team output.

Tips for boosting remote team engagement:

• Create non-work-related themed Slack (or another messaging app) channels
• Have virtual happy hours
• Establish an onboarding program
• Create or engage in team-building activities
• Find time for wellness initiatives like weekly yoga or meditation
• Use SWAG giveaways—corporate branded clothing and goods or snack boxes—as prizes for fun contests

13. Use task management software

While few feelings are as satisfying as writing out a to-do list and crossing items off one by one, having task management software can help you be more productive when working from home.

When you work on a team and collaborate remotely, task management software is convenient for assigning tasks, monitoring progress, staying on top of deadlines, and managing workloads. Freelancers can organize their projects by client and even track the time spent on each task.

Task management software for remote work includes:

• Hive. Hive is a visual project management platform designed for remote and hybrid work. You can break projects down into steps, add deadlines, and assign them to teammates.
• Monday.com. Monday.com lets you customize your workflows and automate some processes, like approvals and tasks. It also includes social media management and monitoring integrations.
• Asana. Asana focuses on planning and progress, creating a visualization of your team's projects. Asana also lets you create automated workflows and quickly build Gantt charts.
• Trello. Create boards based on different teams or clients, then start mapping out your projects with cards. Cards contain everything you need for each project, including checklists, due dates, attachments, and conversations.

14. Plan the day ahead

When working remotely, planning your schedule can help you stay organized. Planning your day and week lets you know if you're available to take on more work or new clients, and to visualize your workload. Mapping out your projects can help you also feel mentally prepared.

A good practice is to make a to-do list at the end of each workday for the following day and set a game plan for how you’ll tackle it. This way, you won't spend time in the mornings trying to figure out what to get started on; you can get straight to work!

15. Establish boundaries

Working from home gives you more flexibility over your schedule, but this can also lead to being “always on.” Know when you’re going to start your day and when you’ll log off. Maintaining work-life balance and setting aside time each day to be “off the clock” can help avoid burnout so you can be more productive while working.

Set boundaries and establish with clients before you accept a contract when your working hours are and how long they can expect a response from you. This helps to manage client expectations. Your clients may be spread across many different time zones which can make communication more challenging.

If you work as a full-time employee for a company, you may need to be online during specific times, even if it's outside the time zone you live in. Many companies that have hybrid or remote working policies have core hours that overlap with the main time zones. These are the preferred hours to schedule meetings, but you still may need to be flexible.

Compared to being in an office, when working remotely, friends, family, and others in your circle may see you as being more available. You’ll need to set boundaries, whether that’s putting your phone on do not disturb mode and not answering texts during work hours, or shutting your door.

16. Use a task timer

Keeping track of your hours is important when freelancing to accurately bill clients and calculate how much you’re actually making on fixed-price contracts. Using a task timer can be helpful for productivity, especially when working from home. You can see how much time you’re spending on different tasks.

Time tracking can also help you compare billable to nonbillable hours and give more accurate estimates to clients. Running reports allows you to visualize your workflows and see where you can make improvements with automations and tools. Some time trackers also have built-in website blockers to help you stay focused.

17. Stay active

You may find that when working from home, you have to make more of an effort to be active. At the office, you would need to walk to a meeting or over to a coworker’s desk to ask a question. Spending too much time sitting can be bad for your health and your productivity.

Taking short walks can help you feel more energized and motivated to work. If you notice that you feel tired after lunch, try taking a walk after you eat. You could even take walking meetings if you have a good set of headphones and don't have to be on-camera. Being active is equally important for your physical and mental health.

18. Prioritize tasks

When organizing your workday, make a habit of prioritizing tasks so you know what you should be working on. Set a limit for how long you’ll spend on less important tasks to avoid getting sidetracked. You want to be strategic about how you spend your working hours, focusing on the tasks that have the closest deadline or will require the most time.

You can prioritize tasks by creating to-do lists. You can sort tasks by level of importance and write down the due dates. This can help you stay on track and divide your time wisely to meet deadlines. You should always know what task or project to work on next.

19. Optimize your workspace ergonomics

The space that you work in should make sense. The idea of ergonomics is to create a workspace that optimizes productivity and efficiency while minimizing any work-related injuries. Many people find that they work better when they’re comfortable, but a set-up that encourages good posture—with chairs, keyboards, and desks at the right height, for example—can help prevent tendonitis, stiff necks, and other issues.

The most common injuries from computer-related jobs are carpal tunnel and eye strain. Adjusting your monitor so it's at eye level and adding wrist rests can help prevent these injuries.

