5 Productivity Hacks for Your Home-Based Business. #WednesdayWisdom

Working from home is a blessing but that does not mean it is always easy. These five tips will help increase your productivity and maintain or start to create a healthy work-life balance.

1.) Drink a full glass of water before breakfast. Not only will it help you digest breakfast, but it will also make you take a break about two hours later. Breaks are an important part of the workday. A mid-morning break provides you with a moment of pause for an indulgent YouTube video, or the opportunity to shift tasks, or to get another glass of water.

2.) Do your work in the same space every day. Have a dedicated workspace, like an office or a kitchen table. Moving into that space will serve as a cue to your brain that it is time to get to work. Keeping your work in one place helps compartmentalize work in your physical space and also in your mind.

3.) Organize tasks around your preferences. The biggest benefit of working from home is that you can create a timetable that plays to your strengths. Some people have more energy in the morning while others have more energy in the afternoon. Know yourself, and plan accordingly. Working from home lets you work with your natural rhythms, improving your productivity.

4a.) Take a lunch break away from your desk for at least 20 minutes. This gives your eyes a chance to refocus on something farther away than a screen, your body a chance to nourish, and your brain a chance to regroup.

4b.) Stop the afternoon slump by walking (in circles if you have to!) during your lunch break. The mind-body connection teaches us that refreshing the body also refreshes the mind. Walking involves all muscle groups. An increased heart rate helps pump more oxygen to those muscles and to your brain too!

5.) Close the door on your work. Once you are off the clock, walk away from your workstation and do something else. Pick up everything and put it away, or close the office door. Get your mind off of work, so you can return tomorrow refreshed.

Working to burn out is a great way to decrease productivity and destroy the regularity you need to be successful. Your business needs you to be there for the long haul.