5 tips to make WFH more efficient

1. You must find a routine that works for you. 
2. Eliminate distractions as much as possible
   
   
3. Take breaks and go get fresh air when you can 
   
   

4. Get dressed, don’t wear sweats all day, ever heard the phrase “look good, feel good”
   
   
5. Build transitions into work and out of work/ set actual work hours
   
   
6. Communicate with your employees, co-workers, colleagues, etc. You have to communicate with the outside world. 

‍

Christian [00:00:00] In this episode, we are going to talk about five tips to making work from home. Secondly, what we're doing right now, more efficient. We're giving you a few tips on routine blocking your time. And just a few other flurries to help you out. 

[00:00:17] And this time, this is the marketing natives providing actionable ways to grow, improve and succeed in your business. 

[00:00:27] And now your hosts, Christian and our Aaron. 

Aaron [00:00:33] Perfect. 

Aaron [00:00:34] So I think this is a podcast that not only is good for for those who are watching or listening, but also for ourselves, because I've seen a bunch of them. I don't know if you've done us too, but there's been a lot of blogs, a lot of articles out there. I'm just like, hey, tips for working from home. And I've briefly looked at like one of them or I just saw the headlines. But this actually forced me to go do some research and find out a few things. So I think this would be very helpful for us as well. 

Christian [00:01:00] So just going to. Yeah. I would say this like this is something that obviously I feel like everyone's still trying to adjust to and finding their own groove in all this. Right. Because everyone's routines and what they've been used to doing has been interrupted. Right. So everyone has to kind of find their own way of dealing with this. And hopefully some of these tips will alleviate some of that. And technically, this very first thing that we have is finding your own routine. Right. And finding something that obviously that works for you. So, for example, there's something I'm still trying to figure out. But if you think about like your like workout routine. Right, gyms have been closed down. So there's no more gyms. Everyone's having to either workout from home or go running. I feel like there's definitely been an uptick in people who are running outside and just or maybe just walking outside, but finding your routine socially. You know, you have to say active considering the fact that you're gonna be stuck at home working. So find a way to get an exercise in there. So it might mean that, for example, for me, I can do pushups throughout the day instead of having to not necessarily just have a hand block in the morning to do my workout. I could do my workout throughout the day because I know how to be in an office. I sweat pretty easily. So that would not be something viable for me to do at our office. Because if even if I jump in the our bike, we have like an office desk bike type deal. And even if I jump in there for 20 minutes, I start sweating and it's bad. But at home I could do that because I have to. I mean, I get change. I can take a quick shower if I want to or just kind of chill out for a little bit and, you know, let the sweat dry. So it's just I mean, it's just a completely different routine that, you know what I'm used to, but it's something that probably works better for me in that sense. 

Aaron [00:03:05] Yeah. I was gonna say. So it sounds like from all of this, you're just more so challenging me to a push up challenge. So, yeah. 

Christian [00:03:13] And when we used to kind of do that at the apartment, we were not at an office. Right. We changed to the office setting. It's just hard to get in push ups and things like that because you're I mean, it could be a different attire. You're in and out of your office. You're talking to people and you're building things like that. It's just kind of weird. Yeah. You want to be this thing, kid? 

Aaron [00:03:35] Yeah. And I don't know. So, yeah, I think the routine I think something that we should point out is that it's going to look different. It's in. It's a lot different. But we are creatures of habit. So once you figure it out, just continue to do that. Nobody knows how long this is going to go on. And, you know, making a habit for yourself at least gets you like looking forward to it. Like especially if you like a hot midday. I get to go and do this. I go out on my afternoon walk right after these calls or right after this meeting. You start to look forward to it. And it's like good, good feelings that you have versus like uncertainty and anxiety and anxiousness and everything like that. So I think it just helps with mindset, too. 

Christian [00:04:17] Yeah, absolutely. And I think part of the routine is also time blocking on your calendar. Is something that we do on a regular basis in our business. But I think it's very important to visually see your day. Because at home, I feel like sometimes the day just goes by super quick. Yes. And it's just kind of suspicious, a weird dynamic. But if you time block and you say, okay, from this on this I'm of this from this one to this one and this, then it just makes everything a lot easier and a lot more structured for you. 