Think about how you could improve your workspace ergonomics, whether that’s by adding a standing desk or a whiteboard to write down your daily tasks and deadlines. Your home office should be cozy and inspiring so you can settle in and get to work.

20. Set daily goals

Having a goal that you’re working toward helps to maintain motivation and momentum. Try setting SMART goals for yourself that you can break down into daily, weekly, monthly, and longer goals. Knowing what you’re working toward in both the short and long term can help you feel more accomplished.

Goals add the why to your work. Creating career development goals is useful when you’re feeling stuck and stagnant at work. They can help inspire you to be productive and give you a plan of action for change.

Working on uninteresting or monotonous tasks can be unmotivating, even if you’re in an office. You may have the urge to procrastinate and save these tasks for last. Tying these tasks into your overall goals can motivate you to complete them, giving them a greater purpose.

21. Take advantage of flexibility

Working from home typically gives you more flexibility in your day-to-day life. Depending on whether you have set hours you need to be logged on or can create a schedule that works best for you, you may be able to break up your day when you’re feeling unproductive. Taking a longer mid-day walk or going to the gym can give your brain time to reset on days you’re struggling.

Incorporating activities that you enjoy can help you feel more motivated to work. You may find that you feel thankful for your remote job when you’re able to meet a friend for lunch or run an errand before rush hour. When you get back to your desk, you can tap into that intrinsic motivation.

A change of scenery can help boost productivity and reduce distractions that you may have around the house. Try going to a local coffee shop and coworking space and to feel social and change your routine up.

22. Review and reflect

When working remotely, you can sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture and how your projects fit in with your company’s or client’s goals. Instead of seeing the impact of your work, you may go straight to the next task. Try taking time to review and reflect on your work and allow yourself to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Every project is a learning opportunity. You want to constantly improve and get better at what you do. Even if you don’t get feedback, analyze your work and think about what you did well and what you would do differently.

23. Limit social media use

The average person spends around 143 minutes a day on social media, which is over two hours. Social media quickly draws you in as one reel or TikTok turns into twenty or more. Before you know it, you’ve been on your phone for fifteen minutes.

Try to limit social media use when you’re working. Phones can be addictive. You may need to put app or website blockers on your devices to help you break the habit. Instead of scrolling through social media during your breaks, go screen-free and take a walk, read a book, or do a quick household chore like laundry or unloading the dishwasher.

Your brain and eyes need time away from the screen, but this can be hard. Social media’s fast-paced design makes users want to check their phones often to avoid missing anything important. You may not even realize how often you check your phone throughout the day and how that time adds up.

24. Create a morning ritual

When working in an office, you have to get ready and commute to your job. Once you get there, you’ll likely have a routine that you go through before you sit at your desk, turn your computer on, and get to work. This morning routine helps you get into “work mode.”

Creating a morning ritual when working from home can have the same benefits. Even if your desk is just a few feet from your bed, you can have a routine that you go through every morning to let your brain know that it’s time to be productive and work. Wake up with enough time to go through your routine without rushing.

Instead of wearing pajamas, get ready for the day. Even putting on different clothes can help change your mindset. You can still be comfortable, but make sure you look professional if you’re going to be on-camera and taking video meetings.

Think about what else you’d like to add to your routine, like a walk, morning yoga, or just making a cup of coffee and breakfast. You may want to write out your daily goals and a to-do list. Try to stick to whatever ritual you create to make it as effective as possible.

25. End with a routine

Creating an end-of-workday ritual can help you feel like you're "leaving work" even when working from home. This is similar to how creating a nighttime routine can help you feel more tired and ready for bed. An end-of-work routine can help you destress and get out of "work mode."

Tips for creating your end-of-work routine include:

• Go offline. Turn off your work computer, Slack, and email, and only check the most important messages if needed.
• Take a walk. Signal your workday is over by going for a stroll, ideally without checking your phone for any work-related notifications.
• Physically tidy up. Clean up your workspace and put all of your work-related items in one area so you don't have to see (and then think about) them.
• Digitally clean up. Close down all tabs and programs you don't need for personal reasons, and bookmark the work tabs you'll need tomorrow. You want to start the next workday with a clean slate.
• Cross off today's to-do list. Crossing items off your to-do list can help you feel more accomplished as you reflect on all that you achieved during the day.
• Create tomorrow's to-do list. Write down your schedule and list of tasks for the next day. When you physically write things down, you can more easily stop thinking about them.
• Check your calendar. Make sure you know what meetings and appointments you have the following day.
• Check your email. Do one last email check, and then tell yourself you won't recheck it until the morning.
• Change your outfit. Switch out of "work mode" by changing your clothes, whether it's workout clothes or sweatpants, to let your body know that your workday is over.

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