7 Tips to Work from Home in Winter

As a blogger and business owner, I’ve been working from home for 10 years now. There are many benefits that come with this lifestyle, but also many disadvantages.

One of them is that you have to be your own boss and actually get things done even when you don’t feel like it. 

Work from home productivity is not always there, especially when there are other factors – such as the sun shining outside and you missing out on the summer days, or when it’s winter and the cold and depressing weather gets to you.

Luckily, we can always find some hacks to still boost our productivity, regardless of what season it is.

But now, I want to talk about the winter months. Let’s see what you can do to keep working on your business even when it’s cold outside and you’d rather be on the coach with a hot cup of tea.

How to Work from Home in Winter

1. Make your workplace cozy.

A well-decorated place with items that motivate you and make you feel relaxed is better. 

So what can you add to your home office to make it cozier?

Do you need to declutter it first and get rid of unnecessary belongings?

What items would best represent your personality and business goals? Maybe you can add those.

In this article, I’ve covered some tips to make your workspace cozier.

2. Keep it warm.

A warm place is cozier and nicer to work from. However, too warm isn’t good as it leads to tiredness.

Research has found that being in a room above 24 degrees decreases your productivity. So make sure you don’t get to that number.

Also, you’ll need to open the windows every now and then to let some fresh air in. That’s also important for focus and your overall health.

3. Take care of the basics.

To be productive when working from home in winter or any other season, you’ll need to make sure your home is protected from damage and that everything is functioning normally.

That might mean insulating it better (including the pipes), and inspecting the windows, doors and other openings for any gaps.

Check the roof for any leaks. Inspect the ventilation system and see if the smoke alarms are working.

Prepare for power outages and keep a good stock of supplies (such as flashlights, batteries, blankets, food, a battery operated snow blower, etc.)

4. Improve indoor air quality.

To get more done from home in the winter months, you’ll also need to improve indoor air quality. 

That can happen by indetifying allergens such as dust and cold. You might already be experiencing symptoms if you live in a dusty or moldy place, such as sneezing, itching, runny nose, watery eyes, etc.

You can learn more about allergens here, the main sources, and how to control them. As a result, you’ll improve air quality and will make your home a safer and healthier place to be in.

Don’t forget to keep it clean and control the humidity (use a dehumidifier if your place is more humid).

Another nice addition to your home office that will make it both cozier and healthier are indoor plants. Make sure you pick air purifying ones.

5. Set a different schedule.

Now that your home is safe, clean, healthy and cozy, we can talk about some productivity hacks you can use to get more done in the winter. 

My first tip for you is to set a different schedule for the winter. What works in other seasons might not work in the colder months, so we need to adjust.

That might mean waking up an hour later, changing our morning routine, having a few cups of tea instead of one, losing focus more often so having to take breaks.

See what works and then add discipline and turn it into a daily routine. Make it a non-negotiable so you can still show up for your business every workday and actually get things done.

If getting to work takes you much more effort now, think of ways to make it easier. Maybe you can warm up by answering email, checking socials (for business), or doing something fun first such as creating graphics in Canva or outlining a new offer (if that sounds fun to you).

The point is to get in the flow. From then on, you can move onto tasks that require more focus or longer periods of work, such as content creation. 

6. Start using a new productivity app.

I don’t usually use apps like that, but I recently needed a productivity boost and decided to check what’s out there. I found a simple app that lets me clock in and out of work and which simply tracks my work time for the day. That’s exactly what I needed.

Now I get to 4-5 hours of work more easily every day.

Maybe you need something else, or an app that has more features, or which blocks all other apps on your phone so you can actually focus on work. Whatever it is, a new tool like that can help with productivity in the winter. 

7. Results vs time

If nothing else helps, you might reconsider the way you approach your work tasks. If you’ve been focusing on tracking time till now, how about you only review results for the next few weeks or months?

That means letting go of how long something takes or how many hours you need to work for the day, and instead deciding if the day was productive by seeing how much actually got done. 

It’s about working on the right things, after all, not just working.

I hope these 7 tips are helpful and at least one of them will make it easier for you to work from home in winter. Let me know how it goes.