Aaron [00:04:49] Yeah, absolutely. All right. 

Aaron [00:04:51] So number two, speaking of working from home and. Well, like the structure of it. Eliminate distractions as much as possible. Sometimes that can be a baby. Sometimes that can be a puppy. Sometimes it's, you know, some people you like in a neighborhood and there may be kids outside, maybe not playing with other kids, but there could be people outside. There could be the fact that you didn't finish laundry over the weekend. It could be like that. You didn't wash your dish lunch. Those are all distractions, even though they just seem like a little bit it's like, oh, I didn't have like three bowls over here. I saw them earlier. And let me go just wash them and then go back to work. It's like, you know, like. You got to eliminate that kind of. And we'll talk about something a little bit later, too. But I think that those are eliminating the distractions and getting those things out of your way. Will also help you to kind of have a better routine from like my workspace environment. 

Christian [00:05:46] Mm hmm. Yeah. I feel like sometimes you'd have to sort of put your that the horse blindly blender's one thing and and just really concentrate and, you know, tell your significant other or you tell your partner that you can't tell your puppy not to misbehave. I wish that was true, but just kind of put your blinders and really concentrate. How this hour to hour block time block that. I really mean to get the stuff done. And then I could do the dishes or then I can do five minutes of playing tug of war, my puppy just holding my baby for five, 10 minutes. So I think that those things are or you can definitely incorporate them. But I think, like you're saying, it's eliminating the distractions. So if your time blocking, you know, take that time like it seriously and don't let like you looking over your shoulder, looking at the dishes and saying, oh, I need to do that. Let me. And then you kind of get frustrated from like the fact that, oh, I should probably go do that. But now I actually have work like I'm at work. It's kind of like a you have to separate yourself from your environment. 

Aaron [00:06:50] Yes. And it also causes like so you can't go do the dishes or you can't go pick up the laundry and then you get back to work. Like I didn't make any progress on this. So it's like a double edged sword. You just feel like, oh, I'm unproductive. And then it just it's just spiraling out of control. I'm sure a lot of people have felt that. But I think that one good thing that you should do, which we kind of have right now, I have some makeshift one or nice ones, is like using something like brain F.M. or like something. Audience audibly to listen to. Probably not listens to today's top music unless you can do that bit like some kind of concentration music like whether it's classical or whether it's just instrumental or like I said, brain f.m reached out to them helping you focus because then you can get like logged into your computer. You don't have you don't have the outside like noises and you can kind of really focus in on it. And so it eliminates a lot of distractions. Just doing something like that. 

Christian [00:07:45] Yeah. Which, by the way, you can go to brain FM. On your browser and you'll find out who we're talking about. 

Christian [00:07:53] It's a sort of bi neural beats and they have a ton of different options and you can listen in for a tryout for free, but it definitely helps you. It definitely helps you get in the zone and just concentrate on what you're doing. Unlike listening to popular music where you just I mean, I can't do it either. Like, I mean, there's there's some tasks, I guess, that you can listen to your Spotify. But if you really need to concentrate or you're writing something out, there's no way I have to do something like Braindead. 

Aaron [00:08:23] Yeah. To really concentrate. I was going to say the big thing for me is like I could maybe review like like skim over or maybe not even skim an e-mail or anything. 

Aaron [00:08:33] I think it's just like maybe a number or something like, oh, this is OK. This is like just brief overview of numbers or something. And then I could have it. But as far as like being able to concentrate and like respond back to an email, you know, you might I may find myself since like saying like despacito, I'm like, well hold with that. I don't know why I wrote that wrong a wrong word here. So the I think brain that our is super helpful or something like that. 

