5 Tips for Working from Your Home or Hotel

Originally published on Proof Is In the Writing on April 10, 2018.

While working from your home (or temporary living space) is a blessing, it can also be a curse. There’s plenty of things around to distract you — a TV to watch, chores to do, books to read — and in such a comfortable environment, it’s easy to lose your sense of urgency and focus. So how do you stay on track?

Here’s five productivity hacks that will help you churn out the same volume of quality work sitting at home as you would sitting in an office.

1. Don’t Wear Pajamas

….Or anything as equally casual as pajamas. Believe it or not, psychologists believe that what you wear actually influences your mindset. If you’re wearing your typical “I’m ready to relax” clothes, then your mind will be ready to relax, not work. But if you’re wearing “I’m about to go somewhere” clothes, your mind stays more active and sharp.

Dr. Karen Pine, psychology professor and fashion psychologist, told Forbes:

A lot of clothing has symbolic meaning for us, whether it’s “professional work attire” or “relaxing weekend wear,” so when we put it on, we prime the brain to behave in ways…