Working from home has become a new norm post-COVID-19, and for some freelancers, its benefits to productivity are lucrative.

In 2020, Boston Consulting Group found that 75% of remote workers either maintained or increased their productivity once working from home.

But what about the 25% who suffer decreased productivity in a remote working environment?

In this article, we’ll be covering 14 productivity hacks to improve your freelance workflow. Let’s dive in.

14 productivity hacks for an efficient workflow

#1. Build a strong daily routine

The backbone of productivity is a daily routine. A healthy routine has been linked to lower stress and better sleep. By planning for exercise and meditation, your health will feel a boost as well.

Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, your routine sets the tone for your working day. Everyone works best on different routines – play to your strengths and make it exciting. Daily routines don’t need to be repetitive and boring.

#2. Create daily schedules

On top of your routine, an ever-changing daily schedule can help you to optimize your working hours. Outline urgent tasks, to-dos and other sub-tasks so you won’t forget anything.

Also important, remember to schedule time for exercise and daily activities. Planning for breaks and physical exercise will boost your motivation and ensure your well-being doesn’t take the passenger seat.

#3. Have a separate working space

Drawing the line between work and home is a common issue that freelancers face. A dedicated workspace at home can help boost productivity by separating work and everyday life stress.

How can your bedroom feel relaxing if it’s also where you work every day? Even if it’s a desk you reserve for work, find a space where you can zone in. Eventually, your work mindset will naturally click in whenever you enter your workspace.

#4. Keep your home workspace clean

Now that you’ve dedicated a space in your home for work, keep it clean! Distractions are a huge time-waster that can eat up portions of your work day. For those prone to them, removing distractions is essential to productivity.

Put away any dishes, toys, and devices that might draw your focus from your work. Instead, decorate your desk with calming green plants and consider cleaning the cable salad under your desk.

#5. Clean up your online workspace too

It’s not just your physical workspace that gets untidy – your desktop might also need cleaning. Desktop organization can help to declutter, and having important areas of your work organized will also save your time.

For example, you may opt for an automated backup app that keeps your files secure without you having to back them up manually. A VPN for PC can take care of your safety while you’re busy with other tasks. You’ve got the idea.

#6. Centralize work matters with a Kanban board

How do you manage your team and clients? The modern freelance business uses a “kanban board”. Kanban boards are project management tools that maximize efficiency and minimize work in progress.

Apps like Trello help individual freelancers and teams to organize priorities and visualize their workflow before it’s begun. An added bonus is the transparency you can offer your clients, as they can follow your progress from the start.

#7. Take regular breaks

Sometimes, less is more. Maybe the reason for a drop in your productivity is that you’re working too much. Long, uninterrupted work sessions can eventually lead to poor work ethic and even the feeling of being burnt out.

Make time for rest, as a rested mind is much more productive. Take an extra half an hour for lunch, or a short break after each task. Pulling yourself away from work, even for five minutes, can help to gain an objective view of trickier problems.

#8. Schedule a day off

Regular breaks will help your productivity in the short term, but you’ll inevitably need to take more time off. If you’re a workaholic who can’t have even the slightest drop in productivity, you need to consider having some rest.

In fact, being a freelancer, an open schedule is what drew you to the line of work. It is your right to schedule days off. Take a breather and return to work with a renewed spirit and some fresh new ideas.

#9. Experiment with productivity methods

Did you know you don’t need to approach work the same way every day? You can try many tried and tested productivity methods:

• The Pomodoro Technique: Great for procrastinators – work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break. Repeat this with an extended break every 4 rotations.
• Eat That Frog Method: Pick your most undesirable task for the day (your “frog”), and do it first. Then, every other task will seem easier compared to the first.
• The Eisenhower Matrix: Rank tasks by urgency and importance, and proceed accordingly.

Every method will boost productivity for particular individuals. Try a few and find the best one to suit your workflow.

#10. Find inspiration in templates, etc.

Let’s be clear – there is no shame in leaning on a template or cheat sheet sometimes. You can’t expect to be on the ball every day of the week. For those off days, use other freelancers’ work as inspiration for your own.

Feeling a lack of ideas for a newsletter? Read through some successful marketing campaigns and extract some ideas from the tone, images, or content. Often you’ll find, all you needed was a spark of inspiration to get going again.

#11. Email automation

As a freelancer, running your own business chews up a lot of time. Personally responding to every client onboarding email, or manually sending out newsletters takes away time from your work.

Luckily, email automation has become very comprehensive and can save you a load of time. Boost your productivity by automating:

• Client onboarding;
• Newsletter campaigns and funnels;
• Blog and social media posts;
• Accounting tools for your chosen payment processor.

#12. Build your client-base thoughtfully

Like it or not, you can’t get more hours in the week. Choosing the right clients and deciding how many you can successfully manage at once is crucial. If you’re overloaded with work, you can’t put in 100% effort.

High work demand for low pay can sound lucrative at first, but it will take the time you could spend on higher-quality clients. Learn to say “no” to smaller clients, reserving your remaining hours for the bigger fish.

#13. What do you do after work?

What you do off the clock is just as important as when you’re on. How you treat your body and mind after work plays a crucial role in your motivation levels for the next days or weeks.

Consume healthy, nutritious food and limit drinking where possible. Often disregarded compared to physical fitness is your mental health. Take care of your mind as it’s your strongest tool for a productive workflow.

#14. Reward yourself

When all is said and done, how do you celebrate after a successful project? Do you reward yourself at all? If not, then you’re missing out! Take yourself out for a fancy dinner or buy that nice bottle of wine.

Life as a freelancer is inherently stressful at times, and you deserve to acknowledge your achievements. Next time you’re overwhelmed, a future reward can be the boost of motivation and productivity you needed all along.

Conclusion

It’s perfectly natural to feel a lull in productivity. As a freelancer, self-driven motivation is just not enough sometimes.

Whenever you’re feeling a drop in productivity, refer to these tips to take your workflow to light speed.