Aaron [00:08:58] Yeah. What is number three, number three? Probably the most important I have to force myself, I saw this youthful do you sayat fitness or was his name say. He used to be Garrity's personal trainer. He put out something and it's like very simple said like if you want to concentrate better, if you want to be better working from home, like get a thousand steps by 10 a.m. at the least. Just get out and go walk and get a thousand steps by 10 a.m. You're just gonna set yourself up on a much better foot. So our number three tip is get outside and get fresh air when you can at least move around like, you know, try to leave your apartment or try to leave your house if you can and just don't stay in that same little, you know, those four walls, those boxes, because it's it's daunting because you're staying there all day and then you're like, oh, now I'm here all night, too, and then just do it over and over again. So it's it's I don't know, it's it's hard. So get outside. 

Christian [00:09:57] Yeah. I mean we have a structured even in my calendar time blocked a reflection walk. But then on top of that because I have a puppy, I have to just take her out, you know, every hour or so. And I mean sometimes when I'm over here at Megan's apartment, like she takes care of that or we kind of go back and forth on on taking her. So it's not like every hour I'm taking a break to walk. And even if I do, it's a, you know, maybe five minutes. Yeah, right. That I'm outside with her. And it's just like you said, getting fresh air, letting her go potty and then come back in. 

Aaron [00:10:33] Yeah. Five minutes is plenty of time. I mean ten minutes is like stretching it a little bit. I think like for every hour. But you know, at least maybe a 10 to 20 minute time, once a day is a really good way. And then, you know, once an hour, every two hours, five to ten minutes is also good just to get your blood flowing. I know sometimes we get in the zone as we're like, okay, I don't want to move in. So I'll see here for an hour and a half. But then after that, it's like, okay, I need ten minutes to kind of reset everything and feel like it's not so nice here in Dallas, Texas today. But earlier today I was super nice in this last couple of days was like really nice where you just get outside and feel the sun on you. And it's not that vitamin D definitely helps. 

Aaron [00:11:19] All right. This is a perfect part of the podcast where we talk a little bit about bitbranding right now. We're obviously working from home and business has changed for a lot of people. And I will tell you this, there's still a way that you can help you grow your business. 

Aaron [00:11:35] Sometimes that means you have to pivot in your business. Sometimes that means you have to take your business online. Sometimes that means that you have to figure out unique ways to offer solutions to them. So I encourage you guys to do a free strategy session with us. It's a 45 minute free strategy session to talk about how you can use our tips and tactics and strategies to help you figure out a way to generate more leads and business online. So if you are interested in that free strategy session, go to apply dot BitBranding dot CO. Again, that's apply dot bitbranding dot co and your schedule time on our calendar. 

Aaron [00:12:09] So a couple of questions so we know more about your business and get a free strategy session so that you can help your business pivot and a time like we're gonna do right now. 

Christian [00:12:19] Awesome. All right, we're back, number kwatro is get dressed. Don't wear sweats all day. And I mean, it's super important, too. And I've done both of I've done somewhere one day. I mean, honestly. Dress, dress up. But I just, you know, put on a t shirt and just put on like. Shorts like athletic shorts. Not like, you know, and it's a completely different feeling from actually putting on jeans. Maybe like a button up and actually wearing like shoes. It's just yeah. It feels completely different. And actually, like some of those days, I am more inclined to go to the office. 

Christian [00:13:08] Like the days like. Like I dress up. I'm like, OK. I'm like, I'm ready to go. Like, I like I don't I don't feel like I belong here. Right. I have a purpose now. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I would say definitely today's a. I actually dress up like put on jeans and like shoes and go. It definitely has a different feeling in my brain than when I just kind of. 

Christian [00:13:31] They're on a T-shirt, shirt, shorts and maybe somehow shoes or something. That's a completely different feeling. 

Aaron [00:13:37] Yeah, I think that sets you up for like, hey, this is a Saturday and I'm ready to just kind of watch Netflix all day, like did that to me that just that's what it feels like. And I feel like my brain is more foggy, too, because I'm like, oh, like or more lethargic. You know, if you don't like if you don't use our other tips, if you don't go outside and then you have the distractions and then you're also wearing clothes that, you know, kind of are not conducive to you to be feeling your best. Then at the end of the day, you're kind of like, all right. I feel super tired. I'm not energized. I have yeah, I have no energy. And then I have to go to bed and I have to do it all over again. Something I've been doing, which I don't know why it helps me so much. But just I mean, I've been wearing like shorts, like nice pair of shorts, not like a jeans. So I haven't been wearing pants. I've been wearing pants, but not like work pants. But I have been wearing shoes and I've been wearing like button up tops. And it's like at least something that I would wear normally. Other than the pants part. I'm like, we're about to go into Texas and about work from home. I'll wear nice khakis. So there are lots of that where I can be presentable and I could go. I would say client ready. That's how I look at it. Like if I'm at least client ready, then I feel better. 

Aaron [00:14:50] But putting on shoes makes a world of difference to me. You know, if you wear socks and walk around your house, you just feel like I'm at home. I can relax. I can do whatever. But if I put on shoes, I feel like I'm at my desk. I got my brain F.M. in. I'm focused like that just helps me so much versus taking the shoes off. 

Aaron [00:15:09] And I'm like, I know socks off just feels more casual, I guess. 

Christian [00:15:14] Yeah. And the other thing with just having shoes. 

Christian [00:15:17] It's it just makes it so much easier to go on your breaks. Yes. And you got to think twice about like put this down, literally walk out the door and then like it just makes it so much easier not to like. I got to go look for shoes and put them on. Right. This is an extra step, right? 

Aaron [00:15:35] Is it. Yeah. It seems so small, but I think it's the same thing. Like Remeet said he talks about like you can increase your workout schedule by 40 percent by laying out your workout clothes the night before right outside of your bed. It's like it's so simple. But looking for your clothes in the dark room while you're already kind of tired. It's like that's just one more thing to get in your way of not going to work out yet. 

Aaron [00:15:56] Exactly. Huh? Goodness. All right. So number five here, build transitions into work and out of work like set actual work hours, which I think we do a good job of, like, hey, these are our work hours. You know, you may show up. I always look at it now as like I may do a little bit more work in the morning. But like in the evening, I'm kind of I can't anyway. But like in the morning, I can do a little bit more work. So I I set my hours from like, OK, 8:00, 8:15 or sometimes if I have a meeting 7:30 to like 6, 6, 10 max and then after that, I can't do anything else. And so the transition becomes like for us, it's like, OK, we're going to start the day by having our meetings. 

Aaron [00:16:38] So I always have a meeting, whether it's the networking or with whether you guys like for the team meeting that starts to transition of the day. And then for us, we always have a meeting at the end of the day. So it starts a transition of like, okay, great, I'm off work. So we've already kind of incorporated that, which was super nice. But there should be a transition in your day to kind of like let you know, like, all right, time to to switch into other mode, whatever that is. 

Christian [00:17:01] Yeah. I mean, I think we had the problem when we didn't have an office and we were working from an apartment where. Yeah. The end of day was just kind of a blur. You didn't know where your work day actually ended. I think to some extent it was maybe dinner, right? 

Aaron [00:17:20] Yeah. Yeah. And sometimes dinner would be like seven o'clock. Sometimes I was 7:30. Like it's. Yeah. 

Christian [00:17:25] There was no predefined time. So. Yeah. Now with with the way that we're doing things working from home, we've set up those two meetings in the morning and the evening just kind of in the morning to present, you know, what you're doing throughout the day. And then the evening is kind of present your winds and what you get accomplished. And that's just yeah, like you said, kind of sets a is where we start and disorient. 

Aaron [00:17:48] Right. And I think that year doesn't have to be meetings for those who are listening and like I don't have anybody to meet with. 

Aaron [00:17:53] But maybe it's like a you're telling your wife or your significant other like, OK, bye. 

Aaron [00:17:59] Like, you know, I'm going to you know, it sounds this sounds weird, like I'm going into this office. If you have a room, that's an office or I'm going to like the kitchen table or I'm going somewhere like just take yourself out of the element and say, like bye. 

Christian [00:18:12] Yeah, or just journaling. I think everyone know should be doing that. The end of the day, just kind of write down what are the things that you got done? And then that's at that same point you can actually determine what are the top three tasks that you need to do, you know, for the next day. Yeah. 

Aaron [00:18:27] So now that's a very good at a five minute journaling. Check out that, too. It's a very good journal. People, you could just Google it. All right. 

Aaron [00:18:36] Our last one we have here on tips to work from home more efficiently is to communicate with your employees, coworkers, colleagues, communicate with the people you would normally talk to if you were going into work, whether that's through text message, whether it's slack, whether it's through email, preferrably over something like Zoom, if you can but talk to people like you normally would because communication is key. Like if they say the the perfect storm of things, if you reversed everything we talked about, let's say Christian stayed in his house, he didn't get any outside vitamin D, he had a dog that was distracting him. 

Aaron [00:19:16] He was wearing like clothes that were not conducive to like work environment, wearing like socks and, you know, just a regular t shirt, something he would wear out. 

Aaron [00:19:26] And then the fact that he doesn't talk to anybody else like that starts to, I think, spiral you out of like, you know, motivation. 

Aaron [00:19:34] You start to question a lot of things that you could get done. And, you know, one day's probably not bad, but just letting that go on for now, we're on day 21 or 22 or something like that of quarantine like that going on for three weeks is crazy to think about how much that could affect you mentally and physically. And I just really put you out of control. So talk to people outside of just and talk to people that you would normally talk to and, you know, have those conversations, have that communication. 

Christian [00:20:10] And I think there's something that we need to get better as well. It's like, you know, we do communicate as a team, you know, through slack, through our video meetings, emails, etc.. 

Christian [00:20:22] But just doing that sort of extracurricular water-cooler, you know, type talking, that can also put you at ease. Right. Because it's not just all like work, work, work, work, work. And that's something that we're planning on incorporating. 

Christian [00:20:37] It's just maybe a few phone calls throughout the week just to kind of catch up with our team individually. It's not a group conversation. It's like just kind of seeing how they're doing and how their families are doing different things like that. Just, you know, five, 10 minutes of just talking to to to your employees, coworkers, colleagues, etc.. 

Aaron [00:20:59] Right. And I think just it doesn't have to be checked. 

Aaron [00:21:02] I mean, you could be checking in on how they're doing. Sure. 

Aaron [00:21:05] But it also can be like, hey, did you see this new video again they launched or hey, did you watch this or what? You know, just real conversation that you would have anyway. I think sometimes we overcomplicate it. And it's hard because I think that we kind of fall in the same boat, too, as like sometimes we just over complicate the conversation when it's just should be like, hey, you ran into somebody and like, hey, hey, what's up? 

Aaron [00:21:28] I haven't seen you in a while. How are you doing? How's your family? How's the. You know, have you checked out this? We were friends before this. And you used to play this video game like, you know. Have you played that in a while? I haven't seen you online. What? It doesn't matter. But the point is, is just have the conversations. 

Aaron [00:21:47] Awesome. All right. So saying six of these. 

Christian [00:21:51] Yeah, that was a freebie in there, I think. Introduced as five tips and we got six. 

Aaron [00:21:55] Yeah, we did. That's completely fine. We got a bonus in their. We do. We know you guys knew that communication one so is even better. All right. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode of The Marketing Natives, especially at a time like this. It's more important to go out there and find things that are going to help you be more productive or have a better light tour, a better mindset on things. We hope this helps you with your working from home situation, helps you figure out a way to not only be more efficient, but also help with that physical mindset and that mental mindset. And hopefully you can share this with your friends if this is your first time listening. Make sure that you hit that subscribe button so that you don't miss out on any of our podcasts that come out every single Monday. And if you've been listening for a while and you were like, wow, this was definitely the best episode you guys have done, this is going to help me. And I just really appreciate it. And thank you for taking 20 minutes. We appreciate you listening. Please go over to apple podcast and leave us an honest rating review and just let us know that, hey, I listened to that podcast. It was great. This is what helps us figure out what kind of content to produce for you and continue to make their podcast better. So stay safe out there. Stay safe out there. We'll talk to you guys next week. 

[00:23:07] The marketing native's podcast is a production of BitBranding. 

‍